# ester-c



## squerly (Aug 3, 2008)

I've read a bunch about ester c and I'm thinking about trying it out on Shep, our 3.5 year old Shepherd. But... I don't understand why my vet has never mentioned it. Currently she (the vet) has given him Previcox (227mg tablets) and yesterday she gave us some B-Tramadol (50mg tabs) to be used in conjunction. 

The drugs work OK, but I'm worried about the long term effects on his liver. Do you think she's overlooking its benefits because ester-c is inexpensive and the prescription drugs are making them so much money? Or is all the excitement about ester-c just hype?


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

The hype is just that: hype. If you want to add the ester-C, but chances are you won't see any difference. It can't hurt unless your dog is prone to certain bladder stones.

What's wrong with your dog that he needs pain meds at such a young age?


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## Marissa (Dec 31, 2009)

Im guessing this is for panosteitis? Anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) combined with a stronger pain medication (Tramadol) usually works well together. Tramadol is kind of pointless in my opinion without the NSAID though. I have never had experience with ester-c and dont know anyone personally that has used it ...although I am curious about it.


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## Marissa (Dec 31, 2009)

oh I didn't see that he was 3.5...not panosteitis??


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## squerly (Aug 3, 2008)

His joints (rear) aren't fit well and he suffers from arthritis. Vet didn't think he was bad enough for surgery and said he would probably be OK if we kept the weight off. 

But it doesn't look that way to us. The nights after he swims for 30 minutes he will be so sore that he has trouble getting up (from laying down). When he feels good he can jump onto our bed with no problems, but on bad days he won't even try.


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## Marissa (Dec 31, 2009)

What is his diet? Are you supplementing with anything (ex Missing Link Plus)? Which joints do you konw? Swimming is great so I would keep that up but its concerning that he is so painful from this. I would shorten the amount of time that you are doing the swimming for. Maybe start with 10 minutes and see how he does..less if he is still painful, then gradually work up how long you do this for. Do you have a physical therapist in your area? They have special whirlpools that help with problems with this. I can look into ester-C a little more and see what I find. I understand the concern with long term NSAID therapy though since this is something he wont grow out of!


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## squerly (Aug 3, 2008)

Marissa said:


> What is his diet? Are you supplementing with anything (ex Missing Link Plus)? Which joints do you konw?


Don't remember what he got when he was a puppy but he's been getting Royal Cannin every siince he reached adulthood. We just started moving him to Buffalo Blue today as it apears to be the food of choice with so many on this board. 

No, we haven't been giving him any supplements but today we bought some of the ester c tabs to see if they helped. Is there something better that you would suggest?


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Elaine said:


> The hype is just that: hype. If you want to add the ester-C, but chances are you won't see any difference. It can't hurt unless your dog is prone to certain bladder stones.
> 
> What's wrong with your dog that he needs pain meds at such a young age?


*It is absolutely not hype*. My dog has serious joint problems and Ester C has made a huge difference for him. I ran out of it one summer at the cottage and he got much stiffer. 

I have used it for 3 of my dogs, two of them seniors with severe arthritis and it's helped all of them. I know of at least 50 other people (many of whom are or used to be on this board) who are using it for their dogs with great results. 

Rafi gets 2250mg/day (divided across 2 meals). I buy it on line in the powder form. You need to work up to that amount slowly to be sure it doesn't cause digestive upset. 

In addition he gets a double dose of Springtime Inc's Longevity. Chama had terrible arthritis and also got Cetyl-M in addition to those two. 

Vets aren't experts in everything--they're general practioners. My vet was so impressed with my dogs' joint health that he emailed to ask what I was using for them so that he could recommend it to people whose dogs have joint problems. This weekend Rafi and I were at a party with a vet and she was so impressed with Rafi's mobility that she also asked me to send her the information about the supplements I was using.


