Arthritis/pain?

MommyofNiko

My mom's dog is reacting to the weather and is much less mobile and active with the weather changing (in Wisconsin).
They are going to call the vet (of course) but I am wondering if any of you have suggestions for supplements for her so she isnt hurting so bad.
TIA!!

Harlow

Cosequin DS really works for Koshi [glucosamine/chondroitin].

JessicaRabbit

Adequane injections made a HUGE difference in Piglet. +long johns

tsukitsune

If available - chicken feet are supposed to have a natural effect on joint health and maintenance. We're also trying Cosequin RS on our older foster shiba, so far so good.

lindsayt

MSM, Dasquin and salmon oil work well for my mommy's 17 year old border collie. She is in a few pics I have posted I think.

MommyofNiko

What is MSM?

lindsayt

MSM: methyl sulfonyl methane/DMSO2 is a natural chemical found in green plants, grains, fruits, veggies and algae. It's also found in humans and cattle. It basically acts as a naturally occuring anti-inflammatory and analgesic. It is one of the natural medicaments I routinely discuss at work for alternative pain control related to osteo arthritis and it may help with dementia in older animals. They add it to Dasquin now. This is from my Micromedex, and there are quite a few positive studies on use in humans, but this in particular focused on animals:

"Animal studies have demonstrated that when MSM is part of the diet, small amounts of its sulfur is incorporated into the body's cysteine and methionine (Cronin, 1999). Laboratory animals given MSM have shown extended life and decreased or delayed neoplasm growth. Rats bred to acquire autoimmune diseases had their lifespans increased by a factor of two when given MSM versus rats given no MSM. MSM added to the diet of rats with chemically-induced colon cancer showed a delayed tumor onset response. In another study, laboratory mice given dietary MSM showed diminished inflammatory joint disease (Cronin, 1999).
Much of the evidence for the efficacy of MSM has come from case studies done in a few centers in the United States and abroad. MSM's efficacy appears to rest primarily on its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Muscle spasm, improved blood flow, and a reduction in scar tissue formation appear to be enhanced with MSM (Cronin, 1999)."

Hope this helps, I love this stuff.

baanton

We live in MN and our other dog (passed a couple years ago) seemed to do well with a dog food that contained glucosamine/chondroitin right in the bagged food. Also, our brother-in-law advocated the use of a med called Rimadyl, an anti-inflammatory (also called carprofen, the generic name) when his pain seemed particularly bad. This med is prescription only. I recall we dosed Joe with this med for a short time (maybe 10-14 days at most) (a couple different times) and it had an amazing impact --- he could again jump into the car, run fast, etc. I don't think it is intended to be used long-term, but it seemed like the impact on him was long-lasting each time. Some of his pain was no doubt from arthritis, but some may have been associated with mild dyplasia, and also he was diagnosed with Lymes disease at one point, which certainly is associated with joint pain in humans so I suppose can cause the same in doggies.

ljowen123

For those that give glucosamine/chondroitin - what age did you start giving the supplement?

MommyofNiko

Niko has been getting Glucosamine before she was 2 years due to stage 3 LP.
I just wasnt sure if it was a benefit for a possible arthritic dog.

baanton

LJ- For our former dog Joe, we gave the dog food with glucosamine/chondroitin as he got older and started displaying symptoms of pain --- maybe at 5-6 years of age or even older? Maybe would have been a good idea to start earlier, but who knew his future would hold pain. Anyway, I don't think these kinds of supplements are detrimental, and I suppose if you have a dog predisposed to this kind of problem it would be ok to start at any time after they are an adult. I don't know of a reason why not, and the dog food was the same price (I think) whether it had the supplement or not.

lindsayt

Glucosamine and chondroitin are not present in enough quantity in any of the prescription foods available for joint disease from Science Diet and Purina to really make much impact. Some properties of the supplements are lost in the cooking process as well. Their recomendation is to concurrently supplement while having your dog eat the food. I think you could find a great raw/natural/organic/grain free diet and just as easily add whatever joint care powders/tablets to it for max effect.

baanton

Thanks Lindsay: We have used Nutro products with Joe (former dog) and now Josephine. It makes sense to get a more powerful supplement...

tsukitsune

LJ - I give them the Glu/Chond as an ingredient of their food (the wellness core ocean) on kibble days. I also give them chicken feet as a treat 3x's a week. Tsuki has grade 1LP so I find its better to just give it to them then wait for it to become a problem.

MommyofNiko

How do you give/prepare the chicken feet?

tsukitsune

frozen, whole. One at a time a few times a week.

hare-today.com

MommyofNiko

I know this is silly but I want to make sure...uncooked right?

tsukitsune

yep. Fed raw.

I know its strange, I couldn't get my head around it at first either, but when you hand over that raw icky little chicken foot, your pups will take over. They'll get it!