Joint medication for dogs

[DreamLord34]

What is a good & safe brand to use when your dog (pit bull) is starting to have joint/arthritic issues?
I have him taking a pill now but it is now making him puke quite a bit.
Forget the name but I think it starts with an "R".

Thoughts?
Ideas?

[Lesley]

Omega 3 is good for joints, glucosamine is as well. it's not so much the brand but the dosage. You'd be better off to see your vet the first time, to get the right dose, and then you can look at over the counter versions and use the same dosage.

If he's puking it's possible the pill is what's called a non steroidal anti inflammatory, they're very hard on the stomach. If that's the case he might do better if you can make sure he takes it on a full stomach, otherwise he may end up with ulcers. There's a more modern version, called a cox-2 inhibitor which does the same thing without the gastric issues in most cases. I don't know if it would be available for animals but it's worth asking about. It will be quite a bit more expensive.

If he'll take pills without a hassle I'd suggest omega 3 capsules, you can buy a pump bottle at the vet but the damn thing leaks.

Basically if it works for a human (talking arthritis here) it should work for your dog, you just have to make sure you get the right dosage first.

Good luck.

[DreamLord34]

Lesley, he's only getting 1 pill per day. So it shouldn't be too much. It is a fair sized pill though.
I'll check the only good pet store we have here tomorrow to see what else they have & recommend as well.

[Buka12]

My dog Bella, a Lab. Ret. is 10 years old and suffering from arthritis, I`m giving her 2 capsules in the morning and two in the evening of Swiss joint care Glucosamamine @ chondroitin sulfate 900 mg, I`m unattaching the capsule and giving her only the powder. I started give her this pill after talking to my "human" druggist at Zellers, she has a golden retr. that had the same symptoms, I figured she is a druggist and knows her drugs and herbs. It`s working... It will take around 4-5 weeks for the pills to start being effective, helping your dog, after that time I did see a big improvement with my dog.

[BillD]

kirkland brand dog food at Costco has Glucosamine and Chondriton in the food. When feeding the dog the right amount the dosage is already figured. It is also about 1/2 the price of other premium brands, and if you look at the ingredient list, it appears to be a top quality product. It is around $20 to $22 for an 18 or 20 kilo bag. They also sell cheap capsules of Glucosamine and Chondriton, and you can safely give the same amount as for humans by weight. If the dog weighs half of an adult human, give half the dose, although, it is not a drug, so the full adult dose should also be okay. An aspirin a day will also help.

[DreamLord34]

Kaos is about 100lbs right now.
Don't have a membership for costco though.

Thanks for the tips so far!

[Lesley]

Lesley, he's only getting 1 pill per day. So it shouldn't be too much. It is a fair sized pill though.
I'll check the only good pet store we have here tomorrow to see what else they have & recommend as well.

If it's an anti-inflammatory the dosage doesn't matter, some tummies, doggie or human, are very sensitive to the components of the drug. Even if it's not that type of drug if he's sensitive to it then he'll have problems, no matter how low the dosage. That's why I suggest giving it to him on a full stomach. That may provide enough protection.

[sparky77]

You could try these Zukes Treats (http://www.zukes.com/woof/hip-action.html) for dogs.
They have them for cats too.
Been giving them to my guys for a while now, they love them... and i think that they are helping some.
Worth a try, and they are not extremely expensive.
Most pet food stores carry them... Pet Valu and Global Pet Foods for sure.

[DreamLord34]

Thanks sparky. The local pet store had them & he's trying them out now.

[Deathhawk78]

My dog Lola put her knee out after being starteled by a recycling bin (dont ask). We had her on Metacam (an antiinflammatory) for when it was really bothering her. We also totally changed her food, from a petstore brand, to a more wholistic diet, which is high in glucosamine. Since then her knee has healed to the point that a bystander wouldnt know she had the issue. Your dog may be vomitting because antiinflammatories are hard on your stomach, and they are hard on the dogs as well. Make sure to give it with a full meal to help decrease stomach upset.

[Ken]

You can give dogs low dosage aspirin (81mg) for joint pain and arthritis. Hide it in a piece of cheese if he won't take it by itself. This is perfectly safe. My sister gave her 2 large dogs this every day for a few years. It sure helped them both, and was recommended by a vet to do so. Just don't give a dog Tylenol thinking it'll work the same. Tylenol will poison a dog and probably kill them, depending on their size and dosage etc...

[DreamLord34]

I had to give up on those Zukes treats as they were making him puke as well.

[sparky77]

i came across this product at Woofstock last weekend Omega Alpha (http://www.omegaalpha.ca/en/product/99/GlucosaPet_trade/) and i'm currently giving it to one of my cats with no ill effects or upset stomachs so far..... you dose by weight of the animal
Here are some retailers in the Toronto area.... Toronto (http://www.omegaalpha.ca/main.php?module=search_retailers&action=searchresult&zone_id=74&city=Toronto&city_district=0&x=30&y=13)
although i'm not sure if they carry the pet products

here is some contact info:

Location: OMEGA ALPHA PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
795 Pharmacy Avenue
Toronto, ON M1L 3K2
Email: info@oapharma.com
Orders: orders@oapharma.com
Telephone: (416) 297-6900 Greater Toronto Area
Toll Free: (800) 651-3172 North America

just gave them a call - you can try Pet Valu stores...

[DreamLord34]

Thanks, will check it out!

[lexigsd1]

I have a german shepherd with elbow dysplasia and along with the glucosamine, condroitin, msm product we give her we also take her to the vet every six week for a shot called 'cartrophen vet'. It's not a pain medication, but a product similar to glucosamine. It acts to rejuvenate the cartilage plus increase the lubricants in the joints. Do a search on line for more information or ask your vet. Our dog has improved significantly. Your dog may be able to go longer than six weeks in between shots...the degree of the joint degeneration will dictate how frequently shots are needed. A friend of ours had a boxer that went almost a year between shots. Hope this helps your pup.

[DreamLord34]

Ok, I just got the bottle of Glucosapet & will try it tomorrow when I go see Kaos. Will post back on results when possible.
It also came with a sample bottle of E-Z Rest.

[DreamLord34]

UPDATE: even though he lapped up the medicine the first time I gave it to him, he has since refused to take it alone. So now he will get it soaked in a piece of bread. He no longer pukes but he does fart more often now.

[Bogie]

Our kids say we give more care and attention to our dog than we did to them when they lived at home.

We told our three kids, Carissa, Leanna, and our son (what's his name) that isn't so.

.
.
.
.
.

[DreamLord34]

LOL
I tend to be more partial to animals then humans.
A LOT of the human race disgusts me.

[sparky77]

amen on that DreamLord!
i just mix the Glucosapet & E-Z Rest right into each of their bowls of wet food... they just gobble it up.
they sort of get their faces in each other's foods but i figure a little bit of the other's tonic can't hurt.

Question Dream? Where did you find yours? i got the big bottles in the beaches at Hoopers pharmacy... it was on sale for $19.99 per bottle which i thought wasn't bad... when i got home and looked at the regular price i almost had kittens. the stuff's not cheap... but it should last a long time... maybe even longer than the cats do.

[DreamLord34]

I bought it online but can't remember which site. Was around $22 with shipping & the ez rest.

Ottwat Herbalist. They are in T.O on the Danforth.