My senior dog limps after exercise. Anti-inflammatory or glucosamine?

Handsome boy! Those are good products for joint health and inflammation. I recommend a veterinary exam to diagnosis the lameness. It is common for large breeds to have a cruciate ligament injury in the knee. He also may have hip dysplasia. Knowing the reason for the lameness will help you decide the treatment that is best to have him recover from the lameness. Please don't run him again until the lameness resolves or it could become worse. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lugosi.

Arthritis is definitely a possibility. You could start him on a joint supplement, like Dasuquin and see if that helps. Your vet could also take an x-ray to evaluate for arthritis and then start him on a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, like Deramaxx, Previcox, Rimadyl, etc. NSAIDs help relieve the discomfort associated with arthritis.

Hello, thank you for your question about Lulu. Depending on which leg was affected or if the sound can be localized one specific limb this could be indicative of underlying orthopedic disease/arthritis. Diagnosis of arthritis requires an examination and potentially x-rays of affected limbs. You could try starting Lulu on glucosamine to see if this increases her level of comfort. If the limping continues or progresses and the sound does not go away I would recommend having Lulu evaluated by your veterinarian. Hope this helps, good luck!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sebastian. It would be best to ha e him seen this weekend. The swelling bothers me. However, if this is not possible then he needs to be seen first thing Monday morning. I would keep him extremely quiet this weekend. This means no running, jumping or stairs. Take him outside on a leash and bring him straight back in so that he cannot play outside. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Until you get a full diagnosis it would be inappropriate to speculate. It would be recommended in all giant breeds to feed a high quality large/giant breed puppy food which should already be enriched with glucosamine etc, to prevent excess weight gain or rapid growth and to limit strenuous exercise until bones are fully developed. Keep her on complete rest with only short, toilet walks until this can be fully investigated

You should let him rest and only take him out to eliminate preferably on a leash. He will need to be seen by your vet to assess the leg and why he is in pain. This could be due to arthritis, a sprain or trauma such as a cruciate ligament tear or rupture. Your vet will be able to prescribe NSAIDs suitable for dogs in order to curb inflammation and take the pain. Please take him to a vet, preferably today, before the vets close. Do not give your dog human NSAIDS such as Ibuprofen or tylenol, etc. as they are toxic to dogs.

I'm glad to hear that Rocco is still energetic as ever. In terms of things you can do to help with Rocco's discomfort, you might want to consider limiting the type of exercise that causes this kind of pain. As Rocco gets older, his joints may not be as well lubricated as they once were and he may even be experiencing some onset of arthritis. This can be verified with a physical exam and/or x-rays of the affected joints. Though you have indicated this only seems to happen after significant exercise, it might also be worth checking for tick borne diseases that can cause shifting leg lameness. Even though it doesn't seem likely in this case, if that were causing this it would be easily treatable. As for things you can do actively to treat the discomfort, I would consider starting Rocco on a joint supplement and/or fish oils. They will help lubricate the joints and reduce the affect of osteoarthritis long term. Pharmaceuticals available for the treatment of pain and inflammation in dog are extensive and variable. Some are generalized anti inflammatories, opioid pain killers, and some that address neuropathic pain. Other treatment modalities to address discomfort and inflammation include laser therapy, acupuncture, massage, and certain types of therapeutic exercises. The first thing you need to do though is have Rocco examined to rule out any sort of injury. Once that is determined, you can move onto treatment and prevention. Hope this helps.