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Arthritis In Young Dogs


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She is slowly deteriorating and the limping is becoming worse. She is not the dog she was a year ago. She is on anti inflamatories and pain killers and I am regulating her exercise.

I would like to explore alternative therapies. Does anyone have any suggestions.

Thanks.

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There was alot of hype about this technique when it first came out... I haven't kept up to date with the progress of the initial patients, but it was proving successful at the time. Expensive though, but for a young dog might be worth thought for quality of life?

http://www.kvhvet.com.au/Services/Regenera...74/Default.aspx

Are you using any supplements (ie Joint Guard, Sasha's Blend)? I would consider adding these into her diet.

Also, have you tried Cartrophen injections? They are fairly cheap, and the frequency can be adjusted to suit the level of discomfort your dog is in (I have had fantastic results with Cartrophen injections - however it does not always prove effective for all dogs, but seeing it is relatively cheap is worth a try?).

Is there an underlying injury that is causing the arthritis to speed up?

I'm very sorry to hear that your young girl is in pain... arthritis is a nasty, however is always sadder in young dogs :mad

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There was alot of hype about this technique when it first came out... I haven't kept up to date with the progress of the initial patients, but it was proving successful at the time. Expensive though, but for a young dog might be worth thought for quality of life?

http://www.kvhvet.com.au/Services/Regenera...74/Default.aspx

Just for the record, at a recent talk put on by Specialists regarding arthritis in dogs, it was mentioned that there was in fact NO scientific evidence to suggest the above technique had any benefit whatsoever. I've heard there have been some owners who claim success, but just thought I'd mention that anyway...

I would probably ask for a referral to a specialist if you are able to go down this path.

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Barmesarah,

Make sure you keep the weight down on your dog as the joints have to work so much harder when they are carrying extra weight. You do need to keep the dog moving ( you know the saying move it or lose it)

Catrophen injections or tablets ( worth a try)

I use Glyde oral Supplement with my old boy with severe arthritis and it has improved the quaility of his life. It is not cheap I paid $130 for a container that lasted 2 - 3 months at the vets but can source on line for around $90 delivered

Dried Shark Cartledge was recommended to me by someone else. For a sheltie I was told to give 1 or 2 joints ( ie 1 to 2 cm pieces) each day so while a 100gram bag costs around the $10 mark it does last ages. Mine think this is a treat.

Before going onto the Glyde I was giving my boy half a glucosamine tablet morning and night ( vet recommended Osteoeaze Plus).

Fish oil capsule every couple of days ( a good source of Omega 3)

I did use acupuncture on my boy for a while and it did improve things. We were also giving him a herbal remedy 'China Med Arthritis Formula' which improved things in the short term however we have had to go for a more agreesive approach now as my boy has severe arthritis everywhere. China Med was purchased from Animal Holistic Therapies in Western Sydney.

Good Luck

TB

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Thank you so much for all your advice. I really appreciate it.

Going to do a little bit more research on all the suggestions and see how I go.

It is sad to see her in so much pain but I am going to keep hopeful that there is some scope for a better quality of life.

Thanks again.

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I can highly recommend Joint Guard, we have been using it in our family Labrador for years and he has hip and elbow dysplasia that he has had since he was 18 months old.

He is still mobile and isn't in any pain. He also gets Pentosan injections on a regular basis.

Joint Guard isn't expensive, we buy the 400g tub but it comes in a 750g tub as well, which we will buy next time around. 750g is about $135 which would last Sam about 9 months!! Excellent value!!

We also give him Fish Oil, dosed per day at 1 per 10kg.

Edited by ~Archie~
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I can highly recommend Joint Guard, we have been using it in our family Labrador for years and he has hip and elbow dysplasia that he has had since he was 18 months old.

He is still mobile and isn't in any pain. He also gets Pentosan injections on a regular basis.

Joint Guard isn't expensive, we buy the 400g tub but it comes in a 750g tub as well, which we will buy next time around. 750g is about $135 which would last Sam about 9 months!! Excellent value!!

We also give him Fish Oil, dosed per day at 1 per 10kg.

My oldies are on Joint Guard too. Thanks for the info on the big tubs of it Archie.. I shall track one down.

I got the big tub of Joint Guard for just over $97 at clipperworld you can order on line too. I think that is a fantastic price for 750gm.

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Green Lipped Muscles from NZ - you can get the supplement.

Also get onto a Glucoasine/Chondroiten/MSM conbined mix. Chondroiten is rubbish on its' own. The mixed formula will take about a month to kick in.

Ester C is helpful in HD/ED cases so may assist you.

Your Specialist would be the best best to speak to though.

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All excellent suggestions above. I had a dog with arthritis that started in her feet at two and slowly moved up her legs until she had it virtually all over. She was a pretty tough dog but I found that after the initial inflammation in each joint the pain would subside a bit as the arthritis progressed.

We used Green lipped mussel capsules, cartrophen injections, acupuncture and in her last couple of years anti-inflammatories. She also has a high uric acid level so lived on fish for a year to avoid feeding her purines and making it worse. We also swam her a lot in summer.

In winter if it was really cold I used tennis sweat bands on her legs as leg warmers to keep the joints warm. At night in winter she had a trampoline bed with a heating panel under one side so that she could lie on the cooler side and drape he legs over the heating panel to keep them from going stiff.

I was warned that she probably would not make 10 due to the arthritis but she made it to 15 before her heart and kidneys packed up and she was pts.

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She is slowly deteriorating and the limping is becoming worse. She is not the dog she was a year ago. She is on anti inflamatories and pain killers and I am regulating her exercise.

I would like to explore alternative therapies. Does anyone have any suggestions.

Thanks.

In which joint is the arthritis and did you have xrays done at the beginning?

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