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

But can dogs tolerate aspirin, or ibuprofen, tyl., etc.??
That is my real question.

You mentioned that you couldn't afford hip surgery. Right now
you don't have a diagnosis on which to base treatment. A
relatively inexpensive consultation with your vet (including,
probably, xrays) will go a long way in figuring out the best and
most affordable treatment for your dog.

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