my dear old pooch is suffering from stiff joints

[iron lady]

The vet has prescribed RIMADYL for him. Have other dog owners used this drug long term? Can anyone suggest a natural alternative?

[bizzylizzy]

Hi there
My retriever was given Rimadyl for a while, but reacted badly to it. She has a long term digestive problem which was imflamed by the Rimadyl. We've just begun a course of a new treatment which is called Cartrophen. She has one injection a week for about a month, the vet will then review her treatment. She may need more or they may stop the treatment and review it in another six months. The injections cost around �7.50, plus the cost of the vet. Although the nurse can do it just as easily and the bill would be reduced. She is still stiff on getting up, but we're hoping the results will kick in soon. Like you, we'll try anything that might help. Apparently Cartrophen is some kind of complex sugar solution.... hopefully not Tate & Lyle :-) and it is obviously more natural than steriod treatments etc God luck.

[blue eyes ;)]

put a drop of cod liver oil in each feed,its known for loosening joints up,i used to use it in my old horses feed when he had athiritus.x

[Booldawg]

Seatone tablets are a very expensive, but effective alternative to cod liver oil. Its made with the oil of the green-lipped mussel which can apparently only be found off the coast of New Zealand, which would explain its hefty price tag.

[ruthann58]

we have found superflex 3 glucosamine chondroitin and msm have helped our gsd we buy them online as it is so much cheaper the vet said to give her the same dose as a adult

[King Normie]

I would suggest the original "Miracle Drug", Aspirin......I found the correct dosage for my 10-year-old 40 pound Corgi on the Internet......the dosage depends upon the weight of the dog, not upon the breed.

[Kimmiebear]

I would not give aspirin... it can cause ulcers that bleed internally and cause anemia and low CBC. Aspirin can only be given 2 days out of the week. I would call your vet and ask about supplement options. I really like cartrophen. My Mastiff gets one injection a month. I also like green lipped muscle, and have had sucess with glucosamine in the past with my Akita. Some supplements work better with different dogs. If it is arthritis then you may want to consider swimming your pet as opposed to walking. Arthritic dogs should be as thin as possible (within the healthy range) to avoid putting stress on the joints. We have a lab mix at work on Rimadyl and she is doing really well. She has been on it for 8 months now and has no real problems. Her 6 month blood panel came back clean and she is happy. We actually have been able to decrease her dose. The thing about arthritis is that after a while you can usually decrease to dose which is better for their organs. You may need to use pain control on top of natural supplements as well. Cheers
Kim

[doglady]

My dog was on rimadyl for a while over the winter when his hips started to stiffen up. He had no problems with it, and once it started to get warmer again, he was fine. In fact, he leapt through my mum and dad's window to get from the garden into the house over the weekend.

Hope your dog gets less stiff soon.

xxx

[lankeela]

You could also try a Bioflow collar (get one off ebay - cheaper than from an agent). They certainly help stop the dog stiffening up after lying down.

[skyeboat]

Dear Iron lady

My 16 year old Border Collie has been a Rimadyl long term, she is fine on it. But can I suggest Dorwest Herbs and try
Mixed Vegitables and Garlic. They have a VERY helpful web site.

Skyeboat

[bugsyshan]

glucosamine is good for stiff joints