# Stages of arthritis?



## Alfiedoodle (Oct 19, 2015)

Hello!

Alfie is 10-ish (based on humane society's best guess when I adopted him 3 yrs ago), and his back legs are beginning to get stiff. 

The vet says that he most likely does have arthritis and that we don't need to do x-rays to confirm - because of his age/anaesthesia and the unnecessary cost - and that we can start him on pain/inflammation injections when it becomes worse. Until then, he's on Flexadin, which has glucosamine, chondroitin, devil's claw and manganese.

For the most part, Alfie seems to be ok and not in any discomfort. He is a little stiff when getting up after a long snooze, but still jumps up on the couch and the bed without any problem, and we do 3-5km a day, depending on the weather, his mood, etc. We're moving to a new building with six steps in the entry and I plan to adapt his walks accordingly if need be (but I could just be a paranoid helicopter mum here!!), but I would really appreciate some insight on arthritis and changes I should look out for.

From your experience, what can I expect to happen with Alfie? This question might be silly, but when will I know that it's causing him more pain? I want to catch it as soon as possible so that he stays the happy boy that he is.

Sorry for the long text; I'm trying to cover any and all points that might need to be answered!

Thank you!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

This is based on our dog who had good hips and elbows (Sammy).... 

Age 10 - he was slowing down a little, but still pretty active and strong. My sister took him for walks in the morning before she went to work... my mom walked him a little in the later morning or early afternoon... and my sister walked him in the evenings. 

My mom walked him usually 1/2 a mile. My sister walked him anywhere between 3 and 5 miles total a day. 

This dog also was a family dog and was active throughout the day (always somebody home, would be taken out to run around the yard every other hour or so). 

*** Couple different things happened between age 9 and 10... he had some kind of injury playing with our other dog which caused him to limp. Usually was limping for 3 days or so before clearing up and him becoming sound again. He also had a pretty complicated neutering surgery after a lipoma ruptured. 

Between age 11-12, he started slowing down quite a bit. Not hugely noticeable. Still pretty active, but began pulling back about walks. I believe my sister stopped walking him and he just went for light walks with my mom. 

Between age 12-13, he began putting weight on and really pulling back on all extra exercise beyond running around outside.... and through almost 14 he started having rear end weakness related to arthritis. Meaning, he'd be walking and have his rear drop out on him suddenly, causing him to either fall or stagger. Basically, we couldn't let him go up or down stairs without somebody being next to him (going down) or right behind him (going up) to ensure he didn't fall down the stairs if his rear dropped out on him. 

Physically - between age 12 and almost 14 - there was some muscle wasting as he pulled back on exercise. 

We did xrays a few times in the last 2-3 years - related to making sure his limping was just arthritis and not cancer, etc.... he had very clear arthritis. His hips were pretty gnarly looking especially the xrays we had maybe 1-2 weeks before he died. 

He died a couple months shy of age 14.... 

I have a neighbor whose female golden lived to be almost 18. I believe the last 1-2 years of her life, she was unable to get up. I'm sure that is the progression after what we began experiencing with our Sammy with his rear dropping out. 

About xrays - anesthesia is not required. We certainly would not have done xrays at all if that were the case. Just his neuter surgery was scary because his mom died while just having a simple dental cleaning when she was 9.

About pain meds - we had a prescription for tramadol, but used it sparingly. Generally only if he looked stiff or was limping. Our dogs generally "let us know" if they needed extra help. We did glycoflex for both old dogs back then. I still use it with the two I have now.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

10 yr old Brooks has spondylosis, which is basically arthritis of the spine.
He has been dragging his back feet for a few years (started out a single foot drag mark every once in a while- I saw them when we walked in snow in snow). Now he has worn ghe nails and fur down on both back paws as he drags them slightly each step.
He never enjoyed jumping-never even jumped up on people or furniture when young. After being persuaded, he wpuld climbs, not jump, onto a sofa to sit by us.
So, I always felt he had a "weakness" and gave him glucosamine his whole life.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

My 13 year old Finn still has excellent hips, but his spine hurts with spodyliosis. For him, the medication Gabapentin has been a godsend, along with one 100mg rimadyl. He used to get a cocktail of adequan injections that I gave him myself IM, Tramadol, cold lazer, and Rimadyl, but he was still sore. The gabapentin wow it gave him extra years with quality of life.


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## Pilgrim123 (Jul 26, 2014)

Firstly, I have to say every dog is different, so what Pilgrim felt is most likely not the same as what Alfie will feel. 
Pilgrim developed arthritis early, when he was only seven. Pilgrim was stiff in the mornings, especially if he'd done too much exercise the day before. It was an unwillingness to get up quickly if he didn't have to, more than anything else. Then, he started to take smaller steps. He didn't want to run as far or as fast, or he pulled up quicker if he was chasing a roo or a ball. He'd occasionally groan when he lay down or got up. Sometimes he started panting, when he wasn't hot. That's when the vet put him on Meloxicam, a once-a-day painkiller. Pilgrim had hip dysplasia, too, so exercising was necessary to keep his hip in place. The painkiller allowed him to keep moving. Steps became more difficult, so we installed a ramp (actually, an old wooden door covered in carpet) He developed a reluctance to go on the smooth kitchen floor, so we put down cheap carpet tiles, so he couldn't slip. He needed Cartrophen injections by this stage and the Meloxicam wasn't as effective. He struggled to go more than a mile. We tried Previcox.He responded very well for another two years. But he looked for warm places on the sun and gently got more reluctant to move at all. He also developed dementia. When he wasn't interested in chasing a ball, even when it was rolled to him and walked reluctantly with his head down, we knew he was suffering too much, especially when he didn't want to come and say hello to his special person (our son) and we let him go. He was nearly 13. Hope this very long post helps you and Alfie.


