# Beginning of Arthritis



## myshepharley (Feb 11, 2011)

So Harley had been limping alittle the other week. Then the other day I noticed this brownish circle on his back paw. Took him to vet last night, said the brown mark was just a skin irritation that should heal on its own. He checked him out real good and said everything looks and sounds good but he does believe that he is starting with arthritis. Harley will be 9 in May. He said to keep him on the glucosamine and add an aspirin everyday as long as his stomach can handle it. He weighed in at 96.4 lbs, vet said he has a great build and looks good. Does anyone else give an aspirin daily?
Or have any suggestions


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

My senior had surgery right before I sdopted her 10 yrs ago. She has arthritis in that area. I do not give aspirin or joint supplements--they recommended fish oil over glucosamine supplements. She gets chicken feet for natural glucosamine and Tumeric for the joint(which works very well). She gets fish in her diet about 3 times a week. She started getting more stiff about a month ago, so I have started swimming her once a week. The swimming has done wonders.


----------



## myshepharley (Feb 11, 2011)

llombardo said:


> My senior had surgery right before I sdopted her 10 yrs ago. She has arthritis in that area. I do not give aspirin or joint supplements--they recommended fish oil over glucosamine supplements. She gets chicken feet for natural glucosamine and Tumeric for the joint(which works very well). She gets fish in her diet about 3 times a week. She started getting more stiff about a month ago, so I have started swimming her once a week. The swimming has done wonders.


During summer, Harley loves to swim. How much fish oil do you give?


----------



## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Sorry to hear about your dog.

Did the vet tell you the dosage? It sounds like he is being a bit caviler about giving a dog aspirin!

Info:
"the general recommended dosage of *aspirin for dogs is around 5-10mg for every 1lb of your dog’s body weight,* given once every 12 hours. Again, *you must calculate the exact dosage your dog needs based on their weight,* because dogs of different size and weights could require very different aspirin dosages. 
Let your veterinarian take care of calculating this part, as *any mistakes in giving your dog an overdose of aspirin will put them at serious risk of damaging their organs."*


"*Aspirin should not be given to dogs which suffer from the following conditions: Arthritis – because when used for long periods of time, aspirin will damage your dog’s cartilage and make their arthritis problem much more complicated than it already is. 

*Do not give it to your dog for more than 5 days in a row without the permission of your veterinarian or an animal care professional, as un-monitored long term consumption of aspirin in dogs can lead to very negative repercussions."

There are natural herbals like the Tumeric (llomabardo mentioned) and many other herbals that would be a MUCH better choice! FYI: Tumeric is also called Curcumin (Curcuma Longa).

These are two that I am using right now (among others that I rotate with)....one in the morning and one at nite:
*Zyflamend* (human anti-inflammatory): [ame]http://www.amazon.com/New-Chapter-Zyflamend-Wholebody-Turmeric/dp/B0009F3RW4/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1452776502&sr=1-1&keywords=zyflamend[/ame] 

*Canine "Activ"*: Info: Canine Activ ? Safe alternative to ibuprofen & NSAIDs 
To Purchase: Amazon.com : CanineActiv Large/Giant Breed Bottle of 90 Capsules (300 mg) Safe, Non-Toxic Pain Relief : Pet Supplies 

Moms


----------



## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

I really noticed a difference with my senior after starting eggshell membranes. There are a couple threads on the forum about them.


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

myshepharley said:


> During summer, Harley loves to swim. How much fish oil do you give?


She is raw fed so she gets whole fish--salmon, herring and we are getting some smelt today. 

I take her swimming to an indoor pool. The water is like 90 degrees, it's for rehab purposes. She goes with Robyn, my GSD recovering from an FHO.


----------



## myshepharley (Feb 11, 2011)

Momto2GSDs said:


> Sorry to hear about your dog.
> 
> Did the vet tell you the dosage? It sounds like he is being a bit caviler about giving a dog aspirin!
> 
> ...


How is the Tumeric given? And how often?


----------



## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

myshepharley said:


> How is the Tumeric given? And how often?


1/8 to a 1/4 teaspoon per day, for every 10lbs of dog weight. Make sure your pet has lots of water to ensure that they don’t get constipated.You can feed the powder, which is most commonly available, or crushed or fresh root. Sprinkle it right on top of your pet’s food and mix or, if you home cook, you can add it to the recipe. *Quality varies* and if you are buying turmeric in a local supermarket, it may be grown using nasty pesticides and herbicides. This lowers the potency. If possible,* try to get high quality, organic turmeric.* Be sure to store it in a tightly sealed container, kept in a cool, dark and dry place. Turmeric For Dogs - Dogs Naturally Magazine 



BTW: if you should decide to use the aspirin, note that it comes in different potency's from different brands, so it must be measured. 

Buffered aspirin (coated with an antacid) should always be used for dogs. "Enteric" coated aspirin prevents absorption.



Moms


----------



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Tumeric is a blood thinner too, so if any surgeries o anything need to be done the vet needs to know. I stop using it about a week before. And it can stain things orange , not easy to get out. I get mine fresh from the Indian store. You can make Tumeric golden paste which includes coconut oil.


----------



## MickyReese2007 (Mar 7, 2016)

*Our regimen for our dogs*

I've been hearing more and more about both turmeric and egg shells. I'm going to check them both out.

We don't have any problems right now, (with the exception of actually spending money to buy joint supplements).

The one we use has EFAs and Boswellia, which I've read up on. It works as a natural anti-inflammatory. We buy a tub of 720 tablets which last us a couple of months. Our GSD and Pit Bull use up the majority, with our Pug taking only a tablet.

It's called Osteo-Pet Total Joint Care and we've been using it for 4 years. Works well; No issues.

I looked up Egg Shell Membrane and found this from the National Center for Biotechnology Information:
Natural Eggshell Membrane (NEM®) is a novel dietary supplement that contains naturally occurring glycosaminoglycans and proteins essential for maintaining healthy joint and connective tissues.

Thanks,
Micky


----------



## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

MickyReese2007 said:


> I've been hearing more and more about both turmeric and egg shells. I'm going to check them both out.
> 
> We don't have any problems right now, (with the exception of actually spending money to buy joint supplements).
> 
> ...


Hi Micky,
"Pet product supplements" are one of the least "tested" in the US.
I didn't find anything on Osteo-Pets site lists what testing has been done for the quality and purity of their ingredients.

"Made In The USA" does not mean that the ingredients they are using were SOURCED from the USA, and that is even a "grey" area b/c they can purchase items from a US supplier and therefore "say" it's from the US when most of the ingredients come from China. While a lot of our supplement ingredients do come from China, they need to have testing procedures in place.

Here are 2 tested products.
*K9 Level 5000* Glucosamine Chondroitin For Dogs K9 Joint Supplements
*NuJoint Plus*: http://www.nuvet.com/products.html?sectionid=18

Moms


----------

