All Natural Joint Supplements?

[Guest GentleHugs]

I posted a couple of weeks ago about little Lulu hurting her left rear bad leg and limping. Well, with rest and restricted activity (leash walking) for a while along with a little bit of rimadyl, she was doing greyt. Back to her normal self (which isn't like a normal Grey but normal for LuLu ). Her left rear leg is the one that has the previous broken hip from over 3 years ago. She was doing fine until winter hit - now its starting to bother her.

 

Then the blizzard hit. Bitter cold, lots of ice, snow and subzero temps. She was doing fine until I had to pull my portable ramp because of the ice. I can't put the ramp back down until the snow stops otherwise I risk the tread icing up. She did ok up until yesterday when she started limping again. Not all the time but a little and only outside. When she's inside, her leg seems a bit stiff but does ok. It could be because I've had to help lift her up the steps on top of the cold outside and the lifting could be hurting her, too. LuLu is 7 and normally a wild child. I make her wear a coat outside but she clearly does not like wearing it. Forget booties - she tries to eat them and refuses to wear them period.

 

Another one of my pups, Patrick, is also limping a bit on his bad leg (he broke the metatarsus bone in his right rear leg about 4 years ago) whenever he is out in the snow. When he's inside the house - he's fine. He's 8 and has some long, long legs but not long enough in this snowfall we got.

 

I'm going to get our deck and steps cleared off now since the snow stopped so I can put the ramp back down. That will help I'm sure. Tomorrow I'm going to call my vet and see what kind of all natural joint supplements he recommends other than glucosamine. In the meantime, I thought I would ask here and see what everyone else suggests using.

 

I have glucosamine and all 3 get that already but I don't think it's helping LuLu and Patrick a whole lot. My 12 yr old, Ashley, is doing fine. A friend of mine suggested Traumeel which has arnica in it. Anyone else use Traumeel?

 

Although I give her a little bit of rimadyl (maybe 20 mg at the most - just enough to take the edge off but not totally zonk her out) every once in a while. I'm not comfortable in using it regularly unless my vet suggests doing so. I really prefer something more natural if possible.

 

This cold even bothers my body (I have osteoarthritis in my neck and back) and even my DH's hand where he has a metal plate in it.

 

What do you like to use that's worked for your pups? Any suggestions?

 

TIA

Edited December 27, 2009 by GentleHugs

[Guest Energy11]

Too bad about the booties. I can't walk Staggerlee without them (corns). Have you tried The Voyagers Greyhound Booties? Totally different, and they stay on. http://k9apparel.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=132_138&products_id=2570. Also, Curfew take a natural joint supplement made from the velvet of deer and elk antlers, called Caniflex. Reaaonable and it works! Elkusa.com (*click on the cartoon dog on the right). Good Luck!

[Remolacha]

I use Springtime Joint Health and Fresh Factors. It helps, but Fletcher still needs pain meds some of the time.

[seeh2o]

My vet urged me to try my 14 year old non-grey with an arthritic back on Dasuquin (from the makers of Cosquin). I was very skeptical as it took her the full amount of time on a double dose to see any changes. I've cut her back to 1/2 tab a day (as recommended) and she is doing well on it. I can see it when she gets up and down from laying down, though she is still stiff, she moves faster and seems to feel better.

 

Edited to add that I'd had her on Springtime's Longevity (saw some improvement with that), Joint Health Chewables (saw no improvement on that) and Missing Link (also no improvement).

Edited December 27, 2009 by ckruzan

[Guest angelwings]

Too bad about the booties. I can't walk Staggerlee without them (corns). Have you tried The Voyagers Greyhound Booties? Totally different, and they stay on. http://k9apparel.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=132_138&products_id=2570. Also, Curfew take a natural joint supplement made from the velvet of deer and elk antlers, called Caniflex. Reaaonable and it works! Elkusa.com (*click on the cartoon dog on the right). Good Luck!

[Guest angelwings]

Too bad about the booties. I can't walk Staggerlee without them (corns). Have you tried The Voyagers Greyhound Booties? Totally different, and they stay on. http://k9apparel.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=132_138&products_id=2570. Also, Curfew take a natural joint supplement made from the velvet of deer and elk antlers, called Caniflex. Reaaonable and it works! Elkusa.com (*click on the cartoon dog on the right). Good Luck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you know if Canifex would help my Mort with the cancer in his bone? Where do you get the Canifex? Thanks!

[HopeForHounds]

I use traumeel for myself and for the dogs if they get hurt. I use the drops, and also the cream when they have a soft tissue injury. I haven't used it as a daily supplement as it is for specific problems like bruising, sprains and strains. It works really well after surgery. A friend of mine uses it with hemopheliac dogs when they get a bleed and it often lets them skip adding blood products to their treatment.

 

I've heard really good things about fresh factors. They don't ship to Canada, so I'm going to have to get someone to ship to me.

[Guest mcsheltie]

I don't have any supplement info, but they make a sidewalk de-icer that is pet friendly. I've seen it in PetsMart.

 

MY DH uses table salt on our back steps, which are wood and ice up badly. It works and it is so much finer than sidewalk salt that it dissolves quickly. Never had a problem with paws using it.

Edited December 27, 2009 by mcsheltie

[Guest Energy11]

Too bad about the booties. I can't walk Staggerlee without them (corns). Have you tried The Voyagers Greyhound Booties? Totally different, and they stay on. http://k9apparel.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=132_138&products_id=2570. Also, Curfew take a natural joint supplement made from the velvet of deer and elk antlers, called Caniflex. Reaaonable and it works! Elkusa.com (*click on the cartoon dog on the right). Good Luck!

