My dog has neurological hip issues. What helps with pain and mobility?

If supplements alone haven't helped, it may be time to add in a pain medication or other joint medications to help relieve Halo's discomfort. Unfortunately, these do require a trip to the vet in order to be prescribed, but it's a good idea to schedule a vet visit anyway to monitor Halo's joint health and any progression of disease. Your vet may recommend regular bloodwork and X-rays to watch the hips for any additional deterioration so that medications and joint supplements can be adjusted as needed. Changing supplement types in addition to this, such as adding in fish oil and vitamin E, Green-Lipped mussel, or another glucosamine/chondroitin combo may also help, however, consulting with your vet first to make sure there is no interaction with other medications is best.

It sounds like what you are describing is weakness. Did your pup have a neurologic exam? What we look for is evidence of pain (although this can sometimes be inconsistent in pets), loss of sensation to the feet (does he fail to flip his foot back over when the top of his foot is placed down?), and presence or absence of reflexes. The results of these tests can help to determine if it's neurologic in origin and what portion of the spinal cord may be affected. Although, it can sometimes be hard to differentiate orthopedic from neurologic disease. Plain xrays of the spine are helpful to rule out any bony abnormalities, and sometimes we can see evidence of narrow disc spaces, but ultimately we cannot see the spinal cord, nerves leaving the spinal cord, or the soft tissues. If a neurologic problem is suspected an MRI is often needed. But, there are also some other conditions that can cause weakness that are metabolic in origin (has your guy had any senior lab work recently?) or related to loss of signaling to the muscles (for example a disease called myasthenia gravis) or related to a degenerative process such as degenerative myelopathy. If there is a component of pain detected on exam then anti-inflammatory pain medication may help. If you feel like things are getting worse it would be a good time to have a re-evaluation with your family vet. Another option as well, if a neurologic process is suspected, would be to have a consult with a veterinary neurologist. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Your poor baby. Yes, absolutely start him on a good glucosamine supplement. There are many out there, just do not buy the cheapest you can find. Good ones are Cosequin, Dasaquin, even the human OsteoBiflex. Just make sure it has Glucosamine hydrochloride . Take care.

There are a few more things that you can add into his daily regiment that may help. Continue giving him the current medications. You can try adding in a supplement called Duralactin that often compliments the glucosamine. You could also try giving him an additional joint supplement called Adequan. This is an injectable product that many dogs respond very favorably to. There are also diets that can be beneficial, I recommend Royal Canin Mobility support. Lastly, supplementing Bogey with an additional omega fatty acid supplement for dogs can also help in addition to the current supplements. I do recommend for Bogey to have a visit with his veterinarian. The doctor will check on the progression of any arthritis or other painful areas. It may be time to start Bogey on an actual pain medication such as Rimadyl or Gabapentin. You would likely use these meds and still continue his supplements. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

The best supplements to give your dog when they have joint problems are glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. They provide the necessary nutrients for cartilage repair and function. Vitamin B is good for necessary nerve and muscle function, but it's not what is used in dogs with joint problems. It is most commonly used in animals who are not eating adequately, or have a debilitating disease or liver condition. Toxicity with it is very rare, as there is a large safety margin. If Danny is making a noise like he's hurting when he's sitting, it can be an indication of a hip or joint problem, and I would have him seen by a vet.

Hi, thanks for using Petcoach! Poor Harley, it is hard getting old! He could have arthritis or a spinal degenerative issue. I see a lot of older pugs with hind leg issues at Harley's age. Usually I start them on a steroid and gabapentin. Sadly it tends to be progressive if the neurologic spinal issue. If it is intermittent then starting Harley on a joint supplement and Omega 3 fatty acids may help if it is arthritis. Below are brands of each that I like for my patients. I hope this helps and good luck! https://www.chewy.com/nutramax-dasuquin-msm-joint-health/dp/35838 http://vrshealth.com/canine-products/canine-omega-benefits/

Yes, I agree with your vet, x-rays are a good idea. Glucosamine is fine to give but it is not likely to significantly impact her at this stage. It will not hurt anything but it probably won't help much. If she has arthritis in her hips or spine then she likely needs long term therapy with NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories like Rimadyl) and pain medication (like Tramadol or Gabapentin). The combination of these two types of medications works wonders for arthritis. She will need to be on them for the rest of her life. If there is no arthritis then this could be a neurological issue which would need another type of therapy (mainly steroids like Prednisone). The x-rays will help to narrow this down. Hope this helps. Best wishes.