arthritic dogs

I just found out that my 9 year old Chihuahua is becoming arthritic. He was having back spasms and I took him to the vet and they gave me some pain medicine and told me it was probably the beginning of arthritis.

I feel so awful. I just don't want him to go through any pain... I was considering taking him to a vet nearby that does chiopractic (sp?) work. Has anyone ever tried this with their dot? I was just wondering if it would help or make it worse. I definately don't want to make anything worse for the little guy. Any suggestions would be appreciated.. THANKS!!!

most people I know have had good results, some have had exceptional results, like a rott that couldn't walk on flat ground for more than a few steps and now she runs up and down steps and plays like a regular dog. That was the most extreme case I know of. Most range from no change to a dog that can function more normally, but i don't have any personal knowledge of it making anything worse.

I've given my dog glucosamine/chondroitin for arthritis and it has really helped. I would try this supplement.

Yeppers so is Max for his arthritis. It's not a cure of course, because there is none for arthritis, but it does make life much more comfortable for them

On days when CJ's arthritis is bad, I also give her a coated aspirin.

^ yes, I've heard of that too, dogs that have mild arthritis can use the supplements on a regular basis and on the bad days just take a painkiller like us humans would.

You might want to try "Missing Link"..
It's a joint care supplement and I have heard great things about it. You just sprinkle it on your dogs food. You can get it in most pet stores.

Pam

Tanks for all the advice. My vet just started him on Metacam Oral Suspension which is an anti-inflammatory drug used to control pain and inflamation. However, I was searching the web for information on this drug and it can have some pretty nasty side effects. I haven't seeen any in Yoda yet, but I don't like the sounds of it at all. I have an appointment with a holistic vet who also does chiopractic work on Tuesday. I'm gonna see what she suggests... I'm also going to try the supplements you've talked about and see if I can't get him off this Metacam.

Has anyone else ever used Metacam??? Did your dog have any side effects? THANKS!!!

I have a dog with mild arthritis in her hips. The only thing she gets for it is about 1,500 mg of glucosamine chrondroitin every day. I also massage her hips with Arnica gel, and make sure she gets plenty of exercise. Swimming is great exercise for arthritic dogs...a kiddie pool might work since you have a small dog, if it's deep enough.

There are a lot of NSAIDS, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Seeing as we discovered my girl just got HD I've been on the net looking for all sorts of medical treatments as well as surgical

As gaddylovesdogs said, a very common medical treatment is glucosomine/chondroitin. It's not a painkiller, but more of a herbal remedy, it "oils" up the joint so to speak. It won't stop the joints from becoming worse but it can significantly slow down the process.

With any type of painkiller from what I've researched there is the danger of death from liver toxicity. WIth drugs that are only anti-inflammatories there is no risk. Considering his pain isn't crippling all the time and seeing how he is an older animal, supplementation should probably work fine, and on those days where he seems to be in more pain than usual, give him an advil.