Moving a large dog with hip pain: How to ensure comfort and safe loading?

Since Zeus is only 6, I would certainly have your veterinarian evaluate his joints to see if he does have arthritis. At 150 pounds, he is likely overweight for a Shepherd/Malamute cross. Weight loss is very important for treating arthritis and may be one of the most important treatments we can offer. There are a huge number of supplements and medications that we use to treat arthritis. I have attached a link to a handout below with additional information. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=587 Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Zeus feel better soon. Thanks for using PetCoach.

If she is anxious in the vehicle it is best to contain her in a crate. That would be the first consideration. There are not many over the counter medications you can give that will make her sleepy other than antihistamines (like Benadryl) but even sometimes they do not have that affect on dogs like it does in people. I suggest you try Benadryl at home on day when you are there to see if it actually works. Dogs take a very large dose compared to people so a dog her size would need 5 of the 25mg adult human tablets. If it makes her sleepy then on the day of travel you can give it to her 1-2 hours before you leave for the vet. You can buy the generic Benadryl (diphenhydramine). Hope this helps. Best wishes.

You will need to take her to the vet to get it checked first, the vet will identify the problem, if it is quite severe she will need anti inflamatories/pain killers, probably permanently- these pain killer are specific to dogs and prescription only.

Unfortunately pictures aren't loading right now, and our tech team is working on it. The Help 'Em Up harness is my favorite in its comfort for the dog and its usefulness for the human. https://helpemup.com A GingerLead is helpful for temporary use.

Hi there. Poor Diesel! If he is having joint pain in his knees-your veterinarian can prescribe you some medications for pain that can make him much more comfortable. There are also other things available which may be of some aid to you-hills Science Diet makes j/d for better joint health (a prescription food) which many of my clients love. Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements like dasuquin can also help with joint disease. I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. In the meantime you can go to Petco and use the Well and Good Buffered Aspirin to provide some pain relief. I do not recommend using this product long term but for short term use over the weekend, this should be absolutely fine. This could also be an injury further down the leg such as the stifle joint (ACL injury). Your vet will know what to do based on the physical examination. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

If she's not already a daily joint supplement and pain med from your vet is a good idea. A joint supplement can help protect the joint and reduce inflammation, while a pain med such as rimadyl can help to reduce pain and swelling and may help make her more comfortable during the trip. As it can take a bit to start working, asking your vet about it prior to the trip is a good idea.