Arthritis

[Robin1017]

Hi everyone,

 

We went to the vet with Robin last Wednesday for his annual checkup, and we mentioned to the vet how he has been limping on his right leg after longer walks, or after zoomies, and how in general he gets stiff and sore after exercise, much more than he ever has. He felt around, and manipulated some of his joints, and based on this, he seems to think that Robin may be getting a little bit older and a bit arthritic. So he gave us a free sample of rimadyl (7 75mg pills) to try for a few days, and some pamphlets about rimadyl and about Cosequin (glucosamine).

 

Based on what I've read about early stages of arthritis, it is quite possible that that is what is going on. Robin is 8 1/2 and still loves to run whenever possible. I'm wanting to find out as much information as possible and to know if this is severely life impacting, etc. We don't want to tell him he can't run anymore. But what is best for him? We'll do the glucosamine for sure, but as for a medication, and whether to use it on the spot or regularly, we don't know the best plan yet. Will probably consult with the vet again soon, but wanted to check here as well.

 

So I'm looking to hear from those of you whose greys have arthritis, especially those that are on the "younger" side, like Robin. How was it diagnosed? (Were there x-rays involved, or just a once-over?) How is it managed? What is the impact? And does the medication just manage pain, or does it help slow the progress of the arthritis as well?

 

Thanks for any info!

Cathy

[Guest Energy11]

Our Goldie has bad arthritis in her left rear foot. x-rays confirmed it. I took her to the vet a few months ago, thinking the worst, but it WAS arthritis! :-)

 

She WAS on Dasequin, which I think is AWESOME, but cannot afford (*pet insurance considers it a supplement, and will not cover ***:-(

 

Anyway, after a few weeks, she was back to her old self! I am not longer using the Deramaxx, (NSAID), ...and using a cheaper version of the Dasesuin ... and she is WONDERFUL!

 

A good supplement seems to do the trick, but, if NSAIDs are needed, not an issue!

 

Good Luck ... and sending lots of hugs!

 

 

[Guest Swifthounds]

I use and recommend glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM/CMO from the Greyhound Gang www.greyhoundgang.org

You won't find better quality products or better prices anywhere!

 

Also, fish body oil or salmon oil in theraputic doses of DHA/EPAs.

 

I've also eliminated grains, which contribute to inflammation (I now feed raw).

 

ETA: I've now raised 4 greyhounds (and some non-greyhounds as well) into their double digits without the use of NSAIDs. If you decide to go the NSAID route, I'd recommend bloodwork every 6 months at least as well as liver/kidney support.

[CaliforniaGreys]

Several of my dogs have and have had arthritis, the youngest was 6.

 

Most of them were dx with an exam. Arthritis does not always show on an xray.

 

Most were on Rimadyl, one on Metacam and all did very well. Wayne is also on Rimadyl and does very well.

 

Supplements are great, but there comes a time when meds are needed, not all the time, but I think it's fair to say most times, especially as it progresses.An anti-inflammatory becomes necessary.

 

None of mine had any limitations because of the arthritis, the meds handled it well.

 

As for the blood work while on an anti-inflammatory, if there is a vet out there who will continue to prescribe without blood work, I'de be looking for another vet.

[Guest Swifthounds]

Forgot to add re: anti-inflammatories, consider Zeel & Traumeel.

[PatricksMom]

Patrick started on cosequine before his arthritis kicked in, but I still have him on it--that actually does help prevent it from getting worse.

 

Having just looked in great detail at x-rays of his leg (we were ruling out cancer), the dog can have very painful arthritis and there might be little or no evidence on the x-ray. Degeneration of the cartilage is the primary problem, and an x-ray won't show that. There isn't really any blood test for osteo-arthritis.

 

He did well for years on Tramadol for pain relief, right now he's had a major flair up and is on meloxicam too, but I'm hoping as we transition him onto a very high omega-3 food + supplements he'll be able to come back off that and only need it for his usually once or twice a month bad days. I haven't been able to find any research to substantiate the grain-free thing, but the new food is grain free and I'm hoping that will help too.

 

If you're thinking about changing foods, you might at least look for one that has no corn. The important thing about the omega-3s isn't just the amount, it's the ratio of omega-6s (which cause inflamation) to omega 3's. Corn is very high in omega-6s, so even if you're supplementing, it's going to be hard to get a decent ratio if you're feeding a food with a lot of corn.

[Guest Swifthounds]

If you're thinking about changing foods, you might at least look for one that has no corn. The important thing about the omega-3s isn't just the amount, it's the ratio of omega-6s (which cause inflamation) to omega 3's. Corn is very high in omega-6s, so even if you're supplementing, it's going to be hard to get a decent ratio if you're feeding a food with a lot of corn.

 

Very good point. If you're looking for a corn free kibble, try googling for a listing of dog food ingredients. There are several lists floating around out there - "How To" lists for decoding what those names on the package mean. Corn and soy are both heavily used in kibbles and often it's an item that doesn't sound like corn or soy when you read it in the listing.

