pet pain

My two eldest dogs,aged 11. are beginning to suffer from arthritis in their back legs and hips. Poor Minnie has been reluctant to hop into the car recently even though she knows she is going for a walk. The vet has offered painkillers which cost �£14 a week each, and I wondered if anyone has found any natural/ herbal remedies for dogs.
Has anyone any experience in this area?

 

My m-in-law has a magnetic collar for Daisy - she always wears it, and M-in-law swears by it...
don't know if this is where she got it, but it looks the same to me...
http://www.worldofmagnets.co.uk/store/shopfront/magnetic_animal_collars.htm

 

Lots of animal catalogues have those boards for elderly, arthritic dogs to walk up into your car - have you seen those, Liz?
dog ramp

[ 14. November 2006, 10:20 PM: Message edited by: michaelmasdaisy ]

 

We had a magnetic collar for our old Sam and it worked wonders Also used to give him olive oil on his food!

 

Cod liver oil is supposed to help with dogs, and I do have some literature here about this subject and will let you all see what it is as soon as I find it. I think on very cold or wet days a thick and fairly large coat for each dog that suffers is quite a good idea too. It has to be one that covers the joints well and truly. You may think it is a little large, but it is necessary. Pain killers are good of course, and a some stage they may get too bad to treat yourself, but it is worth trying other things first, isn't it?

 

Thanks all! I had been thinking about a ramp, as the dogs are quite small I could make one. Some kind of oil for their joints sounds good too, and perhaps a magnetic collar for Christmas!

 

Liz,We were told about Green Lipped Mussell Extract for our elderly dog,but alas she was too far gone for it to have been any use to her.Other people I have spoken to have had good results.
Our next door neighbours have just bought one of those car ramps,but couldn't get their elderly German Shepherd to use it,though it was the first attempt....

 

Hi Kandyfloss, I have been reading about this as I had never heard of it before, and find some encouraging reports- but so many brands to choose from!
I read that it might help me as well!

 

Hi Liz.Our Green Lipped Mussell,is by Seatone and we got it from "Boots" but cannot remember how much for the box of 90 capsules.It says on the box that it may help maintain joint suppleness and mobility...


Good Luck hope you have some success in finding it

 

Thanks, no problem finding it, just choosing! Will try Boots, we also have Holland and Barrett in Warminster.

 

OK Liz,not sure which one will be cheapest.Holland and Barrett is sometimes more expensive than Boots,and you get points with them if you collect them

 

My dear departed puss, Prudence, had terrible trouble with arthritic legs and the vet gave me Metacalm to put in drops on her food. It worked like a charm.