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DOG HELP

jwb267
my german shepard is going on 8 years old. i have noticed that she is having a hard time getting up after laying down.i think she is getting arthritis. my question is has anyone tried any over the counter medicine that really helped where you could actually see the difference in the dog. any info or web sites welcome.
jim
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Comments

18 comments

Date Votes
  • mowart
    325 mg Buffered Aspirin noticeably helps our old Lab. Can't give him Tylenol since that's a poison to a dog.
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  • CS8161
    Glucosamine and Chondroiton tablets made a tremendous difference in my old Springer, it takes a few weeks for the meds to start really working but it certainly does help! You can buy them from any online pet store or your local PetSmart stores.
    http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752033

    http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752053&cp=&kw=glucosamine&parentPage=search&keepsr=1
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  • bayl778
    Gave my lab Motrin. Made it 14 years.
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  • allen griggs
    Glucosamine is of tremendous benefit to a dog. Supposedly chondroitin is of no use to dogs.
    My mom just gives her dog a single "for humans" glucosamine and chondroitin tablet that she buys at Wal Mart, costs about 8 cents a tablet.
    This works on the arthritis and has caused no ill effects.
    I give my hound Nutri-Vet Hip and Joint, 120 tabs for $26. I give her one or two a day, makes all the difference in the world.
    I buy it at the pet store, or, you could try nutri-vet.com
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  • spanielsells
    Glucosomine added a few years of happiness to my cocker spaniel before we put him down. However, you have to get the prescription-strength stuff. The OTC stuff simply doesn't have enough of the formula in it to do the job.

    You can do Rimidyl, but that's just a drug to mask the symptoms. The Glucosomine actually reverses the arthritis.
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  • huntergarret
    Try a heated blanket. Our older dog used to lay on one and it seemed to help a lot.
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  • iluvguns
    All the folks saying glucosomine are spot on. Has helped our 12 year old Sheltie immensely. I find pet specific tabs on the pet food aisle at our wally world. They also manufacture a dog great that has glucosomine in it. Our wally world carries it too. Good luck, and hope your dog gets to feeling better soon!!
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  • SG_Niner
    I use joint enhancer from pet meds Sam likes them and it help her!
    http://www.1800petmeds.com/pgroup.asp?LV=205&PG=Super Joint Enhancer
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  • fishermanben
    glucosomin for every mammal that suffers from arthritis!

    Ben
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  • He Dog
    Would it be out of line to suggest getting medical advice and diagnostics from a veterinarian? Some good suggestions here, but it would be well to be sure exactly what you are dealing with. Glucosamine/chondrotin certainly can't hurt, but I would want to know what is going on.
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  • River Rat
    Cut an adult aspirin in half, and ball it up in a piece of cheese. After a few of these "treats" she will remind you if you missed a dose.
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  • jwb267
    quote:Originally posted by He Dog
    Would it be out of line to suggest getting medical advice and diagnostics from a veterinarian? Some good suggestions here, but it would be well to be sure exactly what you are dealing with. Glucosamine/chondrotin certainly can't hurt, but I would want to know what is going on.


    no you are certainly not out of line. but i just know that when she goes outside and we play frisby she runs very hard even if i throw the frisby only 5', she will run tthe length of the yard which is about 500' and when she comes in and lays down she has a tuff time of getting up. i have also noticed her licking the top of her front paws at her joint .i am no vet but i do take her once a year for her checkup
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  • Marc1301
    I agree about asking a vet. Some of the painkillers can be dangerous to certain dogs, regardless of whether others have used them with no ill effects.

    Find out what the vet says, and then buy the stuff cheaper somewhere else if you want.
    NO Tylenol!!!
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  • spryor
    My old Dane started having a little trouble getting up at about 9yrs.
    and ultimately had a heart attack at 10..(?)
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  • allen griggs
    I do wonder about the advisablity of giving an aspirin a day to a dog.
    The long term dosage for humans for aspirin to help prevent heart attacks, by slightly thinning the blood, is 81 mg per day.
    A regular aspirin tablet is 350 mg as I recall.
    Most all of these drugs go by body weight. Most dogs are smaller than humans, so that, giving an 80 pound dog one aspirin is the same as giving a 160 pound human two aspirin.
    I don't know but that might be too much. As aspirin is a blood thinner, long term overdose COULD cause bleeding in the brain, ie a stroke.
    Also aspirin can irritate the stomach.
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  • yoshmyster
    quote:Originally posted by mowart
    325 mg Buffered Aspirin noticeably helps our old Lab. Can't give him Tylenol since that's a poison to a dog.


    325mg is way too much Aspirin unless you got a Mastiff sized dog. I think baby Aspirin 81 mg and only couple times a week tops (you would have to do math for poundage). High dose is bad.

    Most GS start to show age about then, sad to say 10/12 years and they're pretty much done[V]. Getting them off the hard floor helps. Them dog beds with enough padding will ease the joints from the long down time.

    Personally I'd shy away from heating pads for dogs (they ain't too bright and might chew and get juiced).

    Glucosomin will help (like it's been told).
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  • mowart
    We do break it in half sometimes. It's not everyday and he's 125 lb. It WAS the Vei's idea.
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  • jpwolf
    Check into Rimadyl. It helps but your dog is probably not in that baad of shape yet. And it's hard on the liver so a week on, 2-3 weeks off. As little as you can get away with and keep dog comfortable.
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