 

Lets say this, being all natural, the Caniflex couldn't hurt Mort. Sorry to hear about the cancer.

 

You go to the website, http://elkusa.com/antler-chew.html#caniflex. Good Luck, and lots of prayers for your baby!

 

 

Do you know if Canifex would help my Mort with the cancer in his bone? Where do you get the Canifex? Thanks!

[racindog]

FRESH FACTORS are tops!!!!!

[Guest GentleHugs]

Ok - trying to sum up things here -

 

Booties - not with LuLu. I've tried all kinds of booties and socks on her. While you are trying to get the second bootie on - she's attacking the first one. This little girl is the one who can get her muzzle off no matter what I've tried. She also gets out of her coat if I'm not watching, too. She doesn't like wearing jammies but she does like to be under her fleece blankie if she can cover her head and have her butt sticking out. However, it's her butt that needs to be covered the most - not her head! When she has her head covered - she starts snoring!

 

Patrick would love the voyager booties - he does well with booties anyway and I have a pair of nice booties for him that he wore back during the spring when he injured his foot. I might check into those for him.

 

Table salt on our deck: well, since we have about a half inch of ice topped with 9 inches of snow on a big deck - I'm not sure if I have enough salt to melt all of that. I've shoveled and shoveled and shoveled but it's been snowing since Christmas eve. It finally stopped this afternoon. I do have dog freindly ice melt to use now that the temps are up a little but when the temps are single digits - it doesn't work. I'm hoping I can get the deck and steps cleared off today or tomorrow so I can put down the ramp and start using it again. That would help a whole lot right there. I have to take things slow for my health and shoveling wears me out fast.

 

All of the natural joint supplements that every one suggested - I will do some looking around and see which one would work for LuLu the best. If she thinks it's food - she will eat it hands down - even a pile of dust that might have a couple of tiny cookie crumbs in it.

 

She's one strange girl... and did I mention that I HATE this snow and ice we got????

 

FRESH FACTORS are tops!!!!!

 

Where do you get it? Link please! Thanks!

[Greys4Us]

We use and LOVE Fresh Factors. We also use Joint Health along with FF. You can get lots of deals on multiple orders and sometimes they offer free shipping. Here's the link: http://www.springtimeinc.com/index

[Guest Tiffany]

http://www.entirelypets.com/jotrma.html

 

This is what we use... All Natural Joint Treats. Our oldest Pom HATES anything remotely joint healthy. We had ordered some skinny toys from the above company and they sent a sample pack of joint treats. My dogs would not LEAVE that package alone! They are very smelly and soft. They just LOVE them

[brandimom]

Too bad about the booties. I can't walk Staggerlee without them (corns). Have you tried The Voyagers Greyhound Booties? Totally different, and they stay on. http://k9apparel.com...oducts_id=2570. Also, Curfew take a natural joint supplement made from the velvet of deer and elk antlers, called Caniflex. Reaaonable and it works! Elkusa.com (*click on the cartoon dog on the right). Good Luck!

I second the Caniflex (thanks Dee). I give two per day to each dog and also the Springtime Fresh Factors.

[Guest kydie]

Dasuquin with MSM get it from the vet, I swear by it I have 3 out of 4 pups on it, works wonders

[Nichole]

Fresh Factors and Joint Health here too! Amazing stuff!!!

[Guest kar]

Fresh factors and joint health (powder). They have been out it for about three weeks - and now have too much energy for me!

[Guest mountain4greys]

Longevity from Springtime here, works excellent!!

[Guest GentleHugs]

It finally stopped snowing and I managed to get part of the deck and deck steps cleared so I could put my portable ramp down again. It's not easy shoveling what ended up being 10 inches of snow on top of about 1/2 inch of ice underneath that. It helped that the sun has been out today and the temperatures rose to above 32!

 

Since I put the ramp down and I'm no longer lifting her little butt up the steps - she's not limping. In fact, she was playing this afternoon! I think the combination of the cold and snow with a bad hip has really affected her this winter. I might even check into an assistance harness for her if she will tolerate wearing one. Not sure if she will or not. She's a fairly independent little girl and head strong, too. I feel bad when I have to lift her and it ends up hurting her hip.

 

But - all of the above doesn't mean I'm going to stop checking into a good joint and connective tissue supplement for her (Ashley and Patrick, too). I'm going to take some time and research all of the suggestions above before I make a decision on what to get. I have to be careful because some of the stuff I've researched before contains molasses and she can't have molasses. In fact, she can't have anything that contains any type of sugar in it. Sugar type items throws her into head tremor seizures. (Long story but this little girl has been through the ringer in the past when she was on the run). Everything she gets as far as dosage for supplements are concerned has to be cut in half for her weight otherwise it sends her into some serious diarrhea. Her little system had shut down when she was found and the attending vet managed to get her digestive system jumpstarted again. Ever since - it's never been normal per say.

 

I appreciate everyone's imput and suggestions.

 

I'll be spending some time tomorrow going through all of the suggestions and hopefully making a decision before our next snow hits (it's expected to hit Wednesday ) and I really hope it's our last snow storm for the next 10 years, too. I'm beginning to hate winter.

[GreyTzu]

We use and LOVE Fresh Factors. We also use Joint Health along with FF. You can get lots of deals on multiple orders and sometimes they offer free shipping. Here's the link: http://www.springtimeinc.com/index

 

Yup, great stuff!!

 

I just ordered more Denamarin for Donner and the seller had a deal that included Dasuquin, so I will be adding that when it comes in.