Old dog with arthritis

[Molalla1]

Missy is a 5 pound 15 year old Maltese with arthritis. Her back legs don't work very well and she has difficulty with the porch step to do her outside chores.
Any words of wisdom to make her life a little easier?

bigtiller, I would consult your vet first! I have a 14 yo aussie, he will groan a bit when laying down, but he can still run like the wind when he wants to . . . I give him a bit of CBD . . . work for us both.

on edit . . .he weighs 62#.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Meloxicam? Wife and I both have Rx for it, to treat our osteoarthritis. Works well. How many mg for a dog?

The veterinary Metacam packaging comes with a syringe graduated in dog weight, so a 20 lb. dog gets a 20 lb. dog dose. It's a good pain reliever and anti inflammatory. Carprofen (Rimadyl) is cheaper, is a pill, and has to be given with food. Extended use can give the dog a bad gut, so keep an eye out for them going off their food. It doesn't bother some dogs, others are more sensitive.

Like all arthritis, massage is a great pain reliever. Don't be too rough, but 15 minutes massage of the lower back and hips and joints can really help a dog feel better. Plus, they love the attention.

 

[Molalla1]

The veterinary Metacam packaging comes with a syringe graduated in dog weight, so a 20 lb. dog gets a 20 lb. dog dose. It's a good pain reliever and anti inflammatory. Carprofen (Rimadyl) is cheaper, is a pill, and has to be given with food. Extended use can give the dog a bad gut, so keep an eye out for them going off their food. It doesn't bother some dogs, others are more sensitive.

Like all arthritis, massage is a great pain reliever. Don't be too rough, but 15 minutes massage of the lower back and hips and joints can really help a dog feel better. Plus, they love the attention.

So true . . . (ever try CBD Larry?)

 

[ArlyA]

The veterinary Metacam packaging comes with a syringe graduated in dog weight, so a 20 lb. dog gets a 20 lb. dog dose. It's a good pain reliever and anti inflammatory. Carprofen (Rimadyl) is cheaper, is a pill, and has to be given with food. Extended use can give the dog a bad gut, so keep an eye out for them going off their food. It doesn't bother some dogs, others are more sensitive.

Like all arthritis, massage is a great pain reliever. Don't be too rough, but 15 minutes massage of the lower back and hips and joints can really help a dog feel better. Plus, they love the attention.

And dogs just like people, can alleviate some arthritic pain with exercise. We use Metacam but there are other drugs that might work better for other dogs.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

We have 4 Labradors. The oldest one is 15, next oldest one is 11. They both need help with back end issues and both are on Rimadyl twice a day. I also built (and just this weekend modified and rebuilt) a handicap ramp for our dogs (yes, really) that goes down the back steps off the deck. The Rimadyl helps quite a bit and the handicap ramp makes it so the 15 year old can go up and down without any help.

 

[ArlyA]

We have 4 Labradors. The oldest one is 15, next oldest one is 11. They both need help with back end issues and both are on Rimadyl twice a day. I also built (and just this weekend modified and rebuilt) a handicap ramp for our dogs (yes, really) that goes down the back steps off the deck. The Rimadyl helps quite a bit and the handicap ramp makes it so the 15 year old can go up and down without any help.

We used Rimadyl for many years but found that most of our dogs eventually couldn't tolerate it. Made there stomachs bad.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I don't doubt you Arly, but at least for the oldest, there's really not much more we can do for him, and to be honest, his days are numbered.

Will be a sad day for sure, but we're just trying to keep him somewhat mobile for as long as we can.

So far, neither of ours are having digestive issues. Don't know if the size of the dog matters (probably not) but both these guys are over 100 pounds.

 

[zzvyb6]

All mine respond very well to CBD oil. Full eyedropper on a peanut butter dogbone. Get in from ebay seller. 3000 mg bottle. Hemp oil. Take it myself. Just as good as Celebrex.

 

[Molalla1]

I don't doubt you Arly, but at least for the oldest, there's really not much more we can do for him, and to be honest, his days are numbered.

Will be a sad day for sure, but we're just trying to keep him somewhat mobile for as long as we can.

So far, neither of ours are having digestive issues. Don't know if the size of the dog matters (probably not) but both these guys are over 100 pounds.

Of course size matters . . . if all else fails maybe try something not so conventional . . . CBD did my old warrior (14) good.

 

[ponytug]

+1 on chondrotin and glucosamine for dogs and horses.

I would also consider a ramp rather than stairs...

All the best,

Peter