Extra comfort for a dog with arthritis?
I have a 9 year old pitbull/weimaraner mix who was recently diagnosed with arthritis. I immediately started her on glucosamine and will be giving her fish oil as well per vet suggestion. I know limited or more gentle excercise is also very helpful but even at her age, there is no getting this girl to calm down. With that in mind, I was hoping for any other suggestions as far as keeping her comfortable and healthy as my baby girl still has a long life ahead of her. I am curious as to what would be a good type of bed to get her as well as any other extra advice especially with it being winter time in the cold weather. She doesnt display much pain besides the stiffness (which has improved since starting glucosamine) but she definitely displays discomfort at night, getting up quite a few times to reposition and remake her bedding. any suggestions would be greatly appreciate as she is my angel and want to have her around (comfortable and happy) as long as I can!
Comments
Cosequin & MSM (an anti-inflammatory) as well as the fish oil are recommneded as supplements for mild joint discomfort. There are stronger pain medications (but many like rimadyl) can have serious side-effects. One of the best OTHER options is Adequan which is an injected version of glucosamine (that repairs joint cartilage & increases the cushioning synovial fluid). It works better than the pill format, since it doesn't go through the digestive tract & all over the body.
Orthopedic beds are recommended for dogs like yours - see Foster & Smith catalog. Swimming is the best exercise for dogs with bad joints as the water supports their weight as they move. Many such dogs can benefit from swimming in warm water, esp in the winter.
Holistically speaking, I would also suggest removing most if not all the carbohyrates (from the dog's diet & treats). Remove all grain from the dog's diet. Either try a grain-free kibble or better yet, look into the raw diet. Anything that digests into sugar is inflammatory & makes pain worse.
Metacam and Rymadal are usually prescribed by vets for arthritis. Unfortunately both of these medications can cause internal bleeding and they horrify me; however at the onset of pain they give relief.
My GSD was diagnosed with arthritis in her knees, she suffered from internal bleeding when she was prescribed Metacam, this was apparent when her stools became almost black. I investigated other meds on the internet and discovered Flexadin. It’s about £70 from the vets and £20 on the internet. It contains Glucosamine and Chondroitin which helps enormously with pain and bone problems; however it also contains Devils Claw which also helps with pain. Later I accidentally discovered Seraquin which has other virtues because as well as the above stuff it also contains Turmeric, this is about £60 from the vets and £16 on the internet.
I was told that it could take up to six weeks for either Flexadin or Saraquin to take effect. In my experience it acts more quickly.
Flexadin and Seraquin are both available without a prescription.
Hopefully, I can also help with comfortable beds. I don't use plastic beds just because they are cheap, I use them because I can heap duvets on them etc, to provide comfort for my dogs.
My rigid plastic dog beds are forty five years old; they are still intact and hygienic. I have never bought posh dog beds because it is almost impossible to put them into the washing machine.
I use plastic beds which are cheap and easy to clean. Nevertheless my dog beds are very comfortable and they look very posh, when they are dressed up to provide comfort for my dogs.
I cut foam for the base; I then drape a duvet over this to hang over the sides. This conceals the fact that they are cheap plastic beds. I buy cheap pretty duvet covers to blend in with my colour scheme. I then put “Vet Beds” on top on the duvet. The contents of the bed can be put into my washing machine and I clean the plastic beds with vinegar every week.
take her swimming.
give her a anti inflammatory before bed
give her a big square foam (6in or more) covered pillow to lay on.
massage her gently for at least 15 min twice a day
with the new pills you give her, it may upset her stomach for a few days.