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#1
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Question on treatment for arthritis
My almost six year old Golden has been diagnosed with "slight"
arthritis. Although my vet himself did not pick it up on x-ray, the radiologist and orthopedist see the beginnings at the elbow and the neck. He had been limping slightly when getting up from a long nap, and then walking normally. He does not seem to be in pain, but then again, how can we be sure? The vet had him on Rimadyl for a week prior to the x-rays and it did help, and now he wants to put him back on it. He says everyone agrees he is not a candidate for surgery - yet. He has also been on a supplement - Synovi G. We are reluctant to put him back on Rimadyl because of the contraindications, but we also do not want to see him in pain. Are there any other medications or supplements which any of you have been using which help and which don't carry such dire side effects??? Thanks, Leslie |
#2
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This is stricktly personal opinion. No more, no less. I have had a dog
with bilateral hip dysplasia, and kept him active and mobile to almost 16 years of age ( a terrier, not a large dog). He only became symptomatic at the age of 8 1/2 yo. I prefer to treat the joints. I am not familiar with the Synovi G, specifically... but presume you are or can easily find out. The name indicates that it may be similar in action to the supplements I used. I managed Fred for many years with Glyco-Flex, then added Glucosamine. It took a few weeks for the GlycoFlex to "kick in"... this is normal with any of the supplements that increase the thickness, quantity and "slipperiness" of the fluid in the joints. Some owners add Vitamin C and or MSM, a sulphur compound, to the basic glucopolysaccharide.... I didn't, as I wasn't aware of them at that time. Fred was chasing squirrels, playing with my other dogs, and able to run up and down stairs like a fool.... with no evidence of pain. This way, I was able to save the pain medication for bad days (there were very few) and other times when pain was a problem from another source. He was only on a pain medication regularly for his last 6 weeks. I am not saying that your results would be the same. Only that this is one approach you can consider. You can always return to regular use of pain medications at any time. I do want you to give strong attention to keeping your guy as comfortable as possible. If that means regular use of pain medication, so be it.... Jo Wolf Martinez, Georgia |
#3
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Oops! I forgot to add that it is CRITICAL that you keep your dog SLIM.
Minimizing the weight he has to carry on those damaged joints will reduce/slow continuing joint destruction, and help to control discomfort from having to support extra weight. Jo Wolf Martinez, Georgia |
#4
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Thanks for the input. Yes, vet said to exercise him more and take off
about 7 or 8 pounds. He is now at 90 lbs, but he is also a very large golden - stand about 5 ft. on his hind legs. What I'm trying to find out is whether there are other supplements which might be superior to Synovi. I am not familiar with the effects of ANY of the ingredients in any of the supplements and want to find one with the most "kick". Leslie Jo Wolf wrote: Oops! I forgot to add that it is CRITICAL that you keep your dog SLIM. Minimizing the weight he has to carry on those damaged joints will reduce/slow continuing joint destruction, and help to control discomfort from having to support extra weight. Jo Wolf Martinez, Georgia |
#5
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Leslie, given that most of the supplements do take 2-6 weeks to become
effective, switching things around can be difficult... as you can't tell which is doing the most good in a short period of time! If you don't feel that the Synovi G is as effective as you'd like, look at what is in that, and look for something with more glucosamine. Most of these are given by weight.... The KV Vet Supply web site has good information on many of the products they carry, and I have dealt with them off and on for years... good people. Wish I made some money from saying that, but I don't.... Their prices are often the best or close to it.... www.kvvetsupply.com Jo Wolf Martinez, Georgia |
#6
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Thanks for the input. I have picked up the Rimadyl but am not going to
start him on it now. Trying to exercise him more and stick with the Synovi. Here's hoping we manage to keep him going fairly well for a nice long time before we have to consider surgery or meds. Leslie Jo Wolf wrote: Leslie, given that most of the supplements do take 2-6 weeks to become effective, switching things around can be difficult... as you can't tell which is doing the most good in a short period of time! If you don't feel that the Synovi G is as effective as you'd like, look at what is in that, and look for something with more glucosamine. Most of these are given by weight.... The KV Vet Supply web site has good information on many of the products they carry, and I have dealt with them off and on for years... good people. Wish I made some money from saying that, but I don't.... Their prices are often the best or close to it.... www.kvvetsupply.com Jo Wolf Martinez, Georgia |
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