Elroy is a 15yr. old Border Collie I rescued when he was 7. His back hips are bad but he is still plugging away. He's on medication and I
cut back on his excerise. He still wants to pla
y with his sister, Bella, a 3yr. old Border Collie. Is there anything else in the way of treatment I can do for him to make him comfortable?

If his pain is from arthritic hips, several things can be done to make Elroy more comfortable. IMO, the best NSAID (non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug)for this is Deramaxx. It is given once daily. Adequan injections would likely help as well. Adequan causes the cells near joints that make/replace the articular cartilage to function more readily thereby making the articular surfaces of the joints more smooth. Essential fatty acids such as are found in fish oil caplets have been shown to be of some value and nutraceuticals such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate might also be beneficial. If he is still painful while taking all of the above, an analgesic such as Tramadol can be given. It goes without saying that if he's overweight, there is added stress on his joints. HTH!

Welcome to AR, btw!

Andy:

Thanks for the advice on Elroy's condition.
He's on some of the medications mentioned, but any new ideas help.

Nick10Ring

My dad has a black lab about the same age as your dog. He was in bad shape with hip problems to the point he wouldn't walk much or play. A vet suggested a producted called Osteo-3. Two bottles later he was up playing like a pup.

Also tried on a friend's dog with severe hip degeneration. No observable benefit in that case unfortunately.

http://www.petrx.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1258

Actually I misread your post. My Dad's dog is about 8 yr old at this point.

Another product we have had success with is "Duralactin". A couple of dogs have been able to discontinue the deramax when they started on it. Basically no side effects like the nsaid's, but may not work for all individuals.

MFH