Question by Jamie: Sick Dog please help, Glucosamine Questions?
I have a 15 year old dog who has always been in great shape and suddenly the other day he decided to walk very crooked so we took him to the vet and the vet said he has arthritis…

he gave us a pill called rimadyl which we have been giving him faithfully but its still hard for him to walk he can barely get up..

I read other posts and lots of information saying you could give a dog glucosamine and chondroitin. We have some at the house its 750 mg of glucosamine and 600mg of Chondroitin per pill… my dog is 50 pounds and is a Shar- Pei. how much of this pill can i give him per day?

This is a human pill is that ok? i read on other pages and it said it was fine.. but i need some opinoins.
How long will it take to get him back to normal?
Should i double dose him and then start cutting back as time goes on?
Please help

Best answer:

Answer by Reece Braveheart Aussies
Look for a dog hip supplement, feed a senior diet that has it in it. Zukes Hip Action is a wonderful meaty treat for dogs hips and it works great.

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Question by ahotrodmama: Holiday, vets answering service wont answer questions. Dog is in pain, what can we do?
Not an injury. She has Cushings disease. she is 14 years old, arthritis, etc. right now, she is vomiting, crying (whimpering), won’t eat, but still drinking water.

Best answer:

Answer by cordeliabrainiac
Call the vet answering service back….they should have an emergency vet they use as a back up. If they don’t, look in your phone book for one.

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Question by BCP: Questions about dog allergys…?
Our chow mix Nikki is about 10-11 years old (adopted so we don’t know). We have had her since she was about 1.5. She was a healthy dog up until recently and she started showing her age through arthritis and new skin problems (getting hot spots, she never had before.)

A few months ago she started itching terribly. We made sure she was up to date on flea meds so when she continued itching we suspected allergies. We took her to the vet and they said the same thing.

He told us to give her benedryl-it isn’t working.

Right now, we are on vacation and she is with us but we are not near home. Is there anything we can get to put on her (no petsmart around, only walmart) to help ease the itching sensation?

Also, how much are allergy shots or pills generally at the vet and how often do they have to get them? I will surely be taking her to the vet when we get back home but mom says the allergy treatment is very expensive…

Best answer:

Answer by Michelle W
I have the same problem with my two female pekingese only they’ve had allergies since they were born. My mom and I were looking online try to find ways to relieve them from the itching and it said that you can put a cool cloth over the hot spots and it should give them some relief. I have not yet tried it, but it’s something you can try that wont cost you anything.

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Question by laura: questions to those with dogs with arthritis (i have a husky)?
hi
scrappy (picture) turned 4 in Aug.
when I’ve put him outside the last couple of weeks his back legs start to shake
i bring him back in cause he looks like he is cold.
well i talked to my vet and she said it could be the start of it or he could just be a baby.and if i want medicine to let her know.

now he is a big baby but last yr he was fine but he was in a fence with his brother and sis. we had to move so right now they don’t get to play and are on chains till we get a fence.
today i put him out and all of him was shaking so he is next to me right now.
so what are signs to look for? anything else????
thanks
he is used to being on the chain i did that when he was a puppy
i go out to see him and always check on him
they are fine for getting to play thats not the problem

Best answer:

Answer by Bozema
One thing you might consider is that chaining dogs can make them quite fearful. Other animals, dogs and people can approach them but they can’t get away. The US Center for Disease Control did a study of dog bites and found that the leading factors related to bites were unneutered males and chaining dogs (which resulted in fear biting). He might be afraid being chained in a new environment. My advice is to get that fence up soon or make other arrangements to confine him.

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Question by Julie D.: OK guys, I never ask any stupid questions, so here goes?
Since I know there are sooooo many stupid questions here everyday, I thought I’d join in. Keep in mind, this question is ONLY to lighten things up a bit and to see what kind of off the wall answers happen to come in. (I think I’m allowed to troll ONCE in 3 years, right?….and most of you should know that I’m NOT a troll) OK folks……What would I get if I decided to bread my NUDERED female ENGLISH Bulldog with Hip Dysplasia, to my male SPADE Cavalier King Lhasa poo? Ready, set, GO-and be creative!

Just in case….What tool do you use to do your dog’s nails?
Add: Lucy….ya think? Really?
Add: Jerome, I think there are a couple of things you didn’t pick up on.
Add: You guys are great. I think my computer is about to blow up! Launi…..started drinkin a little early today? jk

Best answer:

Answer by Clo Clo
you would get frog guts!

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Question by shrimp face: Are these good questions to ask a dog breeder whom I may buy a Miniature Pinscer from?
These are the questions I have so far. I am thinking of buying a Miniature Pinscer from them, so I have set up a list of questions to ask them. Do you know if I am missing anything?

~ Why did you choose that dam and that sire to breed? What are you trying to accomplish with this litter?

~ What attributes do those dogs have that you’re looking to perpetuate in your breeding program?

~ Does this breed have any hip issues like hip dysplasia, and if so have you tested for it?

~ Have their eyes been tested? I don’t see the dogs listed on the CERF site

~ Do you have any titles for these dogs like championships, show brags, etc?

~ How many litters do you produce a year?

~ When we visit, are we allowed to view the mother as well?

~ Are the parents pedigrees available?

~ Do you have any available references?

~ Will we be given the Vaccination/deworming record if/when purchase a pup
I keep typing Pinscher wrong! Ugh!

