I hurt my old lady.

Summer is my 13 year old mixed breed dog (probable golden, chow, GSD, possibly something else). A few days ago she tried to get on the couch with us and didn't make it. She just seemed embarrased to me so this time when she tried I tried to help her (like many times before) and she yelped something horrible and then wanted to go hide in the garage.

Years ago she was thought to have congenital arthritis which would flair up sometimes once or twice a year and clear on a short run of Rimadyl. She has not had this problem for years for some reason, I'm not complaining. Lately she has really gone down hill since the death of her companion, Cleo on Jan. 1st this year. But, she is still making it up and down stairs, still runs, adores her walks and begs to go many times during the day and still occasionally shows interest in playing with other dogs, and tollerates the puppy (sometimes I catch her even enjoying him).

I feel so badly after hurting her. I should have just left her alone. Now, I'm faced with her mortality and it just stings. I still need to talk to the vet but I want to think of some things first. I don't know if I want her on Rimadyl long-term, especially since other then my meddling she doesn't seem to have problems with movement. I'm really curious about the product Flexicose that I've seen. Flexicose.com has information on it. I've heard good about glucosamine and chondrointin but don't know how beneficial it really is. I know it was added to her senior food but I switched both her and the pup to Canidae ALS so I wonder if I should add it in by using a suppliment. This suppliment looks affordable (much more so then Rimadyl), compared to other products that I've seen by companies I'm not that familiar with or not that thrilled with in the first place.

Any recommendations for me or anything else I should discuss with my vet? She just had her exam a couple months ago and everything came back normal including physical and senior blood panel.

Glucosamine and chondroitin have been shown to be effective. If you go with a supplement marketed for humans you'll get a better grade at a better price.

Taking one enteric coated aspirin twice daily did a great deal for Purdue, my first GSD. He was afflicted with arthritis in his neck, but with the aspirin lived to be over 15 and had a good quality of life. The day he died he caught a starling getting into his food bowl!

LOL, that is dying on a good day for him then right? I'd love for her to have the energy to catch a bird, rather then share her water with them.

I will ask about the aspirin. I've heard it could be good for them but not too much of it.

Have you tried the liquid form glucosamine and chondrointin like mentioned in my first post?

I think it was called something else, but a very similar product (same bottle even) seems to work pretty well. I think it starts with an "E"...these two older Old English Sheepdogs were on it that came in to board. There was a huge difference in their movements before and after taking it and incredibly noticable after someone forgot to put their morning dose in their food. I gave it to them as soon as I realized what was going on and within an hour they were walking MUCH better again.

Gluco/chondroit with aspirin (talk to your vet about how to combine them) seems to work quite well for pain management.

Thank you. I would feel so much better being able to give her something besides Rimadyl for the rest of her life. I think I'm calling the vet now to see what he thinks of this too.