Any Tips/Experience Managing Old Dog Pain?

[POPTOP]

Oh Rocky, getting old is tough.

We've gone through many treatments and medications with our seniors. The combo I find works her is Cosequin D or Hylasport, 1000 vitamin C (human grade chewable), Grizzly oil. Mardi gets Tramadol on and off. It's more on now. I've used Tramadol for several of our seniors and they seem to respond to it very well and have not had any bad side effects. Mardi is very limited in her walks so we do what she can do. Exercise is good but only as much as Rocky can tolerate. Melody had lower spine arthritis to the point she was pooping in the house and not knowing it. The Tramadol helped with that.

Time for rubber backed rugs everywhere Rocky goes, including stairs. For the stairs you can use carpet squares cut in half. Yes, they will leave a little residue when finally removed, but not too bad to clean off.

I do range of motion exercises with Mardi every evening after dinner is cleaned up. She looks forward to it. I place my hand on her shoulder and very gently move the front leg forward and back, as far as comfortable. I move down and do each joint. Same with back legs. She and I have a good chat and it's our time together. The only problem, she wants belly rubs more than the range of motion exercises, LOL. Both of her back legs show considerable limitation with one hip with arthritis and the knee on the opposite leg also having arthritis. But, we work on it and I believe it helps.

I don't move on to any stronger medication, like Rimadyl, until absolutely necessary. Potion did have a bad liver reaction, but each of the others have tolerated it well and it did help.

Hope this helps. Please give Rocky gentle hugs from us.

[JenC]

Definitely supplements! I just put Grace on Coesequin DS. She won't eat the Hylasport (which I know you can't get anyway being in Canada). Hudler was on meloxicam and tramadol for several years and he was just fine. The loss of use of his rear legs is what got him.

[Snowco Labradors]

Here is info that may help. May be things others did not mention.

Our Beloved Canine Seniors – Arthritis/Joint Issues | Hearty Pet Talkin' Tails Blog


Also look into cold laser therapy. My girl was totally lame on front left from her back out of wack at the shoulders. 2 laser treatments and slight chiro adjustment (along with rest) and she was back to 100% in just a couple of days.

Cold Laser Therapy For Dogs | Hearty Pet Talkin' Tails Blog

Prayers you find what works and gives your baby relief from pain.

[jertom]

Old (now retired) vet told me 15 yrs. ago; 1/2 adult aspirin once a day, worked great for the stiff joints my female would have sometimes, no vet I know of would recommend it today, too many other drugs to sell.

[Maxx&Emma]

Emma is 10 and has hip/spinal arthritis. She gets Hylasport, vitamin C and salmon oil daily, vitamin E 2-3 times weekly. We have Tramadol for pain, when needed and she does very well with these. She also gets cold laser treatments which have helped her a lot. I will never again use a NSAID. Her walks are not as long as they were, even a year ago and definitely much slower paced. I let her tell me when she is ready to go home. I hope you are able to find what works for Rocky.

[Berna]

Cookie has the same issues with back pain and arthritis in his hips. I am also reluctant to put him on NSAIDs since he is "only" 9. The weather has started to warm up, so if you can take him for swimming when the water gets warmer too.

I can't recommend physical therapy enough. It has helped Cookie tremendously.






There are also exercises for his hips that you may try. I'll try to record a video of these today, when we go for our last session of PT.

[Tanya]

thanks guys I'll looki nto the products.

I was tring a new routine this week as it happens so if that stick it means I can much more easily lay off the long long walks (and spend some of the walk playing fetch with pen so she gets to run more and rocky gets a slower walk wtih stops). I'm a super super routine person so any change is hard haha.

not really anywhere I can bring him to swim unfortunately. I live in the city and don't have a car. but i'll brainstorm.

thanks again - i'll go thru the supplements and pick one to try. There was one I had almost started awhile back but forget the name.

[loveablelab]

Hudson (turned 13 yesterday) also has arthritis in his back and is not able to walk as far as previously. We go about a mile every day and that seems to be enough for him.
I've begun giving him 1/2 a Tramadol tablet (25mg) three times a day, and it really does seem to help. I'm not ready to start him on Metacam as long as the pain meds do the trick. He just had his blood panel done yesterday and everything looks good. I hope the Tramadol continues to work for him.

[Snowshoe]

Some of the TCM Oban is getting sure make a noticeable difference when I run out of them. One in particular for his sore elbow, basically arthritis, is Bone Stasis.

I am also a big fan of Cartrophen Vet. It depends where Rocky's old man aches are and what they are if the CV would help.

Request Rejected

Request Rejected

Did it reject twice? You'll have to google if it did. Stupid link, looks like it goes to the site anyway.

[Tanya]

thanks guys.

I am re-working my schedule so that walks for Rocky are either shorter or slower with breaks (that's if we play fetch with pen).

Will continue to reseach all the recommended supplements. I hope to narrow it down to a few and then chat with the vet to ensure it's all safe. I suspect it is the warmer weather that's slowed him down quite a bit but I have been meanign to fine tune his pain management either way.

(Snowshoe the links work!)