Arthritis Resource-Dogs - Northland Veterinary Services

ARTHRITIS RESOURCE SHEET

Canine Specific

Arthritis is a general term that simply means joint inflammation. It’s a common problem for dogs. Arthritis is one of the most common sources of chronic pain treated by veterinarians. Often resulting from elbow or hip dysplasia, this painful joint disease can also be a result of the normal aging process, or due to accident and injury.

Nutritional Supplements: Can all be used safely in any combination because they are not considered a drug, there is no FDA monitoring of active ingredient quality. Therefore we recommend using the products we carry here that have a guaranteed analysis or the more expensive name brands for the first 8 weeks to better help evaluate effectiveness. Start with one and usually add one at a time every 6 weeks to see how effective they are.

Glucosamine/Chondroitin: Non-prescription Nutritional Supplement
Dosage: 500mg Glucosamine/400mg Chondroitin
25lbs or less - ½ tablet per day
25-50lbs - 1 tablet per day
50-100lbs - 2 tablets per day.
We recommend Phycox-JS, Cosequin and Dasuquin.
T-Relief (Green Label):
T-Relief tablets are a homeopathic product for relief from joint pain. With all natural ingredients, T-Relief is a safe and reliable alternative to NSAIDs. Give 1 to 3 tablets by mouth once to three times daily.

NSAID: (Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs)

e.g. Aspirin, Rimadyl®, Deramaxx®, Metacam®

YOUR PET SHOULD USE ONLY ONE NSAID TYPE AT ANY TIME.
*Do NOT give Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Ibuprofen to your pet. They can be highly toxic!

Buffered Aspirin: Non-prescription:
Dosage:
Less than 10lbs - 1 baby aspirin (81mg) twice daily
10-25lbs - ½ tablet (325mg) twice daily
25-50lbs - 1 tablet (325mg) twice daily
50-100lbs - 1 ½ tablets (325mg) twice daily
Over 100lbs - 2 tablets (325mg) twice daily

e.g. Bayer, Ascripton

Helps reduce pain and inflammation. Side effects: Upset stomach and blood thinning.

Rimadyl®, Deramaxx®, Metacam®: Prescription
Rimadyl, Deramaxx and Metacam are non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs. Rimadyl has already helped manage pain and inflammation for hundreds of thousands of dogs with arthritis.
Side Effects: Rare possibility of kidney and liver failure. Annual bloodwork is required with a pet on Rimadyl, Deramaxx or Metacam.
Librela Injection: Librela is a monoclonal antibody designed to recognize and attach to a protein produced in your dog’s body called nerve growth factor (NGF). Once attached, it prevents NGF from attaching to its receptors (targets) on nerve cells and interrupts the transmission of pain signals. It also helps decrease inflammation.

Prescription Diets:

J/D works differently than any other food that says “supports joint health” on the label. Those diets have subtherapeutic doses of glucosamine in them. The unique formulation of J/D pumps natural pain relief into the joints and is only scientifically proven supplement to actually reverse the arthritic changes in the joint.