I need some suggestions. My 8-year-old 107-pound Rottweiler

[RebelOne]

is beginning to have symptoms of arthritis. Now that the cold weather is here, she is having problems getting up after lying down for a while. I have been giving her glucosamine for a few months now. Please do not tell me to have the vet prescribe Rimadyl or the other drug Eco(whatever, can't remember the name)because those drugs almost killed my last Rottie, who developed arthritis when she 11 years old. She died of natural causes not related to the drugs because I immediately took her off those drugs when she started to have bloody diarrhea. Fortunately, I had done some research at www.srdogs.com after the vet prescribed Rimadyl and I was alerted to watch for any adverse reactions.

Is there anything else I can give my fur baby to ease the stiffness of her legs? I think when the weather is warmer, it won't be as painful to her, but this cold weather is going to last for another couple of months.

[Lorien]

1. Here are two alternatives to glucosimine alone:

http://healthypetfoods.com/pookies/product_info.php?cPath=21_36&products_id=298

http://healthypetfoods.com/pookies/product_info.php?cPath=21_36&products_id=338

A guy I know gives his 18 year old chow mix yet another product that works wonders. I'll try to call him tomorrow and ask him for the name.

[RebelOne]

2. Thanks. I will check it out.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. I don't know if 107 is normal weight for a Rottie

but I just took my dog in for a check up and he was put on a diet...like people, dogs suffer for extra weight on their bones. If he is too heavy, then the Science Diet Weight loss food is a good start.

[RebelOne]

5. She is on a diet now, as I had not realized that she had gotten

so heavy until I took her to the vet for her yearly shots and she was weighed. I am guilty of giving her too many treats. I will check out the Science Diet food. I think it is sold at my local pet supply store. I have to do something to get her weight down. I inherited her from a friend. When I first got her she was a lean, sleek 75 pounds. But of course, that was 6 years ago and we all cannot keep our girlish figure forever.

[flvegan]

4. I know folks that SWEAR by Champion Chips

It's a nasty (to me) little blend of elk antler and meat, and some other stuff. It comes from Long Pond Elk Farm in Minnesota. I'm sure they have a website, or you can order it from KVVet.com or something.

Yeah, stay away from Rimadyl. If she were 13, I'd say go for it, but for 8, no way.

Hope this helps or you find something else that works as well for her!

[RebelOne]

6. I'm happy that someone else is aware of the dangers

of Rimadyl. It almost killed my last Rottie.

[flvegan]

7. Oh my God, yes. Being in rescue, with several vets and a vet tech

as a partner, I'm very, very aware of the dangers. I hate that crap when it's given to a dog with several years left. It's like a steroid in that it does a lot of good, but also a lot of damage.

[AirmensMom]

10. It did kill my sister's basset hound last Christmas.

He had the proper screening, etc., and was dead within 30 days of his first dose. The autopsy proved that Rimadyl killed him.

She feeds raw ground up chickens (including bones) to her dogs now and the 9-year-old, who has hip displasia and arthritis, is doing great. No more meds for these babies.

[NMDemDist2]

8. my boy has dual hip dysplasia. when he's obviously in distress

i give him an asprin

seems to help but i don't do it everyday, just when he's having a "bad day"

[RebelOne]

11. I had given my 12-year-old Rottie buffered aspirin for dogs.

But she began to have blood in her stools. So I had to discontinue the aspirin. That's when I took her to the vet and he prescribed Rimadyl. Well, that didn't work because she had bloody stools again after 3 months. Then I tried the other stuff Eco(whatever it's called) and after 3 weeks the same thing. So I switched to glucosamine and it helped immensely up until she died. She did not die because of the drugs. She developed a blood disease where her white corpuscles were consuming the red corpuscles. Fortunately, she died in her sleep without any pain. But she was 12 years old and a Rottweiler's life span is usually only about 11 years.

[NMDemDist2]

19. that's why i don't give it to him every day

only at most a couple times a week and he seems to tolerate it well so :shrug:

good luck, it's so hard to know one of the furkids is in pain and not knowing how to help :hug:

[katamaran]

9. I HIGHLY recommend Adequan shots

Adequan is basically a super concentrated dose of glucosamine. It was used in horses at first, now in dogs, and human trials are beginning. It's a series of about 8 shots, two a week for a month. We have gotten it for two of our 95 lb Bernese Mountain Dogs (one with a bad elbow, one with a bad hip). We noticed a difference about week three. You can get three shot boosters six months to a year down the road, but so far we've only needed one series of boosters on one dog (1.5 years after the initial shots when she was 1 year old...she's coming due for more). It really has done wonders for our girls.

[RebelOne]

12. Thanks, I will check with the vet.

I just can't stand to see my dog in pain. I just wish I could have done more to ease the pain of my other Rottie before she died. The Rimadyl was working wonders and she was like a young dog again until the problems started. But I had done research on the drug and knew what to watch for while she was taking it.

[katamaran]

17. Here's some Adequan info

http://www.caberfeidh.com/Adequan.htm

http://www.vetinfo.com/dadaquan.html - This page has a question/answer where a vet advised that the Adequan would hurt the dog. There's a GREAT response from another vet at a conference who used it on himself. My vet got a kick out of this story.

My own vet had just heard of Adequan three years ago when we needed it for our oldest dog. I'd read about it close to the same time. Some vets have never heard of it, some discourage it because of the burning sensation that can occur, and some vets poopoo on it and recommend Rimadyl despite the risks. I know that it made a world of difference in our girls almost immediately. It's not cheap...about $25 a shot, but it's well worth it, IMHO.

[IndyOp]

13. This sounds really hopeful - thanks for the info!

I have a 4-year-old Golden who is doing great. Given that Goldens are susceptible to hip dysplasia I worry about the future. Adequan sounds like good news!

:hi:

[Sanity Claws]

14. Diet makes a difference

When my Boxer developed kidney problems, I put him on a special diet and had to cook all his meals. Some side benefits to his new diet wereless arthritic pain and nicer skin and fur.
You may want to try a more natural wholesome diet (not commercial dog food) and see if it helps.

[RebelOne]

15. I feed my Rottie Purina One food for senior dogs

and I cook and mix ground turkey into her dry food. She refuses to eat the dry food without some meat mixed into it. I am a vegetarian, but I can't make my dog adhere to my diet. My feeling is that dogs are natural carnivores since they are evolved from wolves.

[Sanity Claws]

16. Good that you're giving her some real food together with the

Purina. However, you could improve the diet more.
Dogs are omnivores, not true carnivores like cats. When my dog got ill, I found a recipe for kidney disease; I believe the theory was to keep the protein content down. I fed him a combo of a grain (brown rice or barley), beans (flatulence was not a problem), and a meat cooked with vegetables. I also gave him some vitamins. You may want to surf the web or read a book on dog nutrition to see if you can a good diet for arthritis.
I wish you and your beloved Rottie the best.

[radfringe]

18. 1 baby asprin

when she is having problems.

we talked to our vet about our 8 yr old airdale - cold/rainy weather and she's hobbling about. we were told 1 baby asprin will help, other meds available if/when it gets worse, but for now to try the baby asprin

it worked

[MrsMatt]

20. I used to give baby asprin to my cat

for her arthritis (1 tablet every third day) until it no longer worked. Then she was on 5 mg of prednisone every day until she died (at age 19).