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Post Info TOPIC: anyone have a dog with arthritis?
Kelly


Hermes

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anyone have a dog with arthritis?
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My doggy has become stiffer lately and sometimes after she plays hard at the park she'll basically refuse to move once we park and I have to carry her from the car to her bed. She obviously can still play, which is good because she's not immobile, and the vet did an arthritis exam about a month ago and said she still has a very good range of motion and everything, so that's good as well. But you can still tell...she sometimes refuses to sit or lay down (and she is otherwise very obedient)

I got some supplements from the vet that are supposed to help, because she said it's not bad enough to start real medication yet. She mentioned that a lot of senior dog foods have joint supplement-type stuff built into them, which I'm really interested in. I got her the shortest hair cut imaginable so she can handle exercising more during the summer which I know will help, and I'm helping her shed the last couple pounds from a massive weight-gain last year (while I'm gone at school, my little brother feeds her every day and he used to be too lazy to use the measured scooper...just filled up the bowl every day!furious)

Does anyone have any tips for helping dogs with arthritis? Anything that helped your dogs? Has anyone tried any of the joint-supplement foods and have good/bad reviews? I'm getting a house next month and she'll be able to move in with me (my current apartment won't let her stay and I couldn't find a pet-friendly one that I could afford), so I'm grateful to now have more control over her health because obviously my little brother is not doing a good job in my absence. I hate seeing my doggy growing oldcry

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halleybird


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Awww, poor doggy! have you tried glucosamine tablets? My mom gives them to her 18(!)-year-old arthritic dog. I think you can also give them baby aspirin (NOT tylenol though).

Exercise is tough, because the movement can make it worse. Do you have access to a pool she can swim in? That's great exercise for them, and it's low-impact.

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"We live in an age where unnecessary things are our only necessities." --Oscar Wilde
Kelly


Hermes

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I think the tablets she has right now have glucosamine in them...good to know I'm on the right track!

When we went to have her annual exam a month or two ago the vet kind of just said she didn't want to start prescription medication left, but the only thing she referenced was one product she had a poster on the wall for. It'd be nice to have baby aspirin to give her since it's easily accessible. I'll ask the vet. Thanks!

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Fashion is art you live your life in. - Devil Wears Prada | formerly ttara123
halleybird


Hermes

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yeah, definitely double-check with the vet. It depends on your dog's size & if there are other issues. My mom usually gives her aspirin if she's had a big day (like gone on a walk, etc.). Getting her weight down will help, too. Good luck!

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"We live in an age where unnecessary things are our only necessities." --Oscar Wilde
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