Aa
Dog arthritis
Our Rotty Dolly has been seen numerous times by our vet for her arthritis pain. She exhibits signs of lameness and trouble getting up but mostly she will be lying quiet and yelp out in pain like she got a spasm or something. He believes its arthritis and has been giving her pain shots for it. Those shots really affect her kidneys and she loses all control of her urine. She's been incontinent for 4 yrs. now and we keep her in diapers. Lately it seems the pain shots aren't helping at all and while she has good and bad days we hate hearing her yelp in pain and hope to find some remedy. Any suggestions would be helpful. I have her on Cosequin DS and 200mg aspirin a day.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Arthritis
I am sorry to hear Rotti is having issues with pain. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for big breed dogs, like Rottweilers, to develop arthritis as they age.
Degenerative joint disease is a progressive disease that causes pain. The pain results from the stimulation of pain receptors in the joint, muscle, ligaments and tendons. Over time, the cartilage breaks down resulting in cartilage loss.
The trick, as you are finding out, is to find the right treatment regimen to keep your girl comfortable. One diagnostic test, that you did not mention, would be to radiograph the areas with the suspected arthritis to evaluate severity of the changes. This may identify secondary causes of arthritis. Secondary causes of arthritis include normal wear and tear, joint incongruity, past trauma or abnormal development of joints or bone. Other possible causes of pain associated with the skeletal system include cancerous processes, infections, and immune related diseases.
In addition to radiographs, routine blood work periodically is recommended to assess the kidneys and liver while using medications to address pain. You and your veterinarian can discuss these tests and determine what the best course of action would be.
Cosequin DS is a great nutriceutical that offers joint support. This product helps reduce the free radicals circulating in the joint that contribute to joint pain. Aspirin is a non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) that can help with joint pain. Today, there are numerous COX-2 selective NSAIDs on the market that have markedly improved pets pain with arthritis. These products include Rimadyl, Deramaxx, Previcox, and Metacam. These products are used once daily. Before switching to any of these products, it is important to stop the aspirin and allow it to clear your pet’s system. Your veterinarian can discuss with you further.
I am unsure of the “shot” your veterinarian is using. However, based on the increase urine issues, it may be a steroid. Again, we do not recommend using a steroid with any of the NSAIDs.
Finally, in some circumstance, other options available may include surgery, acupuncture, chiropractor, pet message therapist and/or physical therapy. Discuss with your veterinarian to see if acupuncture, a pet chiropractor, pet message therapist or physical therapy are available in your area.
As you can see, there are options available to alter the treatment course that you are currently on. It is important that you discuss your concerns with your veterinarian and see what the next therapeutic regimen might be to try to alleviate the pain and discomfort.
I am sorry to hear Rotti is having issues with pain. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for big breed dogs, like Rottweilers, to develop arthritis as they age.
Degenerative joint disease is a progressive disease that causes pain. The pain results from the stimulation of pain receptors in the joint, muscle, ligaments and tendons. Over time, the cartilage breaks down resulting in cartilage loss.
The trick, as you are finding out, is to find the right treatment regimen to keep your girl comfortable. One diagnostic test, that you did not mention, would be to radiograph the areas with the suspected arthritis to evaluate severity of the changes. This may identify secondary causes of arthritis. Secondary causes of arthritis include normal wear and tear, joint incongruity, past trauma or abnormal development of joints or bone. Other possible causes of pain associated with the skeletal system include cancerous processes, infections, and immune related diseases.
In addition to radiographs, routine blood work periodically is recommended to assess the kidneys and liver while using medications to address pain. You and your veterinarian can discuss these tests and determine what the best course of action would be.
Cosequin DS is a great nutriceutical that offers joint support. This product helps reduce the free radicals circulating in the joint that contribute to joint pain. Aspirin is a non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) that can help with joint pain. Today, there are numerous COX-2 selective NSAIDs on the market that have markedly improved pets pain with arthritis. These products include Rimadyl, Deramaxx, Previcox, and Metacam. These products are used once daily. Before switching to any of these products, it is important to stop the aspirin and allow it to clear your pet’s system. Your veterinarian can discuss with you further.
I am unsure of the “shot” your veterinarian is using. However, based on the increase urine issues, it may be a steroid. Again, we do not recommend using a steroid with any of the NSAIDs.
Finally, in some circumstance, other options available may include surgery, acupuncture, chiropractor, pet message therapist and/or physical therapy. Discuss with your veterinarian to see if acupuncture, a pet chiropractor, pet message therapist or physical therapy are available in your area.
As you can see, there are options available to alter the treatment course that you are currently on. It is important that you discuss your concerns with your veterinarian and see what the next therapeutic regimen might be to try to alleviate the pain and discomfort.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello
I agree with all of the above comments. I think blood and urine tests would be very helpful to determined the status of your dog internally. I would not recommend using aspirin as it can cause stomach ulcers and internal bleeding. My guess is that the shots may be steroids and the urine leekage may or may not be related. Older spayed female dogs often become incontinent and leek urine because they are low in the hormone called estrogen as a result of being spayed. There are several products available that remedy this "leekage"easily which your vet should be able to provide for you. What does your dog weigh? Arthritis and its related pain are greatly improved by keeping your dog lean and eliminating any excess body weight. To check this you should be able to run your hands along either side of her ribs and easily feel but not see each rib and she should have a "waist" or a tucked up area just in front of the area where her back legs connect to her hind end. If you can pinch more than an inch and/or she has lost her "waist" its time to think about reducing her weight. This is best accomplished by working with your vet and feeding ideally 6 small multiple meals daily, you would take her daily ration and divide it up in to 6 portions or whatever works for your personal schedule. Treats of protein and/or veggeis are healthy and low in calories. The Cosequin DS is fine and there are other natural supplements available that would also be very helpful for her and would be used in conjunction with the Cosequin DS.
Thank you
Dr Carol Osborne, DVM
I agree with all of the above comments. I think blood and urine tests would be very helpful to determined the status of your dog internally. I would not recommend using aspirin as it can cause stomach ulcers and internal bleeding. My guess is that the shots may be steroids and the urine leekage may or may not be related. Older spayed female dogs often become incontinent and leek urine because they are low in the hormone called estrogen as a result of being spayed. There are several products available that remedy this "leekage"easily which your vet should be able to provide for you. What does your dog weigh? Arthritis and its related pain are greatly improved by keeping your dog lean and eliminating any excess body weight. To check this you should be able to run your hands along either side of her ribs and easily feel but not see each rib and she should have a "waist" or a tucked up area just in front of the area where her back legs connect to her hind end. If you can pinch more than an inch and/or she has lost her "waist" its time to think about reducing her weight. This is best accomplished by working with your vet and feeding ideally 6 small multiple meals daily, you would take her daily ration and divide it up in to 6 portions or whatever works for your personal schedule. Treats of protein and/or veggeis are healthy and low in calories. The Cosequin DS is fine and there are other natural supplements available that would also be very helpful for her and would be used in conjunction with the Cosequin DS.
Thank you
Dr Carol Osborne, DVM
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