Arthritis
 Hi AllMy 11 yo, Muffie is getting stiffer and stiffer. Has anyone had relief with anything natural or from the vet for their Sheepie? My previous dog, Pru took Rimadyl but many side effects. trying to find something safer Thanks |
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| Think antioxidants: The first solution is to incorporate substantial doses of powdered Vitamin C into the dog's daily meal. Vitamin C will help keep tissue healthy and protect against further joint deterioration. (Use a sodium ascorbate or another form of buffered vitamin C, as plain ascorbic acid may cause an upset stomach.) Here is a daily dosage guide for adult dogs: Small dogs 500mg - 1,000mg Medium - Large dogs 1,000mg - 2,000mg Giant dogs 2,000mg - 4,000mg Start with the lowest recommended dosage and gradually increase it once or twice per year. If the dog is producing loose stools the dosage may be a bit high so cut back slightly and increase it gradually over time. Be sure to include raw grated carrots, beets, celery and supplements of Vitamins A, C, D and E (or use cod liver oil for Vitamins A and E) for optimal arthritis support. Vitamins A, C and E are powerful antioxidants that protect your dog's body from further damage in general, and Vitamin E also has anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the frequency and intensity of arthritis flareups. Vitamin D supports bone and skeletal formation and muscle control. Omega fatty acid supplements can help manage the painful swelling and inflammation associated with arthritis, as well as promote heart health. Several herbs have been used to treat canine arthritis because of their anti-inflammatory properties. Some are also believed to boost your dog's natural resistance to inflammation, such as Feverfew, cayenne, and turmeric. Other helpful anti-inflammatory herbs include devil's claw and licorice root. Some sources promote garlic, but that is out for dogs now. Findings put it in with the no-nos such as onions. The effect is cumulative so problems are not immediately apparent. Alfalfa, parsley and St. John's wort are also believed to help reduce arthritis pain and/or speed the healing process. All dogs are different. Some tolerate Rimadyl well....obviously MO who has been on it for 7 years.....and some don't. |
| My Wheaten had knee surgery a few years ago and recently the arthritis in her knee has been really bad. She was yelping, not wanting to walk/go up stairs, and very stiff getting up. It was heartbreaking... we ended up adding fish oil (per our vet's advice) and glucosamine to her meals every day and I swear she is a whole new dog. After maybe a month I stopped seeing signs of pain and distress and we don't use the rimadyl at all anymore (I had the same worries). Good luck to Muffie! |
| I use fish oil and glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM and I swear I can tell the difference. Once (with Simon) I was without the gluc/chon/MSM for 4 days and he was gimpy. Back on it he was "normal" again. I started Simon as about a 7 yr old, and Chewie at about 1 - just preventatively. |
| Ziggi is 11 and when she gets up her first few steps are limps - hips, but then she walks normally. We walk everyday and she if gets up to a run sometimes. I used Orijen 6 fish which has Omega 3 in it but how much Omega 3 should she be getting - she's a big girl at 100 lbs. And how much glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM should I use. And do you use human quality or special dog formulas? Also is the Vitamin C special for dogs or just use human grade? |
| human grade |
| Mine get human stuff - I get the 3 (gluc/chon/msm) as a single capsule/tablet and I put it on top of the dog food. Eat it right up. The amounts added to dog food for joint support is rather small - not enough to be helpful. Sadly, it's more of an advertising ploy than anything.  |
| Thanks, I'll get some and put it on Ziggi's food. |
| We used tramadol and previcox for pain with no side effects. There are many oil type supplements available, have you asked your vet for some options? Our sheepie had diabetes so we were limited with the oils we could use but I remember our vet, also homeopathic, had many options before our girl had developed the diabetes. My Mom swears by cod liver oil for dogs and humans. We also did accupressure, but we had a vet show us how to do that at home. That was very simple to do and very helpful to alleviate pain. |
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