Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have a dog (black lab mix, approx. 15 yrs old) who has recently been dealing with some joint pain and stiffness. He is able to get up and climb stairs without assistance, but it is obvious that it is not comfortable for him. If he gets up after sleeping, his hind leg tends to have a bit of a limp in it.

I see so many things marketed for this that I am a bit overwhelmed with all of the choices. Any recommendations?

I use a chewable glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM supplement from GNC. It's chocolate flavored (doesn't hurt them, I don't even think it's even real chocolate) and I make them sit and shake and be good to get it. They think it's a treat.
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Kadee Sedtal
home of old lady Lucy (boxer/lab/garbage disposal), pretty girl Fancy (beagle), the rats- Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Pachebel, Fillmore, and Norbert, and the mice- Vivaldi, Brahms, Schubert, Bartok, Rasputin, Chaminade, Rosa, Dorothy, Glenda, and Em... I really ought to stop getting more rodents every time I go out, huh?

Is it one supplement that contains all of these things, or do you buy separately? What is the brand name that I should be looking for?

Oops, I looked back at my message and I guess it was a bit unclear. The supplement I use for my girls is all-in-one- glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM. It's just the GNC brand, though I know they have the individual supplements at places like Wal Mart. I'm sure they'd have an all-in-one there, too.
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Kadee Sedtal
home of old lady Lucy (boxer/lab/garbage disposal), pretty girl Fancy (beagle), the rats- Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Pachebel, Fillmore, and Norbert, and the mice- Vivaldi, Brahms, Schubert, Bartok, Rasputin, Chaminade, Rosa, Dorothy, Glenda, and Em... I really ought to stop getting more rodents every time I go out, huh?

>>We have a dog (black lab mix, approx. 15 yrs old) who has recently been dealing with some joint pain and stiffness. He is able to get up and climb stairs without assistance, but it is obvious that it is not comfortable for him. If he gets up after sleeping, his hind leg tends to have a bit of a limp in it.
>>
>>I see so many things marketed for this that I am a bit overwhelmed with all of the choices. Any recommendations?

>>>>>>>>>>

A veterinarian needs to coordinate the dog's care for pain, which may involve an anti-inflammatory medication, a proven dog-effective nutriceutical such as Cosequin (a proven form of glucosamine chondroitin--others have not been demonstrated effective on dogs, and many are not. I've used this one for a dog of my own, and it was awesome.), a pain medication such as Tramadol, and possibly even Adequan injections.

Your dog can be comfortable. At age 15, there is surely not much time left for you to provide your dog with this loving care. It's time to pull out all the stops and make the rest of the dog's life good.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

>>>>We have a dog (black lab mix, approx. 15 yrs old) who has recently been dealing with some joint pain and stiffness. He is able to get up and climb stairs without assistance, but it is obvious that it is not comfortable for him. If he gets up after sleeping, his hind leg tends to have a bit of a limp in it.
>>>>
>>>>I see so many things marketed for this that I am a bit overwhelmed with all of the choices. Any recommendations?
>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>
>>A veterinarian needs to coordinate the dog's care for pain, which may involve an anti-inflammatory medication, a proven dog-effective nutriceutical such as Cosequin (a proven form of glucosamine chondroitin--others have not been demonstrated effective on dogs, and many are not. I've used this one for a dog of my own, and it was awesome.), a pain medication such as Tramadol, and possibly even Adequan injections.
>>
>>Your dog can be comfortable. At age 15, there is surely not much time left for you to provide your dog with this loving care. It's time to pull out all the stops and make the rest of the dog's life good.
>>-----
>>Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

I agree! At 15, you should be looking at quality, and not quantity any more. At 15, the suppliments probably won't help much with the damage in the joints. I would see a vet and ask them for some help. Tramadol(or Ultram) works great for Sammy, who is 50 pounds. He can take 50 mg 3 times a day, if he needed it, but we only give him about 25 mgs once a day. HE is only 9, but after his hip replacement, we wanted him to be as comfortable as possible.
Best of luck!