"Pete" said in rec.pets.dogs.breeds:

My dog is about 11 years old. He can no longer navigate
stairs. His hind legs just "give out" sometimes. We've fed
him "joint" stuff but it's been like candy. The only thing
left is to stop the pain for him. Can dogs take aspirin, or
something else like aspirin? We can't afford hip surgery,
or expensive treatments.

Xrays are relatively inexpensive and may give you a pretty good
idea as to the next step. Good luck.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.