successful supplements for severe arthritis?

[Debbie Ervin]

Agree with Observer. I have used Metacam liquid and it was very good years back in helping my Thor with his immune arthritis. I have used Tramadol several months ago before Ceasar passed for pain and it works GREAT! It has hardly no side effects and can be used in conjunction with steroids and non-steroids! Debbie

[LynnS]

We have used, Glucosomine supplements, Adequan shots, HA shots, and Previcox when she is noticeably limping or stiff.

Our best success has come from acupuncture coupled with adequan shots and HA shots....

From talking to others, every dog seems to respond differently or not at all to certain regimines so I think it's helpful to try different combinations (not all at once but over a period of months)

[aprillovesherdogs]

I am very interested in this Tumeric blend some of you are using. Is it OTC? Can you give me specifics on how much you use? I am willing to try anything.

thank you!

[aprillovesherdogs]

Has anyone ever tried Osteobiflex for their dogs? I just saw a commercial for it and it got my attention. It is advertised for people so I left a message with my vet to see if it could be used in dogs. I didn't see any info on the website for canine use. My ortho vet said that the supplements you buy at petstore etc. sometimes are just not quality enough. I feel that maybe going human grade may be the way.

Please let me know if anyone has any info on this. thanks!

[Gerts]

Can the DGP (dog gone pain) be combined with a glucosime/chondroitin supplement? Or even should it be? I was thinking to help take the pain away with the DGP capsules, but to continue the supplement in order to support any cartilage repair and/or fluid in the joints.

I am currently trying "K9 Joint Strong"---It is said to "put out the fire" of joint inflammation. Not sure if anyone has heard of this or has tried it b4, but would consider keeping the dog on it in conjunction with the DGP capsule, or maybe go back to the "AniMed" brand of AniFlex complete, a horse supplement that seemed to work well for any limping. But I knew the AniMed wasn't taking any pain away, so I tried the K9 joint strong... Hoping to help "put the fire out" as they (the company) say. But I'm not sure if he would thrive on more of an actual pain reliever, with the assistance of joint supplement instead.

Anyone with any info??? All I keep seeing are bigger $$ signs!
Thanks to all!

[cally01]

I used DGP for a little while with the glucosamine supplement Nutri Aid. I find just plain old turmeric and ginger root work just as good as DGP as an anti inflammatory and Athena my Rottie with HD is doing much better now. I get organic turmeric & ginger root for under 10.00 and it lasts a month. I give about a teaspoon daily.

It's a great idea to add raw cartridge in the diet as well...I feed chicken backs, wings etc.

[debbiej]

my dog gets adequan injections for HD. we do limit her activity somewhat, mostly from overdoing rough play. those injections made a huge difference, as she would whine when getting up, got lame after obedience class, etc, etc. now even though she is structurally "risky", she is pain free. we used to give a suppliment that I could see results from. it is called something like "next level joint fluid" and is made by farnham. it is for horses, but is safe for dogs.

[Gerts]

Originally Posted by cally01

I used DGP for a little while with the glucosamine supplement Nutri Aid. I find just plain old turmeric and ginger root work just as good as DGP as an anti inflammatory and Athena my Rottie with HD is doing much better now. I get organic turmeric & ginger root for under 10.00 and it lasts a month. I give about a teaspoon daily.

Were you able to find these at a natural food store like "Whole Foods" or a "Wild Oats" grocery? And does the organic turmeric & ginger root come together as 2 ingredients in one or are they sold as 2 separate bottles in a liquid form?...also can an owner administer too much that could harm the animal? Or if the case is pretty intense, can/should I play w/ the dosage? 'Cause looking @ the price of the DGP, a bottle will only last 15 days (having to give 4 tablets a day for his weight) for around $35 plus tax and shipping...

Also, is the DGP actually a pain reliever? or just an anti-inflammatory that causes inflammation to go down, therefore causing just less pain?...'cause I'm pretty sure we're at the point of needing actual pain relievers...and then some extra to help with any loss of joint fluid-(hence the other supplements).

And one more ?...How long to expect to possibly see any results?

Thank you for the extended info!

[Gerts]

Does anyone have a reply for me?

Also, the tramadol that you guys give...is that like the human grade tramadol or ultram (generic version)? 'cause that's something I had a prescription to in the past. And I didn't know if they make a doggie verison or not...

[IJF1]

A many others have said, good supplements for reducing inflammation and joint pain include Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, Vit C, Bromelain, Ginger, Fish Body Oil and Vitamin E. I would source these from human supplement stores (I use Healthspan) as the quality is assured and they are usually much cheaper than the canine marketed equivalent.

I would definitely look into using Adequan or Cartrophen Vet (NOT Carprophen which is basically Rimadyl), which show promise in treating joint degeneration.

[observer]

Originally Posted by Gerts

Does anyone have a reply for me?

Also, the tramadol that you guys give...is that like the human grade tramadol or ultram (generic version)? 'cause that's something I had a prescription to in the past. And I didn't know if they make a doggie verison or not...

It's the same drug, the dosages are different. (so for anyone with an old human prescription lying around for any of this sort of drug, DO NOT use it on your dog) With some drugs that are for humans and dogs, they go by different BRAND names, but the underlying drug and the generic name is the same. Metacam for dogs is Mobic in humans, the generic name for BOTH is Meloxicam. (I'm taking Meloxicam myself now -- good stuff! Now I know why the Metacam/Meloxicam worked so well for Missy).

Has anyone tried that joint pain stuff they are advertising on TV that you put in the dog's water??? (can't remember the name of it). I've wondered what the story is on that stuff.