[Guest boondog]

Dillon was diagnosed with spinal arthritis via x-ray. She was 8 at the time. We have successfully managed it with Trixsyn and acupuncture.

Edited May 4, 2010 by boondog

[Robin1017]

Update:

 

So since my earlier post, we ordered the Get Up and Go package from Greyhound Gang, which came Saturday, and decided to keep an eye on Robin and have him take it easy. But what was previously an occasional soreness and stiffness after a bout of running has now become a slight limp every time he gets up from laying down for a while. This has been going on for about a week and a half now. We tried one of the Rimadyls our vet gave us a few days ago, but didn't really notice a difference (he's so stoic, and I think it was evening, so he was settling in for the night instead of getting up and down). It hasn't been too severe, but it has been more frequent.

 

So we were hoping to have him take it easy for a while while we use the supplements and hope to see an improvement. The problem is that we can't convince Robin that he has arthritis and should take it easy. We were just out now, and despite being on leash, he kept trying to play and race around, and he ended up hurting his "bad" wrist. So we got home and gave him a rimadyl, and I'm hoping it takes effect, because right now he's just standing around panting--he's definitely hurting.

 

So my questions, for those of you who've "been around the block", so to speak, are these:

 

How does arthritis work? Does it just "flare up" and need to be reigned back in by use of medication and/or supplements? I'm trying to figure out why he's suddenly acting like an infirm dog compared to a couple of weeks ago.

 

Does Rimadyl, or other nsaids, work best when it is used consistently for a few days, rather than an occasional single? I'm thinking maybe we just need to do a "round" of the meds to help get this under control for him. Right now, we have a sample pack of Rimadyl--three days worth. He really wants to get back to his old self again, as evidenced by his craziness on leash this afternoon, and we want that for him.

 

I guess I'm looking for sooner results than the two months it will take for him to have the effect of the supplements. Any suggestions? I wish I knew more about how arthritis works, and my online research is being surprisingly unhelpful right now.

 

TIA

[CaliforniaGreys]

Does Rimadyl, or other nsaids, work best when it is used consistently for a few days, rather than an occasional single?

 

Yes. usually, they need 3-4 days to build up, and they should stay on it.

Arthritis can be different in every dog, just as in every person. I have tried taking mine off Rimadyl just to see if they could do without it, but I ended up putting them right back on and kept them on it.

 

Does that mean this will be your case? Of course not. If it is arthritis, you should see improvement starting around day 4 and more improvement after that.

And the other thing I have found is that some do well on Rimadyl, while others do better on Metacam, or the others.

[PatricksMom]

It's both. Arthritis is an ongoing, chronic condition, but it will also flair up for various reasons. Eventually, you'll want to find a treatment regime that manages it on a daily basis and has some flexibility for bad days. Often that means adding an additional medication on bad days, or when you know something's comming up, like a long car trip.

 

It's best to have your occasional med be one that is fast acting--meloxicam, tramadol, I'm sure there are others, rather than slow acting, like deramax.

 

I would expect that you will need a few more weeks to see the full benefit of the glucosamine. Changes in diet, or supplements can be a great way to go, but they do take longer to get the full effect.

 

eta: make sure you discuss adding meds with your vet in advance--aspirin should not be combined with a NSAID.

Edited May 11, 2010 by PatricksMom

[Guest Greytluv]

Piglet has severe arthritis. I have her on the Greyhound Gang stuff along with Grizzly Oil. She also does acupuncture and chiropractic. She has improved tremendously.

[cmc333]

I don't know if this works w/ greyhounds; I've only had experience with small terriers. But Adequon shots have worked near miracles with two of my westies. Supplemented w/ glucosomine/choindtron.

 

Someone more knowledgeable about greyhounds should be able to chime in about Adequon shots and greys.

 

Connie

[PatricksMom]

My vet said you'll get faster results with adequan shots than using cosequine (same manufacturer) but the long-term good is about the same. Still, it might be worth doing the first month (shots every week) to see if you can get to the full benefit faster.

[grey8greys]

My bridge girl, Flossie was diagnosed with arthritis in her right wrist around the age of 5. She started limping and I took her to the Vets. I put her on Fresh Factors and Joint Health from www.Springtimeinc.com and she never limped again. I tried different supplements, but these seem to work the best. You might have to try a few different supplements. Not all dogs are the same and supplements work different for different dogs. Good luck in finding what works best for you

[Robin1017]

Thanks everyone! It's great reading all the positive information. Yesterday, Robin got all excited and did crazy zoomies (despite our efforts to stop him), causing him to twist his sore arthritis leg, so he's all gimpy. That's making it hard to judge the arthritis vs the soft-tissue injury he's got going on right now. We started the Get Up & Go supplements from the Greyhound Gang a few days ago, so I guess we'll keep on those now that I've got them in order to see if we see a difference. It's frustrating, though--I want him to be better now! Yesterday after he got hurt, my boyfriend was all said, saying, "He can't run anymore." I reassured him (and me) with the stories I've heard in this thread and elsewhere on GT, which lead me to believe we've just got to get it under control right now. So please keep 'em coming if you got 'em! It's definitely helping us.