And for the eye question, I didn’t see their bitch or dam listed for being tested for their eyes so I am going to ask why they haven’t been tested..
Kk I will remove that question. I know that Pinschers are prone to Epilepsy, Thyroid problems, Heart Defects etc but im not sure what is tested for and what isn’t in the dog world.
——————————————–
Heres my updated list of questions:

~ Why did you choose that dam and that sire to breed? What are you trying to accomplish with this litter?

~ What attributes do those dogs have that you’re looking to perpetuate in your breeding program?

~ How old is the sire & dam? (Luna x Hamish)

At what age did their genetic screening take place?

~ Have their eyes been tested? I don’t see the dogs listed on the CERF site

~ Have they been tested for thyroid, knees, and elbows, maybe even hip conditions?

~ Do you have any titles for these dogs like championships, show brags, etc?

~ How many litters do you produce a year?

~ When we visit, are we allowed to view the mother as well?

~ Are the parents pedigrees available?

~ Do you have any available references?

~ Will we be given the Vaccination/deworming record if/when purchase a pup?

Best answer:

Answer by Alarmed Munchkin
Along with hips (not a huge issue in Min Pins), ask about thyroid, knees, and elbows as well.

How old are the sire and dam? At what age did their genetic screening take place? Anything before 24 months is too soon.

Don’t forget about what type of guarantee they have. Will they take the puppy back at any time if it doesn’t work out? Do they have a spay/neuter contract to go home with any pet quality pups?

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Question by Dustin: What kind of questions should I ask a Golden retriever breeder before I buy? How young should they let them go
How can I be sure that the dog will not get hip dysplasia? Does it run in the dogs family? Is there some kind of certification?

My mother paid 1000 dollars for her golden and was told that hip dysplasia did not run in the dogs family. It now has hip dysplasia, the lady she bought it from told her that she could have a refund but she had to return the dog. Problem is the dog had been with her almost a year before we found out and we are to attached to let go . How can I avoid problems like this?

Best answer:

Answer by judithia
Why go to a breeder and pay thousands of dollars?? Go to www.petfinder.com and see how many beautiful Goldens you find that desperately want loving homes. Then go and bring home your new best friend…and please DO spay or neuter!! Good luck!!

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He has been to the vet, just to be clear on that. I plan on asking her all of these questions are more with his follow-up, but I would like advice from owners with experience on hip dysplasia.

I just found out that my 14 month old beagle x basset mix has hip dysplasia. He doesn’t appear to be in much pain, but he favors the right hip more. He has also mastered the art of three legged running. I am well aware that this condition will deteriorate with age, though.
I need advice on what I can do to help him lead a normal pain free life, what type of exercise is best for him and what joint support could be right for him?
He and my other dog are currently on Drs. Foster and Smith joint care level 1 for support of healthy joints. I plan on leaving my other dog on level 1, but should I switch him up to level three? What other joint support options would be right for him?
Tarson:
I did not BUY my dog. He is a rescue. I would never in a million years think of returning him because something like this came up. I was will aware of the possibilty of bad joints and hips when I rescued him.
My boy is very fit. I made sure of keeping him that way since the day he came to us. He has a well balanced diet and gets plently of exercise. (He is running up and down the hallway and in and out of the door chasing ice cubes as I type this).

My vet is very experienced with bassets and dogs with long back/bad joints. She is also well educated in orthopedics, so I don’t really doubt her diagnoses. He will continue to go back once a month for x-rays and check ups.
It isn’t his right hip, it’s his left. lol. I meant to say his right is fine.

Anyway, it isn’t bad. The stiffness wears off after awhile and it doesn’t radiate and it wasn’t suddenly onset like it would be with panosteitis, which was also a possibility brought up by my vet. he is also never reluctant to run and play, I’m guessing that is the beagle in him.

Hi, my wife and I are going in tomorrow to talk with a surgeon about our 7mo old american pit bull terriers hip dysplasia. They said he was was a good candidate for TPO. Everyone says to make sure they are good, so what questions should I ask about their practice? I want to be completely informed to make a good decision. I’m new to this whole thing and I want my dog healthy and to keep me from going into the poor house. Thank you!!!!

At our annual visit, I was discussing some behavior changes in my 6-year old Rottweiler recently. The vet thinks she has Hip Dysplasia and gave me a weeks worth of medicine to see if I notice a difference in behavior so that we can rule out environmental factors. Its been 24 hours and she seems MUCH better so I am assuming he is right and that she will need x-rays to confirm it.

Can you share your experiences with Hip Dysplasia? How long was your dog comfortable? What treatment options did you choose? How old was your dog? What breed? Any suggestions of things I can do to help my dog?

Please don’t post links. I have already read stuff on google and literature from the vet and I am looking for personal experiences.
The vet did give me Rimadyl and I have heard that it can have a lot of side-effects. I will ask my vet about it if he wants to keep her on it long-term, but I don’t mind using it for a weeks trial.

I will look into Glucosamine Chrondroitin too.

I don’t plan on doing any operations. The vet almost lost her doing her spay six months ago (Shelter Rescue with a required spay), and I don’t want to lose her in another surgery!
I am probably going to get one of those orthopedic pads for her kennel (she prefers to sleep in it–her previous owner must have kennel trained her) and then put her fleece mat on top of that to make her more comfortable. Its in a warm place (my room).
Regarding Rimadyl: I have an AMAZING vet who I trust with all three of my dogs on a regular basis. He is very well-educated and attends regular classes at Purdue University to keep updated on new information.

I am sure that he is well-aware of the safest way to treat my dog and that he has animal’s best interests in mind (as I’ve seen it!) rather than making money or winning a trip!