Question by Jimm: how can my dog have arthritis but still be able to walk?

Best answer:

Answer by EyeCandy
They same way human can have it and still walk… Arthritis is just pain… really… So your dog is basically in pain every time it walks.. but if the pain is bearable to your dog then I guess it will continue to walk until it cant take it anymore.

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Question by alapinklady: Enlarged heart and fluid in the lungs?
Over the holidays, my collie (age 10-12 possibly) began having some problems breathing. She is still eating great, as active as a senior dog with arthritis can be and is still going to the bathroom fine. I took her to the vets where they ran several blood tests and took x-rays of her lungs and heart. Her liver and kidneys are working well and her heartbeat was steady and strong, but the x-rays showed some fluid in her lungs and a slightly rounded (enlarged) heart. They gave her Lasix to reduce the fluid retention and sent the x-rays to Ohio State veterinary hospital. The Lasix is working, but after not taking it for a few days has labored breathing again. While I am still waiting on the results, I was wondering besides heart disease, could anything else cause this? Also, she is now on an all natural, corn and wheat free diet as well as eating plain, unsweetened yogurt with flax seed oil and a good probiotic but is their anything else I could give her to help make her stronger.

Best answer:

Answer by computersandipods
it may be pnemonia, or however you spell it

the symptoms are like pnemonia

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Question by Tierra: Has anyone tried treating dog with severe arthritis with adequan?
My pit is 3 years old and at 1.5 she was dianoised with elbow displaysia and her arthridic change was already classified as severe. About a year ago she also got bilateral fragmented cornoid processes (broken elbows) when she was playing with the hose ( Almost had to put her to sleep). So she is currently taking glucosamine and rimadyl but I have heard that adequan works well and have been talking with her vet about it you has not used it much in his practice but is willing to try.

Has anyone used this drug?
Did it help?

Best answer:

Answer by Lelee
I would also order her a heated bed off the internet. My 16 year old Chihuahua really benefited from it. They come in all sizes for really big dogs.

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Question by MtotheR MIGHTY RA!: What else can be recommended to help arthritis in a 3 legged dog?
My dog Nelson is about 5 he is a colly crossed with something like a Belgian Shepherd, maybe a Flatty, or GSD, I am not sure

He had an accident with a car last May and was seriously injured. He had to have his back left leg removed, two digits off his front paw and he had large flesh wounds that became infected with a superbug and took a long time to heal up.

Fantastically he survived (mainly because he was in very good condition beforehand and the fact that he would let the vets do anything to him, without kicking off)

He is very intelligent and active (people don’t usually notice his leg missing until he is close by, in fact he is a local legend). He has more than two hours exercise a day and sometimes he overdoes it a bit and is a bit stiff in the evening.

He went for his jabs today and the Vets nurse suggested that we might give him Glucosamine to halt any possible onset of arthritis, but this week I have heard that a very important study showed that Glucosamine and Chondroitin are ineffective as treatment for arthritis. I am probably going to get it for him anyway.

What other suggestions do you have for what I might do to help him?, that I may not have thought of. I will consider anything really. I realise that, if his quality of life is diminished (down the line this is) that will be that, but he has an extremely high quality of life at the moment, (he can swim and outrun many dogs) and I would like to prolong this for as long as we reasonably can.

When he got home after his accident
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll261/themightyra/06062009256.jpg

What he is more like now
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll261/themightyra/nelson1109023.jpg
Make sure you get your dogs insured as well, it saved me £5700, (00)
Yes fish oil that is good

Best answer:

Answer by Toke Lover – CANTHEIST
I hear good things about shark cartilage, but from the same peeps who swore by glucosamine….

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Question by kitty k: has anyone had a dog diagnosised with arthritis or hip displasia?
i was reading about them trying to see which one sounds more like my dog, I’ve noticed he has been stiff in the mornings or after lying down a while, after i rub his legs he always licks them.. I am taking him to the vet in couple days when he has his apt. I am just curious if anyone can give me a ball park range of how much they paid for this diagnosis.. Thank god for income returns lol i luv him like a son and he just turned 3..is there anything else it could be?? thanks! oh yeah he is a short chinese shar pei mix he is below my knees , no injuries either

Best answer:

Answer by moondog
Your vet will probably need to xray your dog to arrive at an accurate diganosis. He/she will probably quote you a price for whatever needs to be done.

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Question by Aisline Mcconnon: i live on the 3rd floor..is it wrong to take a dog with arthritis up the stairs each day?

Best answer:

Answer by walking lady
It’s not wrong if your dog’s been to the vet to be x-rayed and the vet has the dog on the correct meds to keep it pain free. If you haven’t done that, its wrong to keep your dog in pain and it doesn’t matter where you live.

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Question by Kelly: How to give my dog a muscle massage?
I have a pit bull mix who’s a year and a half old. She is very muscular and a very fast runner. Sometimes she doesn’t watch where she is going when playing, and bumps into things like park benches. I have heard that massage can be beneficial to pit bulls because of their strong muscles and tendency to bump into furniture while playing. Is there benefit to giving her a massage similar to an athletic massage, and if so, how do I do it? I’m not looking for massage tips for older dogs, or dogs with arthritis or other health problems.

Best answer:

Answer by Just Surfin
http://dogs.suite101.com/article.cfm/homemassagefordogs

http://www.monkeysee.com/play/2163-how-to-massage-your-dog has a video.

There are also some good books on Amazon.

Just remember – DON’T GO DEEP. You can hurt your dog if you don’t know what you’re doing.

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Question by Pit Bull Hugger!: Rimadyl for dog arthritis?
my vet recently prescribed this to out 2 Yr old APBT. so far i have not found out anything good about this drug is there anyone here who has used this and had great success with it?

Your stories greatly appreciated
i could’nt tell ya who her breeder was…we got her from my b/f’s uncle when he no longer wanted her.
hydrotherapy? i dont think we have anything around here like that.
lol chaos is like a kid to my b/f and i we fought to get her and now we are going to make sure she will live a long and healthy life

Best answer:

Answer by aussie mom
my neighbors 11 year old shepherd is prescribed this.. seems to help a little..

my question to you is why is a 2 year old needing this? please contact the BYB who bred this dog and suggest that they re evaluate their breeding stock.

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Question by April: Is it ok to give my dog a baby Aspirin?
My dog has horrible arthritis in her back legs, and I was hoping I could give her a baby Aspirin. But will it hurt her if I give her an Aspirin?
Fred- If you don’t have anything nice to say, refrain from saying anything at all.

Meghan- Thank you, I was hoping a smart person would answer. I will give my dog the baby aspirin now. Again thank you!

Best answer:

Answer by ledya y
NO! do not do that! dogs body’s funtion way differently, asprin was made for humans. i have never tried it but i suggest you not take risks.
good luck try calling a vet?

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Question by Laura: I think my dog may have arthritis! Help!?
My dog is ten years old, a lhasa apso-poodle mix and recently he hasn’t been able to jump or do anything involving his left hind leg. It’s so heartbreaking to see him in pain and not being able to do basic things. I’m going to take him to the vet in a couple days to get him checked out, but in the meantime, is there anything else I can do? I just tried to take him for a short walk and it didn’t go too well, so I’ve been sitting with him outside and trying to keep him happy, gently playing with him. He looks so worried and it’s making me worried! Any answers would be appreciated. Thanks

Best answer:

Answer by billiefsmith
Give him 1 aspirin tablet, aspirin only..If it helps with the pain you can give him one a day or ask the vet for the dosage right for your boy. My little guy is on 2 a day(1 every 12 hours)

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