Mac has had hip problems since I adopted him. Even though he was still a pup, he’s always struggled to get up. He is 10 yrs. old now.
For the last year as he has aged, it has gotten much worse. I had him x-rayed and he has no coverage on his hind right knee, the bones are touching and I could hear them rubbing when I'd walk him. He also has severe arthritis in his left hip.
The vet gave me Meloxicam, which is an anti-inflammatory and painkiller. I started giving him half a 7.5 mg tab a day but didn’t notice any difference. I was a little nervous because I’ve read Meloxicam can damage the liver and kidneys. So I did a little research online. I added three 1000 mg. Fish oil capsules in his food to lubricate the joints, and started giving him Avoderm Senior, which has a lot of Glucosomine/Chondroitin and has the Omega 3s and 6s. I also started measuring his food so he has lost a little weight. He probably needs to lose about 4/5 more lbs. He’s at 78 lbs. now.
I changed from the generic Glucosomine/Chondroitin to the Osteo-BiFlex. I also added Shark Cartilage. I give him 6 a day, 3 w/each meal. I can’t hear the bones rubbing any more. It was about 2 weeks after I started the Shark Cartilage. He is still walking a half a mile in the morning and about a 1/3 mile in the afternoon. It’s important to keep an older dog moving so they don’t lose their mobility and get stiff. He still limps a little but moves around pretty good.
I think it was the Shark Cartilage that has helped him the most, although since I changed to the Osteo-BiFlex at the same time, I can't be sure. I added Milk Thistle because it’s a liver protectant. I still give him the Meloxicam but only 3 a week now because of the possible side effects. You need to continually have blood work done when using it to make sure their kidney and liver enzymes aren’t too high.
More on this later…..
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