arthritis supplements/medications - Page 3

Emoryg Every substance has it's benefits and it's drawbacks , in certain concentrtations. People can overdose even using Vitamins ...

Aspirin - Salicyllic acid , has pronounced effects : the interfering with the clotting of blood. A human taking an aspirin a day : that tablet a day dramatically interferes with blood clotting and if a tooth is remove, that person can bleed to death . So , you are right on the mark in your thinking with Bojar.
The moral : we always have to be aware of what substance we use , as well as the dose/concentration we administer , our dogs.

When I was younger and growing into my 'dog knowledge', here in the UK "science" told us NOT to give Aspirin to dogs (a.f.a.i.k., for the reason Centurian gives); so I never have done, and would never recommend it to anyone else.

I do wish licensed veterinary pharmo. companies would be more open about listing the contents of their products on the packaging. Although as I said above I have found painkillers more effective than late-introduced supplementation (and we do know some of the supplements contain some things that are either useless or possibly dangerous, don't we ?) that does not stop me worrying about unwanted effects that they might have, on some of my dogs.

Nothing is without risk.

Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) - byproduct of wood pulp, administered topically or orally may reduce inflammation, pain.  It’s been used on racehorses, as well as human athletes.  Quite a bit of testing has been done with DMSO for decades which is readily found online.  The DMSO sold in feed stores is inexpensive.  Purified, medical grade DMSO for human use can be purchased online for a little more.  I did not find anecdotal evidence of DMSO causing illness or death.

Ronin aged 16, crossed in April 2019. He and Isis who is now 14 were on the same medication regime because of arthritis.  Ronin because of severe beatings as a pup and Isis because of a birth defect where she was born without a left hip socket and a dysplastic right hip.

Tramadol 100-150mg q 8hrs (hard on the liver), Amantadine 200mg at night, Gabapentin 100mg q 12hrs (be careful with the dosage as it can cause the wobbles and difficulties walking), Galliprant 50mg am with food.  CBD oil, Boswellia, Joint health, liver detox, Denamarin (rebuilds the liver at the cellular level), Vitamin D (super hot and humid so they don't get to spend much time outside), Vitamin C (helps with inflammation and healing), Immune support, Omega-3, B Complex, Saw palmetto (urinary tract health), and probiotic (I am sure I am forgetting something).

Quint who is 5 years old and has the significant concurrent arthritis that goes along with his autoimmune disease (perianal fistulas) gets the above along with an herbal supplement to help cool his blood.  They all got acupuncture (on paydays), laser therapy x2/week, and hydrotherapy (Quint can't because his fistulas have not yet closed). 

Mindhunt thank you for the info; however, how do you know you are not overdosing or overdoing it with your guys?? I would be concerned about that and don't say ask your vet; don't feel they know squat these days. Just concerning to me as I don't want to overdose my guy as that can cause more problems than the problem your are trying to cure... Thanks again, Nan

Nans GSD - All 3 of my vets are board certified in multiple disciplines so they have a clue so no, I won't say "ask your vet" because my guess is your vet is not the same level as my vets (I do NOT mean this as a slam or insult or anything negative, I just know mine are specialty as well as general practice and are the only ones in the area for a good 100 mile radius that are thus certified in their areas).  We do regular blood draws and comprehensive panels to make sure all values are within healthy limits (I am paranoid of their livers, kindeys, and so on because of the number of meds they are on).  Any new medication gets an immediate blood draw and labs to see pre medication levels then again in a month, 3 months, and 6 months.  We not only do CBC but Comprehensive chemistry panel, Endocrine Levels, Liver panel, Pancreatic panel, Kidney panel, muscle/bone panel, I am sure I am forgetting some.  Some are done yearly (senior panel and Quint gets the senior panel) and some are done every 2 years unless otherwise indicated, the on before and after meds is specific to the areas affected by the med as well as liver and kidney panels.  They give me a huge break on the cost since they can use my dogs for teaching their vet med and vet tech students.  I've listed the supplements they get to help offset the potential damage.  Unfortunately it is the meds they are on and they have a good quality of life or euthanizing because of pain and in Quint's case, his perianal fistulas.  As I have said, this has been going on for 4 years now and they are all doing well.

 

For some reason it posted twice.  My dogs can't take Adequan, they can't take the NSAIDs except the low dose Galliprant. They can't take a lot of the medications usually used for their various ailments.  I have done the research as have my vets and this is what seems to work.  It may not work for someone else's dogs.  Mine also do holistic for pests like fleas and ticks and heartworm (very strong immune system is a great defense against heartworm).  Unfortunately Quint can't take any vaccinations because of his autoimmune disease so he is not allowed around any strange dogs or go to places frequented by other dogs such as a groomers or doggie day care.

 

Wobenzyme N created by two Columbia University bio scientists, Drs Max Wolf and Helen Benitez, hence the name. It is a leading non prescription arthritis oral enzyme treatment in Germany for humans and dogs.

See https://wholebodymed.com/newsletter/oral-enzymes-and-inflammation-what-you-need-know

There is also a version for dogs which is identical to the human version except for a different colored label and a more expensive price. Stick with the human version.

I have given it to all of my GSDs starting at age six whether or not they show any signs. Only possible side effect I have heard of but not seen in my dogs is diarrhea. The maximum dosage is six a day. I generally give two at breakfast and two with dinner. After age ten, I up it to three and three tablets.

It has had a beneficial effect not only on my dogs but also on dozens of club dogs over the years. It worked when all of the other supplements and treatments mentioned in this thread did not. Of course, if your dog is badly crippled, nothing but pain killers will ameliorate things.

CBD oil acts as a body relaxant and stress reliever, enabling the person (or dog) to get some much-needed rest at night. It does not have psychotropic effects (the 'high' from THC) and does not have any noted negative side-effects if administered in correct doseage. My old gal rested well each night that she had several drops on her night-time cookie, and she did not get any other meds.

Thank you Koots am going to try CBD when needed also WOBenzyme N, have been doing some research on that also. Will keep you posted but does not seem too out of reach and OTC is great. Thank you. Nan