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## Mel (Sep 9, 2008)

Hello Alfiedoodle,
Sorry to write on your space without any information to offer but the replies you are getting here are so so valuable for me and my Mel, I had to drop a line. Bless you all.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Hi and welcome. It sounds like Alfie is doing pretty well for a 10 year old! If he is simply a bit stiff when getting up, the Flexidan should help. It may take a few weeks to see results. My last dog was much the same way, but that started much earlier with her. The joint supplements helped her a lot for years, and though she was stiff getting up, like Alfie, she ran and played ball with great gusto. At age 10, she started to limp on her right front leg. She was put on a daily anti-inflammatory (for her, Deramaxx worked best) and it was a brand new lease on life. The limp disappeared (this was after having it for months) and she never limped again in her life. As she got up towards 12, I could tell she did not love going up and down stairs. She would pause at the bottom of my six stairs up to the main floor, like she was psyching herself up. I put a runner on my hardwood stairs for her when she was about 10-11, and that helped a lot. If she hesitated beside my bed, I'd lift her up. Same into the car. I eventually put a big, solid cushion on the far side of my bed that acted as a little step up for her. 

I would just watch Alfie and respond to his needs. You know him best; you'll see the subtle changes.


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## Taylorsmum (Sep 30, 2014)

Alfiedoodle said:


> Hello!
> 
> Alfie is 10-ish (based on humane society's best guess when I adopted him 3 yrs ago), and his back legs are beginning to get stiff.
> 
> ...


My boy is not yet 3 and has severe spondylosis, what helps? weight management, hydrotherapy, cold laser, pain management medication,sweet potato and golden paste. Warm towels and gentle massage. You know your dog better than anyone, if you think he needs pain management then speak to your vet. Exercise to help the muscle to support the bone without impact is a good idea. Do you have a pool he can swim in or a hydrotherapy pool available in your area. We have seen improvement directly after cold laser. Unfortunately we did not see improvement after acupuncture but many people have. I would advise against any ball orientated exercise that involves stop start. We have found shorter walks more frequently help, we try to avoid pavement pounding as this can jar joints.

Well done for thinking ahead, its a game changer from the bright high energy dog you once knew, but in no way is it the end. Moderation in everything, look out for the signs he has had enough. Being gentle with yourself and him is the way forward. Don't be afraid to ask your vet for help either, remember you know your dog way better than he does. Best wishes as you move forward.


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

Alfiedoodle said:


> From your experience, what can I expect to happen with Alfie? This question might be silly, but when will I know that it's causing him more pain? I want to catch it as soon as possible so that he stays the happy boy that he is.


Not a silly question at all, you're being a good dog mom for asking


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## Alfiedoodle (Oct 19, 2015)

Thank you, everyone! It's great to hear that Alfie's not doing badly for his age and that there seems to be a lot that I can do for him when he needs it.

Funny-ish update: Alfie jumped up on 1.5ft high wall Saturday night and sprained his wrist, so he's on house arrest for the next few days. He's feeling a bit sorry for himself, but is milking it for all it's worth!


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

My 10 year oldish is in good health. I do give him monthly adequan injections. Also monthly B12 injections. B12 is a good vitamin and will help overall health and healing. My guy still has no problem jumping into the back of the SUV or jumping logs out on the trails. I don't think he has any arthritis, but I don't know for sure.


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## doggymom (May 7, 2015)

Anybody had experience giving their senior goldie Cosequin DS or with Cosequin DS plus MSM?


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## LynnC (Nov 14, 2015)

Anyone have any experience with stem cell injections? My vet recommended them for my 12 YO. She was xrayed and has severe arthritis in her hips and knees (elbows aren't bad). Even though my husband was extremely skeptical he agreed to try (my vet said she's seeing amazing results). I was/am desperate to do anything to help her. She almost seems a bit worse since injections on Dec 2nd. Now she can't even get up from a lying position. We need to help her with a towel as a sling and once she is up her hind legs will just "give out". Even when she goes out to pee she can't get up from a squatting position and will basically lye in her urine and need help up  !!! I am so sad for her and not sure what we should do next? She is also on Rimadyl 75 2X a day. We have a follow-up appt with vet Monday 1/4.


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

LynnC said:


> Anyone have any experience with stem cell injections? My vet recommended them for my 12 YO. She was xrayed and has severe arthritis in her hips and knees (elbows aren't bad). Even though my husband was extremely skeptical he agreed to try (my vet said she's seeing amazing results). I was/am desperate to do anything to help her. She almost seems a bit worse since injections on Dec 2nd. Now she can't even get up from a lying position. We need to help her with a towel as a sling and once she is up her hind legs will just "give out". Even when she goes out to pee she can't get up from a squatting position and will basically lye in her urine and need help up  !!! I am so sad for her and not sure what we should do next? She is also on Rimadyl 75 2X a day. We have a follow-up appt with vet Monday 1/4.


If you start a new post it will get more responses in the main or health sections. I can only speak of 6 years ago speaking with a orthepedic specialist for my boy at the time. Back then he wasn't seeing much of a improvement with stem cells but time and advances in veterinary medicine have improved I assume.


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