arthritis in 17 year old dog

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I am sorry to hear that buddy is having problems. 17 is quite old for any dog.

I really do think it may be worthwhile to have your vet prescribe some antiinflammatory medication. Aspirin has some effect but we have drugs that work much better. Also, aspirin can be hard on the kidneys and stomach as well.

Unfortunately though, your vet will not be able to prescribe medications without examining Buddy.

Your vet may prescribe Metacam, Rimadyl, Previcox or Deramaxx all of which are really good for arthritis. Additionally they may advise some injections called either Cartrophen or Adequan which also really help with the health of her joints. In really severe cases I sometimes also add a medication called Tramadol, but your vet will likely try other medicines first.

At this point we really need to do *something*. It doesn't seem fair to leave her the way she is. What I would likely be advising if I was your vet is to try two weeks of some good anti-inflammatories and then see how she is doing. If she is still having serious mobility issues then I would agree that her quality of life is not good.

One other thought...you could talk to your vet about a surgical procedure called hip denervation. Dogs handle this surgery extremely well. What it does is remove the nerve endings in the hip so that there is no pain. For most dogs the recovery time is really quick. However, it can be a little pricey.

I really hope she does ok.

Dr. Marie.


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Dr. Marie replied:

Thanks for the update Teri. Yes, the crossing of the back legs tells us that there is some nerve damage in the spine. Hopefully the prednisone will help with inflammation in the spine and give her a better quality of life!

Dr. Marie.