Joan’s Boomer Blog

Is your older dog suffering from arthritis pain? As I’ve gotten older, I know I suffer from more aches and pains than when I was young and it’s the same with my dog. I have a 12 year old lab named Leo,

Leo Age 12

who has always had bad hips and a little difficulty with her back side but in the past year, she’s been having so much trouble it was hard to get her out for her daily walks.

It’s hard to watch an older pet having difficulty walking, running, climbing stairs and even standing sometimes. We remember them so well as carefree puppies (just like us when we were young!) and we’d like them to have a good quality of life as they get older.

When I have an ailment, I search for natural and alternative remedies for myself so I decided to do the same for Leo. I went in search of natural remedies for dog arthritis pain and I found several that are working for her.

First of all, many people who’s dog’s are suffering from arthritis pain are prescribed Rimadyl Dog Arthritis pain relief. About 3 months ago, Leo actually fell on the stairs and couldn’t get up without a struggle. I thought maybe the Rimadyl was better than this so I took my vet’s advice and gave it to her for 10 days to get rid of the worst inflammation. (Although he prescribed 2 pills a day, I only gave her one, then one-half) When I read about the adverse side effects, including fatal toxic reactions, and I knew I didn’t want to keep her on that medication. If you’d like to read more about the adverse effects of Rimadyl, I put a link at the bottom of the page.

I now give Leo some supplements and an all natural homeopathic dog arthritis pain remedy called Arthro-Ionx Pet Arthritis Medicine for Dogs and Cats. The info on this product says it “enhances pet mobility and flexibility, and boosts your pet’s energy levels.” I decided to try this particular remedy because it has great reviews on Amazon.

The directions on the Rimadyl said not to give with any other anti-inflammatory medicine so I started cutting the dosage on the Rimadyl to one half tablet. Instead of giving Leo the final day’s medication, I decided to start the Arthro-Ionx. The Rimadyl had definitely helped Leo to get around better and when I transitioned to the Arthro-Ionx, I didn’t notice any any worsening of her problem at all. The Arthro-Ionx seemed to take care of the worst of Leo’s arthritis problem.

Supplements for Dog’s Arthritis Pain

Supplements can help dogs with arthritis pain, just like they can for people. Both people and dogs benefit from glucosamine. Many senior dog foods have glucosamine in them nowadays or you can get capsules at the store and sprinkle over your dog’s food.

I got some 500 mg glucosamine capsules, which also have chondroitin and MSM in them for Leo and she gets one on her morning food.

I also give both my dogs Joint MAX TRIPLE Strength SOFT CHEWS, which have glucosamine and a few other remedies for joints. I use them for treats and you get get Joint Max in chews or tablets. Leo will eat anything, but my other dog, Molly, won’t touch the tablets.

Another supplement which helps both dogs and people are omega 3 fatty acids. I’ve tried several of these but Grizzly Salmon Oil All-Natural Dog Food Supplement is a pretty good one.

The dosage on the omega 3’s is higher than you might think for a dog. I was giving Leo some each morning before her hip problems but I upped the dosage when she started having more pain and I think it’s helping.

The Arthro-Ionx is a liquid which looks like water and I have a little trouble getting Leo to lick it up. I think maybe she doesn’t see it or smell it enough to know it’s there. What I do now is it on a place and add some omega 3 oils, which she loves, so she licks up the entire thing.

While all these remedies are making things 99% better for Leo, there are still days she struggles a little with the pain. For those days, I got some Arthrin Buffered Canine Aspirin Soft Chews, which last for 12 hours on a dosage.

My vet told me not to give aspirin every day, although several years ago, I had another dog and another vet, and he told me to give that dog an aspirin a day so I figure if Leo is having a painful day, a little aspirin is better than Rimadyl, which I know is harmful. I always give it with food too because too much aspirin can cause bleeding in stomach.

Is all this getting expensive? You bet, but believe me, Rimadyl is VERY expensive if you decide to put your dog on it long term. You also need blood tests every 6 months to see if it’s causing harm to your dog, and blood work is expensive. I spend a lot on foods and supplements to keep my husband and I healthy so our pets are no different. I’d rather spend money on supplements than vet bills.

If you’d like to read more about the adverse effects of Rimadyl, check out The Senior Dog Project

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