[carolynpep73]

I'm hoping someone can help me. My 11 year old mix-breed is having complications with his arthritis in his hind legs. I don't know if this matters but he's about 70 lbs. Last night he whined on and off and I sat with him. He just looked miserable. He seems to be getting much worse lately. I am maxed out on credit and I don't have enough cash to take him to the vet. I'm hoping when I call this week they'll be willing to work with me a bit. My question is, what can I do to help him manage his pain in the meantime? Can I give him Tylenol? If so, how much? He's on glucosomine already. If there are any vet techs, veterinarians, or people who have personal experience with this I'd love to hear any and all advice. THanks!

[bogeydog]

Don't give him Tylenol. It can be very dangerous for dogs.

[ndv101]

Give him just one plain aspirin, not tylonel. You could probably give him one per day til you can get to vet but not long term. Its hard on their kidneys. Also make sure he stays warm, this cold weather is killer on old bones. I am not a vet but have had many dogs

[oscarsmom]

Oh Carolyn-

I am so sorry. It is really hard on us when our 4-legged babies are in pain. I have an overweight 14 year old mixed breed (close to 70 lbs).

Here are my 2 life savers (spelling on both are probably wrong but it will get you close):

Ascriptin. It is over the counter. It is an aspirin but it is coated and easier on their tummies than regular aspirin.

Tramadol. You have to get it from the vet but it has helped us tremendously!! If I remember correctly, it was not too much $. Maybe you can get it from 800-Pet-Meds.

Sending you hugs,
Maureen

[carolynpep73]

Thank you everyone! He's better this afternoon. Thankfully we live in FL so it's not too cold most of the time. I'm going to get him to the vet on Wednesday and ask them about it. I will start with aspirin to give him some relief. Thanks again.

[EZ2Luv]

I usually avoid any kind of sick pet or pet loss posts because the pain of my loss is still overwhelming for me and I end up a wreck even after a year. I felt though I had to reply to your post.

My heart breaks for you. My Sweet Maggie had the same thing and lived to be 17 years old with proper pain management.
I do want to caution you about the drug Rimadyl (carprofen) It is VERY hard on older dogs and can cause many problems with their kidneys, liver and can cause stroke
What worked wonders for my dog was Metacam(meloxicam) which I did use for nearly 4 years.

EZ

[emsmom52806]

We have a 13 y/o retriever who is having hip/shoulder pain. I explained to vet the situation and he is on tramadol. It was $14 for 60 pills, cheaper than the rimadyl--lots cheaper and it seems to be working better. So, if things are bad for him he gets 1 pill twice a day. His quality of life seems good most days still, but the last few days have been tough with it colder and damper. Hopefully your vet will work with you. I just told him we're at the doggie hospice stage and he understands. Our dog is 90 lbs so getting him into the subaru is tough on both of us. Good luck.

[Ms.Judi]

Our dog also suffered from pain and we were to told to give him one aspirin a day. We had not been on it very long and herulcerated his live and died. Please talk to your vet!! Hugs to you and your fur baby!!

[shelbydog]

I was actually going to recommend Novoxx (Carprofen) - and also Synovi treats - both can be prescribed by your vet - actually the Synovi can be bought on 1-800-Pet-Meds yourself. My horse has been on Novoxx for a long time, as it is one of the safest drugs for horses, and works great for arthritis. It is easy on their bellies and virtually no side effects.....I wonder why it would be different with dogs? It might be but definitely worth asking your vet. It made a world of difference in my arthritic horse. I am sorry you are going through that. Our dog has arthritis in her legs and the Synovi really helps.

Also make sure you are feeding a very nutritious food. We feed Petco's "Dick Patten's Ultra Balance" and our vet is amazed at our dogs' health and vigor for their ages, and their senior bloodwork is the best she has ever seen. (They are 10 and 11). She really attributes alot of it to quality food. Good luck and hope your dog feels better soon.

[jennsult]

I know how you feel. I have a 10 year old, 110 lb Irish Setter who is having a lot of hip problems also. Breaks my heart. I'm going to talk to my vet about that Tramadol. I usually have him on Cosoquin, but it is very expensive.

[jandc]

I never would have believed it would work unless I saw the transformation but ACUPUNCTURE!

Our 13 year old lab has suffered from bad hips and arthritis. We have done glycosamine/ chondrontine, tramadol, etc. One day, it was so bad I really thought I was taking him to the Vet to put him down. DH was out of town and I was having to carry him. A 70lb dog. I was devastated and I really thought it was time. My vet suggested acupunture. 3 hours later I went back to pick him up and he came running out! Yes, running! tail wagging, tongue lopping, it was unbelievable. Now we go every 3 weeks and he has amazing relief. We just want him to be comfortable and have quality of life without any invasive treatment.

Talk to your vet and see if they know of anyone. Its a great alternative to invasive treatments and much less harsh on the gi system than some of the drugs. Our old dog is very sensitive to the meds and gets really bad retching and gi issues with the meds.

[guatparents2be]

Originally Posted by jandc

I never would have believed it would work unless I saw the transformation but ACUPUNCTURE!

Our 13 year old lab has suffered from bad hips and arthritis. We have done glycosamine/ chondrontine, tramadol, etc. One day, it was so bad I really thought I was taking him to the Vet to put him down. DH was out of town and I was having to carry him. A 70lb dog. I was devastated and I really thought it was time. My vet suggested acupunture. 3 hours later I went back to pick him up and he came running out! Yes, running! tail wagging, tongue lopping, it was unbelievable. Now we go every 3 weeks and he has amazing relief. We just want him to be comfortable and have quality of life without any invasive treatment.

Talk to your vet and see if they know of anyone. Its a great alternative to invasive treatments and much less harsh on the gi system than some of the drugs. Our old dog is very sensitive to the meds and gets really bad retching and gi issues with the meds.

I was just going to recommend the same thing.

[jennsult]

How expensive is the acupuncture?

[jandc]

Accupuncture is for us $60 a treatment. It is now every 3 weeks but will be once a month soon. It has been so worth every last penny to see him mobile. He is still an old dog and it is not the cureall but it has clearly given him so much relief and brought back a quality of life. He is still on the glyc/chond. But the last time he took a rymadyl he had really bad gi issues and our vet has cautioned us that it can be much too hard on older dogs, and that was clearly the case for us after 1 pill. Good luck, I know how difficult this can be.

[Momonthefarm]

We have a 10 year old mixed breed at about 80 pounds. She fell through a snow bank and pulled the muscles in her hip/leg a couple of winters ago and we started the Synovi treats and it made a world of difference!! We only do one during the warm summer months but two now that we are into the cold Iowa winters. We did do a pain med for the first week after she got hurt but as the other poster said be careful to not do too much too long b/c of other complications with liver, etc..

Good luck! I cringe every time I buy the Synovi treats!! It costs as much as a good pair of shoes but hey!shoes or pain free dog??!! Its a no brainer around here! Renee