Supplements & stiffness
Thank you in advance for any help. |
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| How old is Winston?
Perhaps a pain medication might be right? |
I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record  but have you
checked out the OESCA health site lately? There's a section on hip dysplasia that was reprinted from the Drs. Foster & Smith website. It tells about this condition, surgical options BUT ALSO different supplements and pain medications we can discuss with our vets. http://oeshealth.org/hipdysplasia.htm |
| Jaci -Thank you for the direction. The web site is awesome.
Ron - Winston is 6. I have him on a pain medication called Zubrin - but I am concerned about the lasting effects of that - I was hoping supplements would help. Thank you for the suggestion. Do you know if it is possbile to give too much of a supplement and hurt Winston instead of helping him? |
| Well sure... I know of one dog that got into the bottle of over-the-counter Glucosamine/Chondroitin and died from the overdose. What a terrible tragedy that was. |
Quote: Do you know if it is possbile to give too much of a supplement and hurt Winston instead of helping him?
I sometimes wondered if we were... we add several supplements each day including probiotics, colostrum, Cosequin DS, 3V Caps, vitamin C or Ester C, Missing Link Professional Detox formula (vet said for a lifetime) and more. We're dealing with hip dysplasia, allergies and low thyroid in the pack. There are different supplements and supplement manufacturers so it's difficult to know what levels/combination will be safest and will work best. This is one reason to seek the guidance of a good vet. Our biggest concern right now is our holistic vet, the only one in the area, retired earlier this month. He helped us with things to add and verified levels of others we had been giving were ok. Our conventional vets don't seem to have as much knowledge about the supplement/nutrition part of dog health beyond the prescription foods they offer. One last thing... if Winston is overweight, get the extra pounds off him by controlling calorie intake. It will help him to move easier and will take the unneeded stress and grinding off those hip bones. This can be tough when you've got a dog that doesn't move as much because of pain so he doesn't burn as many calories. You can ask your vet about adding unsalted green beens (ours get broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, etc. too) as a filler with his regular kibble IF this is an issue. Good luck to Winston~ |
| If Winston does have hip displayia, I would highly recommend switching his diet to the Royal Canin Joint Mobility, specifically formulated for dogs with conditions like his. We are on Science Diet j/d, but I've heard great things about the Royal Canin as well.
A glucoseamine supplement, such as the Consequin DS, as 6Girls mentioned, would also be a great addition. I will also echo her on keeping Winston thin, and build those muscles! We have Oliver on an anit-inflammatory as well, Deramax. He just gets 1/4 tablet a day. All that we have done has made a huge difference in his mobility. Our vet told us that while some of these drugs can be harmful long-term, a dog will only live for 10-13 years, verses 75 years for humans, so long-term really doesn't apply to most of these drugs. I would definately consult a specialist on Winston's condition, and find out what options you have. A small change in diet, adding a supplement, or anti-inflammatory can make a huge difference! |
| My 6 year old Avy also suffers from stiffness and arthritis. Thankfully not hip dysplasia though. On our vet's recommendation she gets 1000mg of glucosamine, 1000mg MSM, 1000mg flaxseed oil and 1000mg vitamin E everyday. |
| Our boy Ollie began suffering with bad hips around 6 years old. We gave him a glucoseamine supplement along with flax and vitamin E. We gave pain meds only when he showed signs of excessive stiffness.
As he aged, we added holistic treatment, acupuncture for mobility and chinese herbs for pain. It kept him more active than pain meds and cost was about the same. |
Everyone has given great advice so far. Is Winston on the Venison and Potato for a reason, such as skin problems or tummy issues? If so, I would probably not switch his food. As far as Glucosamine goes, my vet is big on Cosequin DS. He says that they have done such thorough and extensive testing on dogs takig Cosequin from birth to death that he trusts their product implicitly. (Maybe he gets a cut.....  ).
Just be careful with the pain meds. Our first sheepie, Quincy, had elbow dysplasia and surgery at 18 months old, and already had arthritis in that joint. He went on Rimadyl, which he was on for three years, and showed no signs of any tummy problems, which are a common side effect of these drugs. He started throwing up on a Monday, and passed away on Friday at five years old. The autopsy showed that he had 7 large ulcers which had perforated.  No one would confirm it but I suspect that they were caused by the Rimadyl. Quincy, being a stoic sheepie, didn't show any of the common symptoms of ulcers. If you are using pain meds like Rimadyl or Deramax, please consider giving your dog Pepcid AC. My vet told me that a simple Pepcid pill could have prevented his passing.
I hope that you find a supplement that works for Winston. Laurie and Oscar |
| Thank you everyone for your suggestions - all good and very helpful.
Oscar's Mom - Yes, Winston is on Venison & Potatoe due to very severe tummy troubles. In fact he was on Cosequin until he got really sick. The vets suspect that the Cosequin was one of the factors causing Winston's stomach issue - that is why I haven't dared to start Winston on supplements again until now. He is just so stiff and sore I have to figure something out. I am so sorry about your Quincy. I can't even imagine how horrible that was. Winston does take Zubrin for pain. I will give him a Pepcid from now on. Thank you for letting me know this. |
| My vet recommended omegaderm.
I learned the hard way to give the glucosamine chondroitin along with their meal. When I was giving it without food it caused her to throw up. Good Luck! |
| Hello,
Yes sometimes over doing supplements is harmful but also with things like that the body can only absorb so much. I would recommend Cod Liver Oil this is a good source of omega 3 fatty ocids which helps to maintain suppleness of the joints and aid circulation - and espacially good to give during the winter months. However please dont give the human cod liver oil as obviously the dosage would be unclear. The Glucosamine and Chondroitin are good supplements to give but also there are many good herbal medicines that you can get too - even ones which carry herbal licenses so they will have been tried and tested for their effectiveness and then you dont have to worry about long term damaging effects. And obviously a key thing to note is that your dog doesnt/isnt carrying an unnecessary extra weight. Hope this helps but its worth shopping around on the net - Im sorry but didnt note if you were from the UK or USA But if you are in the USA a good company is HP Pet Products. Hope this helps - Good Luck xxx |
| Any recommendations for the supplement in liquid form? |
| You might ask your vet if any of these would be appropriate
if you're searching for a liquid glucosamine- http://www.liquidhealthinc.com/prodInte ... p?prodID=6 http://www.liquidhealthinc.com/prodInte ... ?prodID=40 http://www.liquidhealthinc.com/prodInte ... ?prodID=12 |
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