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My 8 yr old mixed dog, kind of a pug terrier mix, was diagnosed with My 8 yr old mixed dog, kind of a pug terrier mix, was diagnosed with arthritis in his shoulder, X ray was taken and confirmed. Vet prescribed Deramaxx 25 mg tablet 1 x day and Tru-Dose join care 1 x day for a 22 pd dog. This I think has helped him maybe 45 percent. Do you know anything natural that might even be better?

Cheryl

I would suggest starting with 1 tsp of fish oil daily, and one capsule of Longlife pet supplement twice a day. This should decrease pain and inflammation and promote cartilage production. Did your vet have any thoughts as to the cause of the arthritis? Most cases of arthritic joints occur in the rear. If your dog is overweight, try to get him to lose weight, best done by eliminating dry food and putting him on a diet of meat and bone.

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No thoughts on cause just possible age and weight.

He is now on a diet and has lost about 1/4 pound, no much but a start. One strike against him is he is one of those rather short stocky dogs and not as active as he used to be.

Could the arthritis have been caused by an old injury from years ago? We rescued him about 5 years ago and no problem then.

I will check up on fish oil and Longlife with my vet.

Thanks,
Cheryl

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>>No thoughts on cause just possible age and weight.
>>
>>He is now on a diet and has lost about 1/4 pound, no much but a start. One strike against him is he is one of those rather short stocky dogs and not as active as he used to be.
>>
>>Could the arthritis have been caused by an old injury from years ago? We rescued him about 5 years ago and no problem then.
>>
>>I will check up on fish oil and Longlife with my vet.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Cheryl
>>

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If he jumps down off beds, chairs or sofas, get him a ramp (or multple ones, as needed), and teach him to always use it. There's an article in my Canine Behavior Series about how to teach this. It can make a huge difference.
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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

Thanks for that suggestion. I will give that a try for sure.

Cheryl