Guest Rickysfolks Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Our 12 year old greyhound is having a lot of difficulty getting up and down as well as trouble climbing stairs. Had him on baby aspirin that seemed to help a little but he has trouble just standing sometimes. Any ideas on what type of meds to try? Lots out there but some are very expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trudy Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 What has your vet suggested for him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rycezmom Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Yep! What has the vet suggested? The reason for the joint pain/difficulty standing/gettingup and down should determine what medications are prescribed or advised. Not within my scope of practice to suggest. L. Quote The more I see of man, the more I like dogs. ~Mme. de Staël Missing my Bridge Angels Ryce, Bo, Jim, Miss Millie, Miss Rose, Gustopher P Jones (Pimpmaster G), Miss Isabella and Miss Star Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 There are many supplements out there that may help or they may not, but it usually takes about 4 - 6 weeks to know if they help or not. I would think if you want something that acts quickly, then you are going to have to ask your vet to prescribe something. And if he does, make sure to ask for generic if possible and do your homework to see if you can find it cheaper online (you'll need a written prescription probably), or if you vet will match prices from online. If price is an issue, be sure to let your vet know, he might be able to find something that's not so pricey and that will work. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Please discuss this with your vet Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burpdog Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 I would discuss with your vet to make sure nothing else is wrong like a TBD (erlichia especially) that will cause joint pain. There are a lot of supplements that will help. Joint Health and Fresh Factors: you will see results in a week if you double up the first week (which Springtime suggests): Joint Health & Fresh Factors When was his last vet visit? Quote Diane & The Senior Gang Burpdog Biscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan41 Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 (edited) Yes, p-l-e-a-s-e discuss this with your Vet! Not only are there non-prescription supplements that may help, depending on the diagnosis, but should prescription strength meds be necessary, it may be possible to reduce the dose (and the cost) after the initial treatment to achieve relief. A friend's 10+ year old golden mix has been able to reach pain free maintenance on 1/4 the initial treatment dose. Scaling back took a couple of months, but she's her old self again. Every dog is different, but it's really crucial that you get the proper diagnosis! Edited April 3, 2009 by duncan41 Quote Linda, Mom to Fuzz, Barkley, and the felines Miss Kitty, Simon and Joseph.Waiting at The Bridge: Alex, Josh, Harley, Nikki, Beemer, Anna, Frank, Rachel, my heart & soul, Suze and the best boy ever, Dalton.<p> ....for all those hounds that are sick, hurt, lost or waiting for their forever homes. SENIORS ROCK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rickysfolks Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 He was at the vet for his check up just a couple months ago but since then he seems to be having a harder time getting up and has even had his legs go out while standing. The vet originallly suggested the baby aspirin which helped a little but He definitely needs something more. I'm seeing the vet on Tues. and he mentioned Medacam as a possible med but I thought I would check to see if there are any opinions out there about treatments that worked well for other greyhounds. We all know how they are a "different" breed when it comes to meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 (edited) I've used Metacam with great results. Supplements are great but it gets to a point where it's beyond that and they need stronger pain meds or an anti-inflammatory. In the event that you start using one of the NSAID, don't continue giving asprin Edited April 4, 2009 by cbudshome Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetdogs Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 I've had 2 of my hounds on metacam without incident, but each hound is different. Something that's common in older greyhounds is lumbosacral stenosis: linky. It can cause back end weakness & pain. My 12 yo boy probably has either LS or some other back/neck issue that comes & goes. Other than meds (which don't seem to help him as much as I'd like), he also gets acupuncture. I think that's pretty helpful overall. Quote Deirdre with Conor (Daring Pocobueno), Keeva (Kiowa Mimi Mona), & kittehs Gemma & robthomas. Our beloved angels Faolin & Liath, & kittehs Mona & Caesar. Remembering Bobby, Doc McCoy, & Chip McGrath. "He feeds you, pets you, adores you, collects your poop in a bag. There's only one explanation: you are a hairy little god." Nick Galifinakis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 A Greyhound is too large for baby asprin to be enough even if you were to stick with asprin. In addition, plain asprin can be tough on the stomach. I believe you'd be better off with an adult sized buffered asprin such as Ascriptin. A 70 or so pound dog could easily handle one in the morning and one at night--but you need to discuss that with your vet before doing it. My last dog had bad arthritis. When Ascriptin was no longer working, he went on Rimadyl. When that no longer helped, he took Tramadol. Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest suzye Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 I've used Metacam with great results. Supplements are great but it gets to a point where it's beyond that and they need stronger pain meds or an anti-inflammatory. In the event that you start using one of the NSAID, don't continue giving asprin If you start another anti-inflammatory/NSAID like Metacam (Meloxicam), Rimadyl (Carprofen), or Deramaxx (Deracoxib), you need to STOP the Aspirin for at least 2 days completely before starting the new drug. Make sure your vet knows you have been giving Aspirin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rycezmom Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 Aspirin reduces platelet aggregation and should be stopped a few days before any surgical procedures too. Quote The more I see of man, the more I like dogs. ~Mme. de Staël Missing my Bridge Angels Ryce, Bo, Jim, Miss Millie, Miss Rose, Gustopher P Jones (Pimpmaster G), Miss Isabella and Miss Star Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest longdogs Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 As everybody says, go to your vet. Arthritis pain is one of the worst things for taking the sparkle away from a dog and only prescription drugs will make a major difference. Arthritis is a degenerative disease. Supplements may help slow the progress of the condition (actually the evidence for benefit is quite poor) but nothing will cure it. There are a number of effective drugs but, as you say, they can be costly. Some drugs have much cheaper generic versions and/or cheaper human versions, all you need is a prescription from your vet if you want to use the human version. My 11yo, Angel, is on a maintenance dose of half a tablet of Carprofen (generic Rimadyl) daily. It's not costly. Another good alternative is Meloxicam, where some human versions can be very cheap if you can find one in a suitable dosage. Splitting pills into halves or even quarters is OK, thirds or fifths are hopeless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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