Dogs and arthritis

[MortgageQueen]

I thought I'd start a thread on this subject because it seems inevitable all dogs get it, unless they die prematurely.

I have had 3 dogs live out their lives to old age and currently have a Lab/Rottie mix who is 10 yrs. old. I started her on glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM a year ago when she had next to no symptoms. but now I notice she limps noticeably after playing or walks.
This is new to me because all my other dogs did very well on just the glucosamine blends. They lived to 15 and 16 yrs old.

My Lab/rottie, Nika is in otherwise very good health with a black coat that shines like a mirror. I also make my own food for the "kids"
So after doing some research, I decided to try something called Astaxanthin
Apparently it has very good results in dogs for arthritis. Has anyone else tried it?? It also is excellent for skin, eyes, and heart. So I thought I'd get a bang for my buck. I'm going to try it myself too. I told Nika she has to share.

Please post your successes and failures with this problem and we can learn from each other.

[miztia]

My Shepherd is on glucosamine pills in addition to what is in her food, but I had heard there are 2 types of pills. (One expensive, the other not so much)
We started her on this when she was young as she has never wanted to jump, even into the car, and she runs with both her back legs together. I think that is more of a knee problem than arthritis though, hard to tell. Ive always had to lift her ass end into the car.
Now that she is almost 9yrs, she shows signs of aches and pains after playing too much, so we keep her from laying in the cold snow, garage floor and cement porch, and take her for short 10 minute walks at a time to loosen her up. We only throw the frisbee maybe 3 or 4 times a day now, and the rest is tossing her toys around inside the house or playing "footsie". With the low key exercise she does great and it seems like she is more pain free than she has been.
My last shepherd lived until 12 and had no joint or hip problems what so ever.
I will be interested at hearing how the Astaxanthin works out, as well if it causes any stomach upset.

[MortgageQueen]

Good suggestions miztia. I've also read "krill oil" is very effective. . .not cheap though. The material I've been reading says to be very careful when purchasing Omega's too. The cheap stuff is from Soy (99% likely GMO) You need to get it from "wild" fish to be effective.

[Andit]

A friend of mine uses a teaspoon of powdered gelatin sprinkled over her pup's food in lieu of glucosamine tablets (essentially the same thing, only much much cheaper). Her standard Poodle was still bouncing around like a puppy at 13 (until she lost her to cancer ).

I started Lily on this recently, as she'll be 10 in the summer and is starting to show signs of slowing down (she no longer tries to clear park benches and give me a heart attack ). No changes yet, although it could just be that my crazy girl is finally starting to act like an adult rather than a juvenile delinquent.

[Sunshyne1]

I I started her on glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM a year ago when she had next to no symptoms. but now I notice she limps noticeably after playing or walks.

Are you giving her enough? What is her weight?

GLUCOSAMINE:
Glucosamine (and glucosamine in combination with chondroitin sulfate) is used to treat joint pain associated with arthritis. This is a long term treatment and its effects may not be immediately noticeable.

Glucosamine Dosage total per day
Dogs		Cats
weight	amount
under 25 lbs	500 milligrams	500 milligrams
25-50 lbs	1000 milligrams
over 50 lbs	1500 milligrams

check the mg break down on the bottle.
Here's a great article explaining how it helps:
http://www.peteducation.com/article....2+1448&aid=670

Don't forget, each dog is different and it may be that your dog is processing the glucosamine differently than your previous dogs.
Tucker couldn't take the pills...they gave him the runs so I had to switch to gel caps with a liquid inside and he's fine on those.
Go figure. I only give human grade...I don't buy into the pet products. Most are too low in glucosamine to have any effect.

I was originally told(not by my vet) that this product was incredible!
http://www.biologicvet.net/products/biojoint/

but when you take a close look at the ingredients:

PRODUCT FACTS
Active Ingredients per scoop (5 g)

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)	200 mg
Glucosamine Sulfate 2KCl (Shrimp Shell)	150 mg
Chondroitin Sulfate (Bovine Trachea)	80 mg
Bromelain	144 GDU
Glucosamine Hydrochloride (Shrimp Shell)	50 mg
Boswellia serrata Extract (Standardized to 65% Boswellic Acid)	50 mg
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Ascorbate)	95 mg
Grape Seed Extract (Vitis vinifera) (Standardized to 95% Proanthocyanidins)	10 mg
Manganese (Manganese Citrate)	0.5 mg
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)	30 IU

There is only 200 mg's of Glucosamine per scoop! For a dog Tuckers size they have that he should get 4 scoops a day..that's only 800 mg's of Glucosamine! Definately not enough...Tucker (80lbs) needs 1500 mg's of glucosamine per day.
of course I figured all this out AFTER I had spent alot of money purchasing that product over a year ($26 a container which lasted maybe a month and a half so well over $200)

so definately check the labels on any supplements you purchase in a pet store. Sometimes just sticking with human grade products is best.

[MortgageQueen]

Totally agree Sunshyne. I never use pet food or pet meds. from stores. . .only human. She gets 1000 mgs. and she's 90 lbs (lean) I guess I gave my other dogs less than that and they did fine, so I figured it was enough. You're right though. I should probably try a higher dosage to see if it improves

[Sunshyne1]

give it a shot....my vet said since some dogs process the glucosamine differently, some aren't getting the benefits of the product because it's expelled before it has a chance to do any good. So it could be that your girl is processing it quicker than she is absorbing it.

Tucker is about the same size (80lbs lean) and he's on 1500mg's a day. And although i do catch him doing the rocking horse gallop sometimes after a hard session of fetch, other than that his mobility is not compromised at all...he'll be 10 this year.

[CSLT]

We use a product called "Sasha's Blend" powder (they have treats too) which has been incredible for my dogs! It originates from Australia and is a natural arthritis treatment. You can get it through the vet, but I buy mine on Ebay directly from Australia for a way better price! It's not cheap of course, but it definitely lasts a long time and both my dogs have been on it for years and has been amazing for them!

[MortgageQueen]

We use a product called "Sasha's Blend" powder (they have treats too) which has been incredible for my dogs! It originates from Australia and is a natural arthritis treatment. You can get it through the vet, but I buy mine on Ebay directly from Australia for a way better price! It's not cheap of course, but it definitely lasts a long time and both my dogs have been on it for years and has been amazing for them!

Cool Tip CSLT! Thanks! DO you know what's in it??

[CSLT]

We use a product called "Sasha's Blend" powder (they have treats too) which has been incredible for my dogs! It originates from Australia and is a natural arthritis treatment. You can get it through the vet, but I buy mine on Ebay directly from Australia for a way better price! It's not cheap of course, but it definitely lasts a long time and both my dogs have been on it for years and has been amazing for them!

Cool Tip CSLT! Thanks! DO you know what's in it??

Green lipped mussel, abalone, and marine cartilage

[MortgageQueen]

That's so interesting as I've personally (as in I take for my own arthritis) a non-denatured chicken cartilage which is not available in Canada. It's made a pretty big improvement for me but what's more the Astaxanthin that my big old girl Nika have been taking is derived from ALGAE.
I am happy to report I have indeed seen a significant improvement in her mobility. When I say significant, I'm not kidding! I only give her 1 pill every other day and she hardly limps at all after a vigorous play with her 1 yr old "brother" . . .a wiley Jack Russell. Considering she's close to 100 lbs and 10 yrs old, plus her history of severe limoing after playtime. .. . . I'm very pleased!! The brand I used was Dr, Mercola, but it's the only one I've tried. I'm sure there's other good ones out there.