My senior Rat Terrier has hip knots and tight muscles. What's wrong?

Hello, while I am glad you have been using a good joint supplement, it sounds like your girl needs some more serious pain medication for her osteoarthritis. There are many to choose from, and they can literally give an aging pet a new lease on life. I have literally seen crippled dogs that owners wanted to euthanize become happy, active pets. The first thing to do is see your veterinarian for a thorough exam, blood work & possible x-rays & hopefully start your pet on a medication to ease her pain. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm not sure how old Daisy is, but she could be suffering from arthritis, may have degenerative joint disease, or could have injured herself. It is concerning that she is having trouble walking, and that indicates she could be in a lot of pain. Given those symptoms, I feel it's best to have her seen by a vet today. The vet can diagnose what is causing her trouble walking, and can treat it while also giving her some pain medications. Please do not give Daisy any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Arthritis can be difficult to control, however there are options for Roxy. Firstly swimming is helpful to build muscle strength but is easy on the knees. Supplements including omega 3s, fish oils, glucosamine sulphate (the HCl version just gets peed out), along with injections of Cartrophen can help as well. Keeping Roxy lean with moderate intensity exercise is recommended. Allergies can be difficult, however chat with your vet about Apoquel. This is a medication for seasonal allergies. There is also atopica and cyclosporin as well as steroids for allergies. Try to avoid the steroids however as they cause muscle wasting which will make the arthritis worse. Best of luck with Roxy!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I agree that this is possibly arthritis especially if this has been an issue before. Usually this can improved with joint supplements like Cosequin and the food Science Diet j/d. Pain control medications such as NSAIDs and gabapentin can be used on an as needed basis to help with pain. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment of this. If they agree that this is likely, they can go ahead and prescribe this to help her. Good luck and have a great day!

You are correct this could be due arthritis or hip dysplasia. I see that Spike is an older boy, and arthritis is common in older dogs. I would recommend taking him into the vet for an exam. The vet can do a physical exam and x-rays to determine if he has hip dysplasia or arthritis. He could benefit from pain meds and glucosamine and chondrotin sulfate supplements. Please do not give him any human pain meds, many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. I would take him into the vet today or tomorrow during normal business hours.

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.

In senior dogs, arthritis is common and that could be causing Poppy's reluctance to climb the stairs. It may be painful for her. I would take her into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose if she is suffering from arthritis, and can give her some pain meds for it. Rimadyl (an NSAID) is a good drug to give to help with the symptoms of arthritis. I also recommend giving her glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate supplements. They provide the necessary nutrients for cartilage repair and function. Use of them helps relieve some of the symptoms of arthritis, and you can use it in conjuction with Rimadyl to help maximize relief from her symptoms. Good luck, I hope this helps!