PDA

View Full Version : Hip problems on Lab, need advice.



Joe Tonich
11-21-2003, 2:13 PM
My Yellow Lab, Mellow, is having some problems with her hips. I've been giving her Glucosamine & Chondroitin supplements that are supposed to help but they're not. Someone suggested BUFFERIN may help, how much should I give her? Any other suggestions? She's 8yrs. old and 90lbs. I really would hate to put her to sleep but I hate to see her suffer. All suggestions would definitely be appreciated.

Thanks,

Joe

Glenn Clabo
11-21-2003, 2:39 PM
Joe,
As the keeper of 2 labs myself...I know how we humans can get attached. Both of mine are laying at my feet right now. I'd do a lot to keep ours comfortable. I would suggest you take her to a vet to see what is wrong and then decide your course of action.

That said...I've been told and have read that giving about one-quarter of a 325-milligram tablet per ten pounds of dog twice a day makes a significant difference. So I'd say a couple of 325-milligram buffered aspirin...twice a day may help. Again...I'm no Vet...

Good luck!

p.s. - Our black lab is a field lab (taller) and our yellow is like yours. The black weighs 90lbs and yellow 75. Our vet said it would be much better for them if they lost 10 lbs...especially when they get older. It puts a lot of stress on the hips...We have been slowly reducing the food and the older (9) black is switching over to old dog food which has less fat.

Brad Hammond
11-21-2003, 2:41 PM
My Yellow Lab, Mellow, is having some problems with her hips. I've been giving her Glucosamine & Chondroitin supplements that are supposed to help but they're not. Someone suggested BUFFERIN may help, how much should I give her? Any other suggestions? She's 8yrs. old and 90lbs. I really would hate to put her to sleep but I hate to see her suffer. All suggestions would definitely be appreciated.

Thanks,

Joe



got some info for you in private message joe

Ron Meadows
11-21-2003, 2:42 PM
Joe,

When I was a kid we gave our Elkhound a regular aspirin every day with his food. He had gotten to the point that standing was difficult for him and with the aspirin his quality of life was greatly increased for at least 2 more years.

You'll be amazed at the difference.

Ron

Jackie Outten
11-21-2003, 3:23 PM
Joe,

About five years ago when we had our mixed breed dog, our vet told us to give her 1 325 mg coated aspirin tablet for her arthritis. It really made a difference in the way she got around.

Jackie Outten

Mike Leonard
11-21-2003, 3:25 PM
Joe,

I have a 12 year old black that has been on Glucosamine/Chondroitin and Rymadal (sp) for the last 2 or 3 years. He has bad hips and the meds do seem to help. Although, he still has his bad days. Taking him to the Vet is good advice. Good luck.

Bruce Page
11-21-2003, 3:33 PM
Joe, we have a 10 year old 100# yellow lab that was having a similar problem. It was suggested to us that an over the counter arthritic medicine called “Joint Ease” might help. We checked it out with our vet and he recommended it highly. We give him one tablet twice a day with meals.It takes a while to build up in their system but after two months Buddy is much improved.

RJ Schuff
11-21-2003, 4:00 PM
Hi Joe,

As others have pointed out already, aspirin can be fairly effective for arthritis in dogs. One to two 325 mg tablets (I like Ascriptin) twice daily would be about right for your 90 lb dog. I think the long term use of aspirin has some potential problems of which you should be aware. Stomach ulcers and GI bleeding can occur. Aspirin can also affect the dogs ability to normally clot blood by lowering platelets. Blood platelets are out first defense against bleeding too much from accident or surgery. I do not think these are real common side effects, but definately worth mentioning.

The whole area of pain management for arthritis in dogs has become a booming industry in recent years. One of the first available prescription medications was Rimadyl. I still prescribe a lot of this drug and have found it to be very safe and effective. Others include Metacam ( a liquid), Deramaxx and Etogesic. If you want something a bit safer and more effective than the aspirin, give your vet a call about some of these.

I do not know how long your dog has been on the glucosamine/chondroitin combination, but it can take months for you to see improvement with that drug, if ever. It can be given in conjunction with the other medications and sometimes can lower the dose needed of the other drugs.

Lower his weight if at all possible. We often overlook the obvious benefit of getting some of the load off those hips. Sometimes after weight loss, medication is not even needed.

A final note. Stay away from using Tylenol (acetometaphen) or ibuprofen. The potential bad side effects are significantly worse. If you decide to stay with an over the counter treatment, stick with real, buffered aspirin.

Hope this helps.

RJ Schuff, DVM

Doug Littlejohn
11-21-2003, 4:11 PM
Wow!!, who'da figured? Here on our little part of Cyberville, exploring our common love of all that is wood and one of our members is a DVM !!

