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Arthritic Hips


BC Crazy
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I buy organic from the health food store as it is meant to be more powerful, and it is certainly stronger in flavour when we cook with it than the stuff from the supermarket or even the Asian grocer. DoLer Steve from Shalarm.com.au sells organic turmeric :)

The downside is that the organic is much more expensive

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I would much prefer to buy organic everything Yonjuro.

I will get some tomorrow from the health store hopefully. Then next I will buy from Steve. Thanks for letting me know. I can't wait to give this a try ☺

Edited by BC Crazy
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If you are finding he is painful then the first suggestion would be to back of the length of your walks. Certainly not stop them entirely but it might be a bit much for him. It might be worth encouraging wading to replace some of the distance but still maintain fitness levels.

Here is an article that I wrote about the different muscle groups. http://www.primalpaws.com/primal-paws/2014/06/supporters-vs-movers

I do lots of low impact exercises for dogs with arthritis as well as lifestyle modification which is another aspect. The problem is that it depends on each dog and how they move etc so general recommendations are difficult. If he is unhappy with sitting will he still perform a squat (so half sit) instead? I like to use that as a basic exercise to maintain rear end strength without causing as much pain as a full sit. I also suggest proprioception challenges- (proprioception is knowing exactly where your body is in space) because it can diminish when there is pain. So going over low sticks and obstacles at a very slow speed so the dog has to think about what they are doing rather than just getting from point A to point B.

I actually have a few clients up your way so could try and T something up to see what exercises are appropriate.

Edited by Jumabaar
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I have also used Green Lipped Muscle great results and quickly.

I have also taken at least 8 older dogs with bad arthritis for accupuncture. Great results with that. Our alternative vet does three treatments a week apart, then another two weeks later, then another a month later. After that it is top up as required. Also for any dog that is overweight when the weight is dropped that helps.

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Jumabaar, very interesting post. Thanks for he link as well.

I have modified our walks a lot since finding out about Sonny's hips. We walk slower & have heaps of breaks. I found going up hills Sonny was struggling on a bad day. So we only go down hills. Also he only does half sits or squats when asked to sit sometimes. Same with a drop. Only his front half drops. He boughs.

My Vet suggested I put a broom stick on the ground in front of his food bowl & I have one in front of the water bowl so he has to step over it. Have noticed he trips up much more these days. We have a lot of stairs at our home so I monitor him on them as he sometimes stumbles on them. Poor fella.

Would be very interested in learning about exercises etc that may benefit him.

Edited by BC Crazy
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Gosh that sounds amazing. I am going to get some turmeric & make this recipe up. See how we go. I'm going to start taking it as well. I am riddled with Osteo arthritis too.

Do you buy the Turmeric from a health food store?

Avoid the stale supermarket types.

Another thing to use is ginger. DaddyVizsla eats lots of Japanese ginger & he used to say how much it help his OA pains.

Edited by VizslaMomma
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I don't know Kayla but will ask when I next speak to her.

Sonny is having a really good day today. Bouncing around with a real spring in his step. I have upped the Tramadol slightly. So I may do this for a bit to give him some relief. His eye's are smiling again which is just lovely to see :D

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Re cartrophen injections, will vets give this to a dog already on nsaids (in this case carprofen) even though the cartrophen manufacturer recommends not to?

Yep. My dog has been having cartrophen injections for about three years and was recently prescribed Meloxicam as well. For arthritis in his hips. Th combination seems to be working better for him than the cartrophen alone.

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The main concerns with using cartrophen injections with NSAIDs are in the immediate post operative period and if there is any evidence of liver or kidney disease (in which case the use of NSAIDS is questionable anyway) or if there is any blood clotting disorder.

A multi modal approach will be most beneficial - adequate pain relief (this may mean dosage adjustments or a different combination of medications), nutritional support with supplements and additive), and some physical therapy - as have been discussed already, massage to relax muscles, acupuncture for pain relief, moderate exercise (not so much as to cause fatigue or more soreness), stretching to maintain(or develop) flexibility and some as Jumabaar has mentioned other exercises to improve proprioception and muscle tone and strength. Other basic supportive things are some soft, often slightly raised bedding and maintaining a lean body weight.

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Thanks Rappie, I am ticking off your list. We have it pretty much covered right down to the raised bed. His weight is spot on but I am going to try to get a little more off him. Supplements etc yes. Things I have to do are look into exercises to improve proprioception. I have modified his moderate exercise & I don't let him off lead as much as I used to either cause I found he would run too much & pull up sore.

He is going really well this morning. Have noticed since I have slightly increased his Tramadol it has made a huge difference to him so I will monitor him over the next few days & may well leave him on the increased dose to get him over this rough patch he is having.

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He is going really well this morning. Have noticed since I have slightly increased his Tramadol it has made a huge difference to him so I will monitor him over the next few days & may well leave him on the increased dose to get him over this rough patch he is having.

Glad to hear he is doing well :)

Pain relief is really important, so if he is responding well to it that is great. It means he can keep moving which helps the joints and muscles - it is not the be all and end all by any means but it is central to managing pain. Tramadol is a great drug if the dogs tolerate it well as the dosing can be very flexible, as compared to the NSAID medications. The other medication which we often use is gabapentin alone or in combination even with the other two meds. If a temporary increase in tramadol is all the is required that is great :o

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Rappie, some time ago I saw a FaceBook post about a new injection that was cartrophen plus something else. I think the something else was glucosamine.

Do you perhaps know what this might be? (I can't find the post to refer back to it again.)

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It may have been Synovan - it contains pentosan polysulphate (same ingredient as Cartophen and Pentosan) and acetylene glucosamine. in my experience of using it, we often see results a bit more quickly but the long term effects are much the same as the other products.

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We did stem cell treatment twice on Kluska (RIP).

The first lot improved her well being considerably for 12-18 months. The second did a big, fat nothing except hurt my wallet.

Would I do it in the future. Yep, 100%. It may or may not work but the chance of giving your dog a pain free/medication free year is definitely worth it.

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BC Crazy I am probably not much help but my 12 year old dog is in the middle of a course of cartrophen injections. He has been on rymadyl (carprofen) for a while and I was told long term use may not be good for his kidneys or liver. I have tried the cartrophen injections before and they did not seem to make much difference, but this time after the third one I can see an improvement. I have also been told to keep his weight down which is not an issue because I believe a slim dog is a healthy dog and I regularly weigh both my dogs. I did not know about limiting his exercise though, not that he goes for long walks, probably about thirty minutes each day, but I thought that in cases of arthritis it is best to stay active as long as possible (use it or lose it). My vet has not recommended acupuncture and I like to follow her advice. After all I am paying for her years of training and I trust her advice will be the best available.

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From what I have heard some dogs really respond well to the Carprofen injections while other dogs don't seem to respond at all. I think it is a very individual thing as is most medication.

Sonny seems to have settled down now & is responding well to a little extra pain relief. I brought some organic Turmeric powder the other day & am adding half a teaspoon twice a day to his food. Thought it can't hurt him & it may also give him some relief down the tack. I can't mix it with coconut oil as he hates it & simply refuses to eat it even if a small amount is mixed with his evening meal he turns his nose up. Doesn't mind the Turmeric though. Must admit I tried it & can't stomach it so I was pleased it is in the Osteo Flex capsules that I take daily anyway.

Sarsaparilla I agree that modified exercise is very important for an Arthritis effected dog. Keeping as supple as possible can only benefit but the key is modification naturally. I closely monitor Sonny these days. The symptoms of his condition can vary quite a lot & often ever so slightly. I always gauge his daily exercise around this.

Edited by BC Crazy
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