Achey butt

My friends dog is a lab mix and has stiff joints and pain in her back legs which seems to radiate up her back. I am a retired massage therapist and I massage her hips whenever I go over to visit her. Is there any supplements or herbal remedies to help ease the pain, allow her better sleep , and more mobility ? Any suggestions would be helpful .

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

It is kind of you to help with massage!

There are many holistic and non-holistic remedies for degenerative joint disease.  If she is healthy and her blood work shows no liver or kidney disease then I would recommend a combination of Traditional therapy and holistic therapies.  

Alternative medicine and neutraceuticals help the body to help itself but will take several weeks to 2 months to become effective, therefore it would be best to provide immediate relief from pain.  Have her veterinarian place her on a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory such as Rimadyl and a pain medicine such as Tramadol initially.  These could be decreased as the holistic therapies become effective.

Alternative therapies for arthritis include acupuncture, laser therapy, chiropractic, physical therapy, stem cell therapy and others.  

Over the counter neutraceuticals include:  
1.  Glucosamine and Chondroitin, combined with other nutrients such as MSM, boswelia, and cats claw. The Pure Encapsulation Company makes a great joint supplement called Disc-Flex.

2.  Omega 3 Fatty Acid

There are also numerous Chinese Herbal formulas for joint mobility and health including:
Body Sore, Hindquarter Weakness, Di Gu Pi, Coix Formula, Sang Zhi San, Loranthus combination, Dok’s formula, Cervical Formula and many many others.  

Chinese herbal formulas can be a life saver if prescribed correctly.  Your best option would be to find a veterinarian in your area who is board certified in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to perform acupuncture and prescribe the correct herbal medicine for the patient.