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## Marissa (Dec 31, 2009)

I use blue buffalo on my guys and I LOVE it. I also supplement with missing link plus. It has glucosamine and chondroitin in it along with probiotics etc. I started my male on this for joint pain and was actually able to wean him off of his NSAID and tramadol. He has hip problems with what looks like a previous injury to his ischium. He was a rescue so who knows what happened. Vitamin C CAN help with inflammation so I would definetly try it especially if you already bought it. I have no experience with ester C but when I get a chance I will look into it. I would try and introduce some of these things slowly because you are kind of changing a lot all at once here. Maybe start with the food and Vitamin C. If you do missing link start with one tablespoon then two..etc until you reach the amount recommended for weight. It is high in fiber and can cause constipation. Definetly keep up with the swimming but I would decrease amount of time so that after a session he isn't anymore sore.I have read a lot of people's postings on this forum on Vitamin C and rarely read anything negative, I would definetly give it a go...


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## squerly (Aug 3, 2008)

Thank you everyone for your input. We have the e-c so we'll give it a try and I'll report back as to what we see. Thanks again!


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## Jgk2383 (Aug 5, 2009)

BowWowMeow said:


> *It is absolutely not hype*. My dog has serious joint problems and Ester C has made a huge difference for him. I ran out of it one summer at the cottage and he got much stiffer.
> 
> I have used it for 3 of my dogs, two of them seniors with severe arthritis and it's helped all of them. I know of at least 50 other people (many of whom are or used to be on this board) who are using it for their dogs with great results.
> 
> ...


 
bowwow where are you buying your ester c from? can you provide links please


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I order it from either vitacost or iherb. 

American Health Ester-C Powder -- 8 oz - Vitacost

American Health, Ester-C Powder with Citrus Bioflavonoids, 8 oz. (226.8 g) - iHerb.com


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## Jgk2383 (Aug 5, 2009)

Thanks, How do you measure it out? What should I start with 500 mg correct? Should I add it in with the nupro, salmon oil and vit e he gets?


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I give Rafi .5 tsp per meal. That is 1225mg per meal. You could start with a scant .25 tsp per meal and yes, it's fine to mix in with the other supplements. 

You don't have to use the powder but I find it a lot easier than crushing the tablets.


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## Jgk2383 (Aug 5, 2009)

Thanks


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

squerly said:


> The drugs work OK, but I'm worried about the long term effects on his liver. Do you think she's overlooking its benefits because ester-c is inexpensive and the prescription drugs are making them so much money?


When on any of the prescription drugs, I would add a liver support, such as Liver Support Factors by Biochem/Country Life.

I think that the supplements don't fit into the belief system of most vets. I can't wrap my brain around the fact that vets still tell clients that things like glucosamine and chondroitin are useless to give, when they should be the first line of defense.

I do think that some vets prefer the prescription drugs because they make money off of them, but I think more of them, just don't believe what a dramatic effect that they can make. I also think that many vets don't believe that the drugs are as dangerous in the long run as they can be. They are trained by a world with a lot of external influence, and that in turn colors how they practice. At least I think that all plays a role.


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## LARHAGE (Jul 24, 2006)

I have my older horses on Chondrotin/Glucosamine supplements, and the difference to them without is startling, there is no way anyone can say they don't work, believe me theres been times when a little penny piching occured and the sight and sound of my 22 year old creaking along at a limp is all the proof I need. I have Gavin on Missing Link Plus as an insurance policy for healthy joints.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

LARHAGE said:


> I have my older horses on Chondrotin/Glucosamine supplements, and the difference to them without is startling, there is no way anyone can say they don't work, believe me theres been times when a little penny piching occured and the sight and sound of my 22 year old creaking along at a limp is all the proof I need. I have Gavin on Missing Link Plus as an insurance policy for healthy joints.


I think the Esther-c may help but I'd also be supplementing with Glucosamine/Chondrotin. I use Nupro Joint as a supplement and it made a huge difference when I first started with an older dog.

Dog Vitamin Supplements Dog Vitamins Arthritis Dogs Treatments


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## squerly (Aug 3, 2008)

Hello All. Thought it would be beneficial to update this thread for those who may be interested. 11 weeks ago we started giving Shep (3.5 year old GSD) an 1,000mg pill in the AM and another in the evening. (total of 2,000 mg daily) We didn't see much difference the first couple of weeks, but in the weeks following we "thought" he might be showing improvement. About 6-7 weeks into the program it was clear that he was feeling better, and lately you would be hard pressed to see anything wrong with him at all. 

He's still a little slow getting up after days of had play, but believe me it's nothing compared to what he was before we started the campaign. I don't know if Ester-C will work for your dog, but it sure appears to have helped Shep.


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