What do I give my dog for arthritis pain?
Sunday, August 9th, 2009 at
2:41 pm
My dog is twelve years old and about sixty-five pounds. He has arthritis pain in his legs. My family is wondering what to give him and how much. We’re looking for an over the counter remedies though. Thanks everyone.
Filed under: Arthritis - A Natural Approach
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I just dealt with this problem in my Golden Retrieve a few weeks ago. My mom and I went to Petco and found some pain medication meant for dogs. I just ran downstairs and found out it is called Nutri-Vet K9 Asprin. It worked really well with my Golden. She was unable to get up due to her hips but we gave it to her before bed and by the next morning she was fine. I highly recommend getting medication meant for dogs, not humas.
There is NO over the counter human medication that is safe for dogs long-term. Aleve, Tylenol, and Ibuprofen are toxic to dogs, and Aspirin can cause stomach damage if used in an incorrect dosage, OR used in a proper dosage for very long at all. Your vet can prescribe something like Deramaxx or Rimadyl. They are not very expensive and your dog’s organ function needs to be tested at his age before any painkiller is given.
The trouble with diagnosing your dog yourself is that you could be causing him an awful lot of damage, not to mention a lot of unnecessary pain, if arthritis isn’t his problem. He could, for example, have a partially torn ACL, in which case treating him for arthritis is going to make his problem much worse.
Your dog needs to see his vet to be x-rayed to find out if he has arthritis, the severity and then the vet will tell you if over the counter meds will keep him pain free and the correct dosage. If his arthritis is bad enough because he wasn’t given glucosamine chondroitin with MSM as a preventative, he may need prescription meds, at least to start with.
Please take your dog to the vet to be correctly diagnosed and treated so he’s not in pain!
I wouldn’t recommend over the counter remedies. There are a number of really good anti-inflammatories specifically made for dogs though. They would be safer and much more effective. Many human painkillers could also kill your dog.
My dog is 12 with very healthy mind and heart, but his back leg is going.. I have given his glocusomine, etc like the previous post said, but ultimately it isn’t enough.
The Xrays said that his ligament is stuffed, and that he needs to have a knee operation. It’s around $800 in New Zealand..
Ya gotta do what you gotta do, especially if he’s been a true animal companion like he has.
Go see the vet, and check it out! It’ll cost around $250- $300 xrays/meds/visit consult, etc, but at least you’ll know what you are dealing with!
Look for dog treats with Glucosamine & Chondroitin to Increase mobility and Decrease pain.
http://www.amazon.com/Dogswell-Chicken-Glucosamine-Chondroitin-6-Ounce/dp/B000F2YVFI
That website will show you what I gave my Siberian Huskies when they began having leg, hip, and joint problems. About a month after giving them these treats my dog was comfortable hoping on the couch again with out help.
They also taste really good so it shouldn’t be hard to convince your dog to eat it.
Good luck!
You should only give over the counter stuff if the vet says it’s ok. Often times they do give the go ahead. But your vet really should look at him first, and can determine the amount your dog needs.