Arthritis in Older Dogs

Arthritis is a degenerative condition of the joints, which involves the production of new bone under the tendons and ligaments, as well as under the edges of the joint capsule. Pressure on these little spicules of new bone produces pain. Another feature of arthritis in older animals is degradation of the cartilage (the slippery soft coating of the ends of bones) and thinning of the joint fluid so it is less like a thick jelly and more like a thin watery substance.
Usually the first signs that your dog is getting arthritis are an unwillingness to go up stairs, or jump into the car. Those motions put a dog’s entire body weight on its back legs, and since the hips are usually the first joints affected, this is what gives owners their first clue. Arthritis usually occurs in dogs with normal hips at the age of 7-9 years of age, however, if a hip is dysplastic or malformed, arthritis can occur much earlier. It is possible for other joints in the body to get arthritis as well, including the elbows, knees and shoulders. Even certain bones in the back can develop arthritis and lead to intense pain.
Fortunately we have a number of different options for controlling the pain and slowing the course of the disease.

Initial Diagnosis

Often, in an older dog, arthritis can be diagnosed through a physical examination, and a simple history. On occasion we decide that X-rays will be helpful in confirming our diagnosis, and ruling out any other causes for joint pain. X-rays are also very helpful for diagnosing arthritis of the spine and also the neck as well.
We are also discovering that Lyme disease has become very common in this area. So we now will also run a Lyme disease test (which can be done quickly and in house) to make sure the germ is not a contributing factor.

Treatment Options

Often our first drug of choice is Aspirin. We use a buffered or enteric-coated aspirin (like Bufferin or Ascriptin) because dogs have stomachs, which can be sensitive to the medication. We do NOT use Tylenol, Advil or Ibuprofen on dogs. They all can be extremely toxic to your pet’s internal organs. Aspirin alone is usually sufficient for the first year or two after the diagnosis. When aspirin alone does not work anymore we usually try a prescription medication called Rimadyl.
Rimadyl is related to Advil chemically, but without the dangerous side effects to the kidney. This is a drug only for dogs, and is only available through veterinarians. When we use Rimadyl, we run a couple of simple blood tests first to make sure your pet’s liver is functioning properly. After we start the drugs we check those blood tests every six months

Etogesic is another of the newer prescription drugs for arthritis in dogs. If Rimadyl does not work well, then we can try this drug instead. There are even a few experimental new drugs that are showing promise for those dogs that do not do well on either Rimadyl or Etogesic.
At any time during the progression of these drugs, we can also add a nutritional supplement to the mix. These nutritional supplements provide the building blocks for healthy cartilage and thicker joint fluid. Some of them also have additional anti-inflammatory medications in them to help boost the effects of the aspirin or the Rimadyl. At this time our favorite of these supplements is a pill called Synovi-MSM, although other supplements exist.
Fortunately by using any one or even a combination of the drugs listed above, we can keep your dog comfortable. Since the advent of these newer anti-arthritis medications, most dogs can go years without significant problems with hip or leg pain.

Aspirin Dosage

One extra strength aspirin (500 mg) is equal to 1 ½ regular strength aspirin (325 mg) We prefer using Ascriptin which is a human product that combines Aspirin with bufferin and Maalox. We also carry Ascriptin here for your convenience.

                    Dog’s weight                Regular strength              Extra Strength

                    20 pounds                    ½ once or twice daily           ¼ twice daily
                    40 pounds                    1 once or twice daily            ½ 2-3 times daily
                    60 pounds                    1 twice daily                        ½ three times daily
                    80 pounds                    1 ½ tablets twice daily         1 tablet twice daily

Often if we believe a dog had arthritis, but the signs are subtle we have you try two weeks of aspirin, and then have you compare your dogs attitude, activity level and general level of comfort to the two weeks before starting. Most owners are pleasantly surprised in the improvement of their older dogs on aspirin.

Glucosamine Dosage

Glucosamine is the most important ingredient in Synovi-MSM and Synovi-CRE, it repairs damaged cartilage and also makes for thicker joint fluid. After your dog has been on this medication for awhile you can try to cut down the dose.

                   Dog’s weight                      Initial Dose                Dose after 4-5 Weeks

                   Under 30 pounds                600 mg daily                 300-400 mg daily
                   30 – 60 pounds                  1200 mg daily                600 mg daily
                   60-100 pounds                  1800 mg daily                900 mg daily
                   Over 100 pounds               2400 mg daily               1800 mg daily

We recommend trying the Synovi-MSM first. Our clients have had the most luck with that medication.