Any Vitamin/Supplement Questions?

[pomtzu]

I'd be interested to know if the glucosamine/chondroitin that I have been giving Myndi for quite a few years, really benefits her at her age. She's 17 now, and the arthritis in her spine and back legs is getting worse, but I'm reluctant to discontinue giving it to her. Also - what is the best dose for her - she weighs 9.5 lbs. There's not a lot of beneficial meds that she can take because of her kidneys and her GI sensitivity, tho she does take Tramadol for pain.

Thanks!

[Karen]

I will ask these!

[Asiel]

I really don't know how the glucosamine works on dogs but I do know my vet told me it was a waste of money for horses and she never did recommend it for the dogs. My son's dog has a very bad back, he's paralyzing slowly and the hind really gives sometimes. The vet gives him one shot a month for the pain, been over a yr now and the dog is doing great. I can't remember the name for sure, it might be the Convenia...whatever it is I'm amazed at how it totally took the pain away , the dog can actually move without whimpering. He will still end up paralyzed but this seems to have halted the whole process.

[Karen]

I really don't know how the glucosamine works on dogs but I do know my vet told me it was a waste of money for horses and she never did recommend it for the dogs. My son's dog has a very bad back, he's paralyzing slowly and the hind really gives sometimes. The vet gives him one shot a month for the pain, been over a yr now and the dog is doing great. I can't remember the name for sure, it might be the Convenia...whatever it is I'm amazed at how it totally took the pain away , the dog can actually move without whimpering. He will still end up paralyzed but this seems to have halted the whole process.

Do you know what's causing the back trouble? Nerves, arthritic, joint pain? Just curious, as the term "bad back" can be used for a myriad of things!

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I don't have any pets taking it, so I've never talked to a vet about it or researched it, but the talk about glucosamine/chondroitin got me wondering...

-Is the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin really worth the extra cost or is glucosamine by itself just as good?
-Is it necessary to stick to a brand of glucosamine/chondroitin marketed to dogs (such as Cosequin) or is it okay to give a brand that's marketed to people as long as it's properly dosed by a vet?

[Karen]

Hey folks, we talked a lot about this stuff on the radio show today, and both vets went into plenty of detail on the glucosamine/condroitin issues. There was far too much information for me to remember it all reliably, so I will email you all the audio files when I get them!

Asiel, your vet is wrong, according to both the veterinarians on the radio show, Glucosamine not only works for horses, it was actually first developed for horses, and then reformulated for dogs and cats and humans. Dr. Carol actually discussed why, and I think you'll find that interesting, too!

[Asiel]

Do you know what's causing the back trouble? Nerves, arthritic, joint pain? Just curious, as the term "bad back" can be used for a myriad of things!

I think it's a combination of old age, arthrits and degenerative myelopathy, possibly disc problem from what some of the tests showed----And the med the dog is receiving wasn't the Convenia, that's for his skin infections..for his back he's getting the Cartrophen shot once a month

[Karen]

I think it's a combination of old age, arthrits and degenerative myelopathy, possibly disc problem from what some of the tests showed----And the med the dog is receiving wasn't the Convenia, that's for his skin infections..for his back he's getting the Cartrophen shot once a month

The vets did immediately say the Covenia must be for something other than the back pain, I'll send you the audio files when I get them, okay?

[Karen]

I got the audio files, and will email them to everybody in a bit!

[pomtzu]

Thanks Karen - I just listened to them. I did learn more about the dosage, but don't know what brands are pharmaceutical grades, and which aren't, or if at her advanced age, it continues to be of any benefit to keep giving it to her. Guess I'll continue - it can't hurt.