Arthritis in a Newfie.

Dr. Marie replied:

I love Newfies, but they certainly can get arthritis as they get older.

Your vet will do a good thorough exam and hopefully be able to determine if there are any likely joint problems. They will likely extend the hips and see if there is any pain and also feel the stifles (knees) and elbows. Ideally, to determine if there is arthritis, some xrays would be a good idea.

Any time I have a ten year old dog that is not eating well I recommend doing blood work. It is also possible that there is something else going on such as a problem with the liver or kidneys.

If the bloodwork is normal then your vet will likely talk to you about an arthritis medication such as Metacam, Rimadyl, or Deramaxx.

Sometimes a glucosamine supplement such as Cosequin is helpful as well. But, I do find that glucosamine doesn't work as well as the anti-inflammatories. Often it is good to give it along with the other medications.

I hope all is well!

Dr. Marie.

Related: Can you give a dog Advil?


---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---



Warning: Undefined variable $displayed in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/answer_np.php on line 253
Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

---

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.