Any Labs with Arthritis Here?

[kassabella]

I agree 100%. Nothing can turn back the clock on joint issues. Yes we do the best we can and some things work for some and not others. There is nothing that is better than something else. We have to trial things for our dogs and see what works the best. For us swimming has been the best. I bought an above ground swimming pool for Erns and last year a wet suit so he could swim a few more weeks or months.

No matter how good the breeder, or how well trained or active things do happen and we just have to hope nothing happens to our dogs. I adopted Erns at 3.5 and knew he already had serious HD. Vets told me he wouldn't reach 8. He is 10..
Spending years trying everything imaginable to help him, wondering if this or that is the best, have I done the right thing, how bad is his pain, to find the miracle "cure" only to have my hopes dashed and praying each winter we make it, brings many tears.

So if I seem a bit harsh it is because I have been there and as summer ends wonder if this will be the year I have the winter I so dread and have to say goodbye to my heart dog.

I realise you are being very helpful, but saying Perna is the only thing isn't quite right. I agree it is good, but there are lots of options. Even now knowing it didn't work for Erns (N.Z doesn't claim it does), and things I read on the net aren't always correct I went to bed last night with those ugly doubts in my head.

[kimmiekokonut]

Do you get Perna at the Vets office?

[kimmiekokonut]

When Erns was 5 the vets said there was a type of sugery to help. Can't remeber what it is called. Something about taking nerves from the joint to stop the pain. Is this the surgery you are talking about. It wasn't a long term fix and can't remeber why we decided not to do it.

Each dog is different so need to treat case by case. We do not run with Erns, let him jump or spin around, no long walks or hikes and 30 mins no more walks every day. The idea is to build up the mussle to take the weiht off the joint so he swim as much as he can. The best thing for Erns has been keeping him on the thinner side, and swimming. Being very careful with him, and adequan injections every month have helped. He has green lip mussle and glucosamine, but these don't appear to help. I forgot to buy it then away so he went a month without it and no difference at all. So didn't give for several more months.





My vet doesn't agree with this. I have been giving Erns green lip mussle for years and his arthritis and joints have still become progessively worse. We found Synoflex (Synoquin) had better results as it is a more pure form of glucosamine. I think some things work for some dogs (and people) and others not so well.

First off, you're brown lab is so dang adorable!!! Looks like he fell asleep with the ball in his mouth. My KoKo lives and breathes for the ball.
I think we have pretty much decided to blow off the surgery idea. There are plenty of different opinions on here I see, it's always hard to know what to do. KoKo seems to be doing better the past week since giving her the presc. aspirin and canine glucosamine from the vets office. I will look into all these different choices. I just feel so sorry for her as I know what the arthritis pain feels like in the hips.

[kimmiekokonut]

I had osteoarthritis in both hips and suffered with enormous pain for 10 years and have always been extremely active. I took everything I could to help, form ibuprofen to glucosamine pills and potions amongst other things, and can say that the more active a person is the more the joint is going to wear down, no matter what you take, there's only so much you can do for it.
As far as a dog goes, I'm not sure if its the same as it is in a human, but I finally was in so much pain I could hardly sit or lay down or anything and it was bone on bone, could hardly do anything and surgery was the only logical choice. It got that way quicker since I was still doing my workouts at the gym. KoKo's whole life seems to be running after the ball, she is obsessed with it, and I can't help but think how depressed she would be if she couldn't do this anymore. We have a swimming pool but the odd thing, considering she is supposed to be a natural water loving dog, is she doesn't care that much about swimming, and what's even odder is the fact that Oscar (great dane) loves it more than her and he is far from being a water dog!!
If I knew that things would turn out as well as they did for me after my 2 hip replacements last year, then I would consider going ahead and doing that for her, to help her out of her pain.

[kassabella]

Do you get Perna at the Vets office?

Not here in N.Z. You may be able to get the N.Z one line. Hershy123 do you know where you buy it in the USA?.

Now here is where I have been having a problem since this came up. I have started doubting that the Perna I gave Erns was good quality. Hershy123 after you were so adamant this is the only thing that works I thought you must have information I don't have. I live in the country it is produced. What have I missed.? Then started doubting my decisions which you do when have a special needs dog and desperate to help them.

Why haven't the vets suggested it so call a few local vets to ask if they recommend it. After all it is here in N.Z. and they are vets. Even the holistic one with a very good reputation. Vets will say yes by all means use it as it can't do harm but.For them the studies haven't been complete. What they know it is good yes...but....

Not all Perna is the same quality, and here in N.Z. the growers, producers, manufacturers all say it MAY work. There is no studies to say it is any better than anything else. It may. If you google you will find hundreds of people advertising their Perna works. Does it? Does it work on certain aged animals, or degrees of arthritis?
Do the winters make a difference? Maybe when I tried it was a harsher winter than others. When I trialled Synoflex and it worked the winter was mild so he wasn't as sore?

There are so many maybes no one can say one product is the best. Each dog and owner are different.

I have sent an email to the vet teaching hospital here in NZ. and next time I go past the Perns research farm may go in and ask.Not to be a no all, but the doubts are there and I need to satify myself. I need to do the best I can for my dogs.

We also use deer velvet, or shark cartilage which also have reported to be good for arthritis.I am trialling deer velvet at the moment.


ETA.

Green-Lipped Mussel - EmpowHER.com

[kassabella]

First off, you're brown lab is so dang adorable!!! Looks like he fell asleep with the ball in his mouth. My KoKo lives and breathes for the ball.
I think we have pretty much decided to blow off the surgery idea. There are plenty of different opinions on here I see, it's always hard to know what to do. KoKo seems to be doing better the past week since giving her the presc. aspirin and canine glucosamine from the vets office. I will look into all these different choices. I just feel so sorry for her as I know what the arthritis pain feels like in the hips.

Thank you. She does sleep with her toy. I rescued her 6 months ago and she never had toys.

I am glad Koko is feeling better. Erns started on asprin and as he aged his medications changed. I too know wha arthritis is like and often feel so sad for Erns, but all we can do is our best.
It is hard to know as there are so many opinions, and things out there. Work what works for you and your dog.

For us swimming has been the best. Every vet I have ever seen has said swimming is the best thing. Many don't have water around, or able to put a pool in so it must be very hard. I am lucky I have a big yard so we put in above ground pool for Erns.I worked 2 nights week to make sure I have money for the dogs, but not everyone can do this, so we have to do what we can with the finances we have.

Dogs can have joint replacement. Also stem cell which I have seen has good review, but relatively new. All very expensive and not always good for every dog. Sadly Erns is one.

Good luck.