Arthritis starting to set in

mustangsally

New member
Sally is coming up on her 10th birthday and she is still quite playful, loves playing tug and chasing laser lights but I am noticing that she struggles to get up especially on the hardwood floors and she is really slow on the stairs. I am ready to talk with my vet about what options are available, he has mentioned Adequan injections. Any suggestions about NSAIDS and side effects. She just had her yearly checkup and dental cleaning, all her blood work was fine. I would appreciate any feedback. By the way she is on CosaminDS and MSM supplements.
 

Jeannie

Super Moderator
As newfs get older their back end gets weaker and they tend to have a hard time getting up especially on slick surfaces. You can put rugs down. Anything to help them at this age. Maybe up the Cosamine amount. Cannot overdose on this as they pee out what they don't need. If you start Nsaids be sure to give after eating. Giving on an empty stomach an cause holes in the stomach. Previcox is the safest with Rimidyl being the worst.

Of all the newfs I have had to put to sleep all but one was due to not being able to get up/back end weakness.
 

mustangsally

New member
Thanks for the info. I do have rugs down but she prefers the floor! I am increasing her Cosamin and I am going to start her on the sockeye salmon oil. I believe my vet uses Deramaxx, have you heard anything bad about that drug also the adequan injections?
 

lmfoltyn

New member
Booties work great on the older guys....but make sure you take them off so their feet can breath and don't get to moist.
 
I started to give Snuffles at just under 150 pounds (68 Kg) and turned 10 last April 2nd a 75mg Deramaxx a day since last fall. I think it helped quite a bit. At a dosing level of 1 to 2 mg per Kg, he is on a very low dose as you can see. His January blood work was very good.
 

Peter Maniate

New member
I give my 12 year old boy, Gander Bear, 10 sockeye salmon oil capsules (one for every 10 lbs) and four turmeric (New Chapter Turmeric Force) capsules daily and this helps keep him going without any side effects. The looseness caused by the SSO is countered by the constipating effect of the turmeric.
 

Senea

New member
I did Adequan with one of my senior labs. It took a few weeks but once that stuff kicked in it was awesome. It doesn't work for everyone. but when it does it's pretty amazing. After witnessing what it did for Thor, I'll be first in line when it gets approved for humans.
 

newflizzie

New member
I have a girl with rear end injuries and UT Vet school just told me about using no slip toe rings/grips (change out 1-3 months). Not sure if this would be something you're interested in but here is the website:

www.toegrips.com
 

R Taft

Active member
I give my 12 year old boy, Gander Bear, 10 sockeye salmon oil capsules (one for every 10 lbs) and four turmeric (New Chapter Turmeric Force) capsules daily and this helps keep him going without any side effects. The looseness caused by the SSO is countered by the constipating effect of the turmeric.
Did not know they counter-balanced like that....great info again Peter :)
 

mustangsally

New member
I will definitely get her some booties and good info on the SSO. She has a mild form of IBD so I don't want to deal with loose stools, would pumpkin be as effective as the tumeric?
 

Peter Maniate

New member
I will definitely get her some booties and good info on the SSO. She has a mild form of IBD so I don't want to deal with loose stools, would pumpkin be as effective as the tumeric?
Pumpkin would definitely help relieve the looseness of stools that some Newfs experience when taking SSO. However turmeric is a wonderful anti-inflammatory for easing joint pain as well as a liver protectant. Olive oil (or pepper) is needed for proper digestion of the turmeric and good quality capsules such as those made by New Chapter come with the olive oil.
 
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NinaA

New member
I would suggest stopping the laser chasing. One, the use of a laser pointer to exercise dogs is felt to be dangerous - they are not meant to do the twisting and turning. Second, that is exactly what exacerbates arthritis. If you feel he needs a lot of exercise, walk. These dogs that are 10+ are seniors. Old. No matter how they try to act. They can blow knees, strain backs, wreck shoulders, even wrists and ankles. Think about it. What would you expect a 75 year old person to be able to do?
 

MC Sullivan

New member
I give Monty a Turmeric, Boswellia, and Tart Cherry supplement (I originally bought it for myself from Swanson's) when I know he is going to a busy day. I give it with a meal and make sure he has plenty of water.
 

mustangsally

New member
I am starting Sally on tumeric and SSO. Should I start out with smaller doses and then gradually increase the amount? She does have mild IBD, she weighs 102#. Will she get a fishy smell from taking the SSO?
 

Peter Maniate

New member
I am starting Sally on tumeric and SSO. Should I start out with smaller doses and then gradually increase the amount? She does have mild IBD, she weighs 102#. Will she get a fishy smell from taking the SSO?
If you want to get full effect asap go with a full dose. If that proves to be a problem you can always cut back and do the gradual increase.

I've never noticed a fishy smell from SSO but even if there was it is a small price to pay for relief.
 

mustangsally

New member
I have the Vital Choice SSO and the bottle says a serving size is 3 capsules but in your earlier posts you recommended 10 capsules, I am assuming dosage is not based on weight?
 

Peter Maniate

New member
I have the Vital Choice SSO and the bottle says a serving size is 3 capsules but in your earlier posts you recommended 10 capsules, I am assuming dosage is not based on weight?
The dosage on the bottle is for humans not dogs although I take six capsules a day myself.

For dogs the dosage is one 1000 mg capsule for every 10 - 20 lbs of body weight. I use the low dose for young Newfs (up to six capsules a day) and the higher dose for seniors (or any dog with arthritis). Ultimately it is trial & error and you go with what works best.
 
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