Pain Meds or Supplements for Doggy Arthritis
 

Hi, sorry for the off-topic thread but I don't know where to turn. You can PM me if this is against forum rules. My mom's dog, who is 11, has seemingly developed a sudden case of arthritis pain. She may have been arthritic before, but it didn't affect her activities until this summer. The vet my mom goes to has prescribed Galliprant. Does anyone have any experience with this medication or can you suggest anything else? Galliprant is so expensive, at over $26 for a 14-day supply and my mom is worried about long-time use. Cheaper, or at least safer and effective, options would be very much appreciated. I've done a little bit of research, and it doesn't look like we can get Galliprant cheaper (or very much cheaper) than that. Does glucosamine work?

Also, Mom is open to going to another vet if necessary. She's not totally sold on her current vet because he failed to be able to diagnose Addison's Disease in her other dog (who is now deceased :( ). A different vet, who diagnosed and treated the Addison's, is a little more inconvenient to get to, but Mom wants to get the best care for her dog. She is such a sweetie!

Thanks for any and all advice!

Donna

My 14 year old dog has arthritis in his hips and I give him these chews.

https://www.chewy.com/zesty-paws-adv...oint/dp/168400

He is still able to go on walks daily and jump up on the furniture.

There are a ton of supplements available for dog arthritis. You might want to give one a try to see if it helps. If not, then go to the prescription medication.

Good Luck!

My dog is also on Galliprant, but different companies put it out under other names. From Costco, the cheapest I have found is, is it Truprofen. Wedgewood, a mail order place recommended by the Vets, it is called Carprofen.

The Vets recommended 1/2 to 1 pill (100 mg each) everyday. I found that 1/2 a pill is perfect for him. No noticeable discomfort, unless he overdoes it with the neighborhood dogs.

He loves to be active and this med has allowed him to be. Giving him an half a pill a day, is great by reducing the cost in half.

Edit to Add: I tell him they are dog treats and he eagerly eats the pill, even though the cheaper ones are not specially coated.

My dog takes CBD for dogs, and tumeric chews. We buy the CBD at a local co op, and here are the chews: https://www.chewy.com/zesty-paws-tur...oint/dp/181596

What does her diet consist of? Most kibble is not healthy for dogs. You could try a BARF (bones & raw food) diet. The rescue I got my dogs from uses this to cure most ailments in all breeds of dogs. If you don't want to try BARF, you can get dehydrated or freeze dried dog food and incorporate fresh vegetables & fruits.

You can also look into TCM (traditional chinese medicine) for pets and try feeding warming foods for arthritis. TCM has helped w/ arthritis & allergies in my dogs.

1 of my dogs has arthritis and these help so much as does yucca. Read the reviews below the products. We've avoided Rimadyl, by using yucca instead. I have small dogs and Rimadyl is known for harming/killing smaller dogs.

Salmon, krill, and sardine oil can help. You can also feed whole sardines.

You can also sprinkle kelp, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, and rosemary over her food.

Have you consulted a holistic vet for more options? Vets are not trained in alternative treatments & supplements and some really do help.

Years ago, my elderly cat had severe arthritis especially in her back. Glucosamine wasn't helping anymore. Our vet prescribed Adequan:

https://www.adequancanine.com/

It was (and I assume still is) very expensive. And, It comes in small needles, so I had to inject the medicine.

It helped her so much that I kept up with it until she passed away. Within a short while after an injection, she could walk better and move around with more ease.

I don't know if it would help your Mom's dog.

The cat in my avatar (who passed 2 years ago) also had arthritis and was on Adequan for dogs for several years. If I recall correctly, we had to take her to the vet for an injection a couple times a week for the first month or so (maybe it starts at a reduced dosage and builds up over time?) and that was a little pricey. After that initial phase, it was just a shot once a month at $25 a pop.

My dog takes glucosamine, CBD, and adequan. He was on Tramadol but it, and aspirin, upset his stomach so badly that it wasn't worth continuing. We doubled his CBD when we discontinued the Tramadol, and he's doing better that way.

I think glucosamine helps, but doesn't do enough for a bad case of arthritis. CBD is fantastic. Adequan seems to help a lot too - like LAC's cat, our Mojo had weekly injections for a while but now it's monthly. I give him the injections myself and it's a small amount so it isn't expensive over time.

I've heard of many people giving their dogs CBD. Does it help with doggie anxiety? Our jack russell/corgi mix is a very anxious dog and I would love to give her something to mellow her out a bit! I should have researched this more before the 4th of July. All the fireworks make her shake like crazy and try to hide. :(

Has the vet mentioned Lyme disease or is your mom's dog already vaccinated against it? I believe that can cause sudden lameness/stiffness.

Tammy