Hi I am new to the forum so just want to say thank you for any help/advice anyone can give me. I have a 7 year old lab and when she was 2 years old we had to have her elbows investigated as she was limping horrendously. It was found that she had over granulation of the bone in her right elbow. Once the operation had been completed and she recovered we never had any other problems. However about 6 weeks ago the limping seems to have returned. It seems to be when she has slept and once I stretch her legs she seems better but yesterday my husband took her for a long walk and this morning she is really struggling. I have just ordered some supplements from a website called canine joint right but not sure how else I can help her. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Hello, has she seen your vet ? It might be arthritis in that joint so she may need more than supplements. Maybe an x ray needed ?
Hello no we haven’t taken her yet as it’s seems so in and off. Thank you I wasn’t aware that arthritis started like that.
To be honest it could be anything but if shes really struggling as you say with previous issues in that joint, its definitely worth a professional opinion, in my opinion
There are a few supplements with research behind them you could try first: A decent joint supplement (chondroitin and glucosamine and MSM) Grizzly Wild Salmon oil Golden paste (turmeric) Devil's Claw All these have research behind them for human arthritis and are worth trying (altogether!) before using prescription pain meds from the vet - which do have other side effects, especially when used long term. Often joints which have previously had issues will develop arthritis earlier or faster than joints which have been fine, so I do think it's likely given her age. If those supplements don't help, then do go to the vet.
It's interesting that a few years back when I was giving the same advice for arthritic pups, forum members attacked me viciously for giving "dangerous" advice, not scientifically "proven", yada yada yada. Now I see the exact same advice given and no one jumped in to eat the poster. I guess these members are gone and this forum is going to be a happier place, where people can really exchange thoughts. Yay.
Perhaps it's just that more research has come out, since a few years ago? For example - all backed up by research: https://www.versusarthritis.org/media/1337/complementary-and-alternative-medicines-report.pdf