pebbles Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Mick, Min Pin, (6yo) has a deformed elbow (from birth) with arthritis in it. Is there any fairly strong pain relief I can use? He's on Joint Guard etc. and has had courses of Metacam which until very recently was working. I only gave it to him when needed, maybe a couple of days every couple of weeks, mainly if he had been racing around like a looney. The last couple of weeks he's obviously in quite a bit of pain with any excercise. He had the course of Cartophren (sp?) with the follow-up 3 monthly boosters a while ago and it wasn't really successful for long. I've looked into the stem cell treatment but would like a more positive result for the cost. Soooo does anyone know any, maybe over the counter, meds I can try without the side effects of Metacam etc.? Think it is 'mission impossible' but who knows? PS if there's something else really good I can get from the Vet that's OK too but it's mainly anti inflams they have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 contact robert Mc Dowell herbal :) LINK they have anti inflamms & painkillers, and when you speak with the herbalist, she can make up something specifically to suit your boy :) I have used their mix for our old horse, and am on it myself :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisovar Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 If his other 3 legs are sound and he is in good health have you considered amputation of the troublesome leg. It does sound extreme but beats a lifetime of pain. 6 yo is so young for a small dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pebbles Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 Thanks Pers. will contact them straight away Oh Crisovar - it's lurking in the back of my mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisovar Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Thanks Pers. will contact them straight away Oh Crisovar - it's lurking in the back of my mind I know pebbles,it sounds like a drastic step, but I have seen the huge improvement in quality of life it can bring. Just something to discuss with your Vet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florise Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 I gather that Cartrophen in dogs is like Methotrexate in human arthritis. A disease modifying agent? Has he been on steroids? If so, oral or injections? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Thanks Pers. will contact them straight away Oh Crisovar - it's lurking in the back of my mind I know pebbles,it sounds like a drastic step, but I have seen the huge improvement in quality of life it can bring. Just something to discuss with your Vet. I do agree- probably better for the dog in the long run as all the drugs you use will have side effects..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxerJim Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Hi Pebbles, there are a myriad of pain relievers that are used in conditions just like Micks, They belong to different groups which work in different ways so they are certainly worth investigating with the vet. Some of them are not used frequently and thus the Vet may have to order them in, espeicially the neuropathic pain relievers. Micks arthritis was responding to metacam which was great, and if the arthritis is advancing now such that it is over-riding the metacam (even with the help of cartrophen and NZ greenlipped muscle) then your vet will go to the next group of pain relievers to help him just like in human medicine to make him more comfortable and easier to get around. Many have low and insignificant side Fx that can make the world of difference. My boy did well for 8 years, but the Vet and I had to upgrade his pain relief and intermittently fine tune it as the arthritis did its inevitable march. With any chronic ongoing condition in our little buddies, I have found ove rthe years that its a team effort with the vet. He had 8 years of pain free great life thanks to the Vets medications- off them he was a cripple. I was giving the Vet feedback at each stage, if he was going great guns or needing a little more help. Indeed try the herbals if you wish (as I did to an obsessive degree- all to no avail) but I found that if the arthritis was that bad that normal metacam couldnt help it, then none of the alternatives had a chance. Hope he finds relief soon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espinay2 Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Not pain relief as such but have you thought about looking into stem cell therapy? (as it may actually lessen the need for pain therapy if it is suitable for his condition). Went to a lecture on it in the US, but I know it is done here in Aust too (and is actually based on Aust research). There have been threads about it here I think if you search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xyz Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 I second contemplating amputation-:)! Tamadol is often used in dogs these days with very few side effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Is there no surgery they can do to correct it?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Yep the ortho specialist we are dealing with seem to suggest Tramadol over Rimadyl/carprofen for occasional pain management over the longer term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pebbles Posted June 7, 2012 Author Share Posted June 7, 2012 Thanks everyone for your replies and suggestions. Mick hasn't been too bad these last few days so I'm taking the time to research lots of options, even the amputation but I don't think he's ready for that (or maybe it's me who isn't ready for it). I had looked into the stem cell treatment earlier. My Vet made a lot of enquiries and it is maybe 50/50 chance of working with probably repeat treatments needed so that's on the back burner. At the moment it looks like trying the herbal treatment (thanks Pers.) with the Tramadol for back-up. He's been on Joint Guard for ages and I upped the dosage which I think is helping a bit. When Mick was about 6mths old he started to turn a front foot out, took him to my Chiro Vet, Xrays done and the piece of bone at the top of the Ulna is missing. Vet thinks he was born like it as there weren't any fragments or jagged edges which you would expect with a break. Xrays sent to a Specialist who didn't give much hope of repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kajtek Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 We did the stem cell treatment. The results are still good after 6 months +. Please pm me if you want more info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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