Way, way cool.

Joe Tonich
11-21-2003, 7:38 PM
Thanks everyone. When I had the Vet. check her out he said her hips weren't too bad, suggested the Glucosamine could help. He said it could just be that she was just tender from a growth (which we had removed surgically, thankfully not cancerous) on her hind end, but that was months ago. He's seen her since and said she healed up OK. Her eating habits have changed and she doesn't eat as much anymore so hoping the weight will come off a bit. I'm gonna try the aspirin, hope it helps.

Thanks again,

Joe

Jim DeLaney
11-21-2003, 8:17 PM
We tried most of the over-the-counter stuff on Schultz, my 12 year old schnauzer, and none of it helped very much.

Finally, my vet recommended Rimadyl, and it's been like a miracle drug for him. I swear, it took five years off him! He romps like a puppy now, and can jump up onto places he hadn't been in years.

In 60 tablet bottles (half a tab per day for a 30 pound schnauzer), it costs about a buck a tablet, so cost isn't too bad.

He also gets two 1000mg tablets of Omega 3 fish oil per day as a supplement - also vet recommended.

Glenn Clabo
11-21-2003, 9:34 PM
Hey Joe...we call our black lab lumping...she keeps growin lumps...we keep getting them checked. So far so good. And as you can tell we have a Canadian and 'Merican lab.

John Christiansen
11-22-2003, 11:12 AM
My Yellow Lab, Mellow, is having some problems with her hips. I've been giving her Glucosamine & Chondroitin supplements that are supposed to help but they're not. Someone suggested BUFFERIN may help, how much should I give her? Any other suggestions? She's 8yrs. old and 90lbs. I really would hate to put her to sleep but I hate to see her suffer. All suggestions would definitely be appreciated.

Thanks,

Joe

Joe,

Ask you Vet to prescribe the Rimadyl. My 30Lb dog has been on 1/4 tab of Rimadyl for about three years now and she really is pain free. Runs, jumps, and plays just like she did when she was a pup. But let her go without for a couple days and she limps around and cries like her leg is broken.

Put her on it, and in about three days, she should be saying, Thank you, Thank You!

Compared to the cost of some prescription meds for pets. Rimadyl is fairly inexpensive.

J.C.

Scott Greaves
11-22-2003, 2:26 PM
I've got my three old chow dogs on the Rimadyl, and it definitely helps. I shopped around on the Internet and found the Rimadyl cheaper than the vet could sell it to me for, and she was happy to fax in a prescription for me, so I am dosing three dogs for about what the one dog would have cost me. Of course the one dog is taking a whole 75mg tab, and the other two are taking half of a 100mg tab each. Good Luck!

Scott.

Jim DeLaney
11-22-2003, 3:43 PM
I've got my three old chow dogs on the Rimadyl, and it definitely helps. I shopped around on the Internet and found the Rimadyl cheaper than the vet could sell it to me for, and she was happy to fax in a prescription for me, so I am dosing three dogs for about what the one dog would have cost me. Of course the one dog is taking a whole 75mg tab, and the other two are taking half of a 100mg tab each. Good Luck!

Scott.


Scott,
Where did you find it on the web?

Ron Meadows
11-22-2003, 4:34 PM
www.petmeds.com

I get our dogs Frontline and heartworm medicine from them for a BIG discount too.

Ron

Joe Tonich
11-22-2003, 6:58 PM
Thanks,

I'll call the Vet. Mon. morning about the Rimadyl. I just don't like all the side affects that are associated with it, but then again, this is coming from someone who has to be dying to take an aspirin. (I HATE taking med's!!)

Thanks again,

Joe

Ernie Kuhn
11-22-2003, 9:42 PM
Joe,
We had our male chow on rimadyl(sp) for about 2 years and it appeared to keep him pain free. However, you should do a little on-line research especially about potential side effects. Over time, it MAY affect their kidneys or liver (can't remember which). Our chow was about 10 years old and had arthritis in both hips. His quality of life was much improved for the last two years and we elected to take the risk of potential kidney/liver damage. In our case, the potential manifested itself about two years later. But, he did have about 2 years relatively pain free.
Best suggestion is to consult your vet. Good luck
Ernie

aurelio alarcon
11-22-2003, 11:11 PM
I hope all gets better for your friend!

David Klug
11-22-2003, 11:44 PM
Joe if those ideas don't work go to a health food store and pick up some shark cartilage. We used that for our German Shephard, soaked a couple tables in water overnite and put it on her food when we fed her. It got so that she wouldn't eat unless we had put it on her food first. It smells terrible.

Dave