We just found out the stray dog we adopted has arthritis, any safe home remedies?
Hе іѕ a grеаt dog аnd wе want hіm tο bе comfortable, bυt іf thеrе іѕ a cheaper way οf helping hіm I’d lονе tο hear аbουt іt. Thе medication thе vet gave up іѕ kind οf spendy.
Hе іѕ a 100 lb lab, a lіttlе over weight, wе аrе working οn thаt, bυt hе іѕ јυѕt a really bіg dog.
Hе hаѕ trουblе getting up, bυt once hе іѕ up hе runs lіkе crazy! Wе aren’t sure hοw οld hе іѕ, hе hаѕ a young face аnd a young personality bυt hіѕ body shows signs οf age.
Omega 3 fatty acids added to his food
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1662&articleid=666
scroll down on the above link, just over half way and you will see various Omega 3 supplements and how much to give.
Glucosamine and Chondroiton supplements and a high quality diet, with fish oil – either salmon, cod liver oil, etc.
But always see a Vet about this first
Set him up a heating pad, turned to lowest heat, with a towel on top of that, for him to lay on. The heat soothes the arthritis pain. Do it even in summer.
Glucosamine and Chondroiton are great supplements, are mentioned above. Only thing is you have to have consistent use. You won’t see effects until you’ve been giving supplements daily for about a month, most likely. Check with your vet on dosage- mine has often recommended just buying the generic drug store human version and giving a certain amount of that, instead of the pricier pet versions. But I’d make sure to have some of the other med (rimadyl? whatever the vet is giving) until you can try weaning off of it after benig on the other for a while. And eh may still have bad days, but things like rimadyl don’t have to be build up in the system like supplements do. And the supplements won’t do any damage with long-term use, which some of the prescriptions can.
I can’t comment on the Omega 3–I know it’s good for dogs but don’t know what research is out there on arthritis and dogs.
1. Lose the extra weight. It makes a huge difference in terms of stressing the joints and making the problem worse. Plus it shortens a dog’s life. So that’s to start with.
2. Look for a food that includes Glucoasmine (usually Chondroitin comes with it). There are plenty of dog foods that add that. And you can get treats (Wellness Chicken strips and treats called “Happy Hips”) that come with G&C as the only additive to the chicken. Even though my dog is only 3 years old, I routinely give this to him because we compete in agility which stresses the joints. I did this because I developed knee problems as a former soccer player and my orthopedics doctor recommended this for me as an alternative to surgery. I researched it and not only was there good research on it for humans with knee problems (less so with arthritis) but also good research on dogs and arthritis.
3. Treat your dog like an athlete. Warm him up before doing vigorous activity (like running or a long hike or 45 minute walk). Give him a massage (I’m serious–there are some great resources on this and go to any major agility trial and you’ll see at least one professional dog masseuse or holistic vet set up giving massages to dogs competing at the trial. This will not only help him cope with arthritis but will help build the bond between you and your dog, increase his ability to relax and mellow out, and improve his overall health.
You could try chondritin or glucosamine for his joints. Also the best thing for arthritis is to stretch out and exercise those joints and muscles. So, continue with your program and get him out . He will be much happier with more exercise. I’m sure you are aware that being overweight adds stress to joints. You could also try homeopathic methods like acupuncture or a daily joint massage.