Anyone used anything as a natural pain relief or joint aid that has worked.
One of my dogs has a cruciate that cannot be operated on due to lung problems and it is causing pain as is the onset of atrithis. She has been put on pain relief in the form of Metacam but the problem is she does not respond well to most meds and they make her violently sick. At the moment we are having to use them as her body is not dealing with the pain and is sending her body into hyper ventalating and due to lung problems we are having real problems. I am injecting drugs into her at the moment but want to get her off the meds asap if there is something more natural that will help her.

Any ideas gratefully received. Have ordered her a bioflow collar but at the moment will try anything.

My large crossbreed has arthritis in both knees caused by cruciate damage (he's had surgery to repair both).

It's 4 years since he was diagnosed and we manage the arthitis with the following supplements:
Fish Body Oils
Vitamin E
Vetri-Flex
Ester C

The Vetriflex is a formulated joint supplement containing Glucosamine, MSM & Green Lipped Mussel. We use this because the pet insurance covers the cost but you can buy the individual supplements.

Never sure what is considered a Natural medication - perhaps the best known "natural pain killer" is aspirin which is also a NSAID there must be loads of other plant extracts that help with pain but joint pain needs to also include some sort of inflammatory reducing properties. I am told that magnetic field help in this respect but the magnets have to be quality ones and there may also be a need for general pain killers.

I have ordered her a bioflow collars as my last old dogs have had.  I never reuse them. Her food is orijen and contains some joint supplements and she is on Seven seas chondrontin and glucosamine supplements.

I will try anything at all. She is on metacam and I am going to get her homepathic vet Richard Allport to change the things she is on from him as we had to get on top of the lung problems and psudemonas first.

I want to stop her body going into shock really from pain and if possible I'd like that to be done in as natural a way as possible. The only pain relief I can use on her at present that doesn't make her sick is Calpol and whilst that takes away some pain and has worked up to now it is no longer enough for her.

She has always been a problem to treat as her body reacts to painkillering tablets etc like tramadol, zuberin, metacam. I have decided not to do the cruciate which is not fully gone because she would not survive the operation. We had to sedate her last year for other problems and I very nearly lost her.

Can understand your predicament, you can't let your dog continue in pain you are going to have to find something that will give her some relief or her life is not going to be worth living. Can you be referred to a veterinary specialist in pain management because it does not matter what the drug is as long as it stops the pain or at least reduces it.

I use Homeopathic RRA 30c potency (Rhus Tox/Ruta Grav/Arnica) for my 17 year old arthritic cat which really helps her and keeps her mobile...

Homeopathic Nux Vomica at 30c may help relieve the side-effects/sickness caused by the metacam..but if she is under Richard Allport then I'm sure having access to all her records and history....that he will be able to help relieve her discomfort on a more constitutional level...

Has he suggested the inclusion of raw food in her diet..??

Good Luck x

Freedomofspirit
I used to use raw diet but gave up, however am thinking of restarting it but without any bones in it as this is not the part of the diet that doesn't suit her. After an illness about 5 years ago her stomach is no longer able to deal with bone.

I am waiting to here back from Richard for homepathic options

There are other NSAIDrugs available other than Metacam which your dog might be able to tolerate better.

Natural painkillers/antiinflammatories are Green Lipped Mussle and also Devil's Claw, though the latter might be a problem together with NSAIDs.

For arthritis, glucosamin/chondroitin/MSM help well (I get the liquid one from Holland & Barratt), as can salmon oil and evening primrose oil.

There is also homeopathic rhus tox which can be helpful.

You might also want to look into acupuncture and also hydrotherapy (to strenghten muscles so they can support the knee joint better).

It would be best to contact a homeopathic/holistic vet to discuss options.

We have an appointment with her homeopathic vet on Monday so that will be useful.
She will swim in the river but at a pool she gets extremely stressed and makes herself ill. We did try quite a few times and gave up.

It doesn't sound as thought she has much quality of life. :(  How old is she?

I'm very much a believer in natural treatments but in old age, pain free and comfortable is my priority.

How about a water treadmill? It might be less stressful than a pool for her and just as beneficial.

Westcoast she has mainly a great quality of life the pain has only just come to light and the reason we need to control it is cos her lungs cant cope with the stress when she starts to pant.
She is still out on walks everyday and up until a week ago was doing 2 hours a day. That walk is on a mountain so not an easy landscrape and she was swimming as well. Brooke will actually go down the steepest parts of the mountain that my other dogs wouldn't attempt. She has lung probs cos a disgrace of a vet diagnosed MRSA last year and didnt treat for lung worm and so she had it so long it has damaged her lungs. I travelled all the way to Devon for a second opinion when the first vet told me to accept she would die of MRSA. Like some humans she is just very sensitive to medication and it needs careful thought. I hate metacam etc but am using it at present as I need her to be pain free. I was just asking really about alternatives esp as vet meds make her sick.

Brooke is 10 1/2 and even back in August when I nearly lost her her tail still wagged. She has survived so many times in her life when vets gave up on her. She has survived parvo too. Her mum had athritis at 11 and we used all kinds of things and she was PTS at 12 1/2. Like any decent doggy mum I will explore every option available to make sure she has the best quality of life available to her. We already use a homeopathic and conventional vet but I know champdogs is a wonderful source for people who have had the same experiences and tried different things.

We have used Joint aid (made by gro-well) and have found it has worked well.

I have also got another dog that can't have certain products due to dietry intolerances.
We are visiting an animal physiotherapist and she gives us different exercises plus we
use the magnetic bioflow collar and also the pulsed electro magnetic fields mat which has helped.
Am really pleased with my girls progress and we haven't been going that long.
Noticed a big improvement with just wearing the magnetic collar.
The physio is very happy with her progress too and the exercises we have had improvement with
aren't the tough ones but very gentle.

Have you tried acupuncture?
This might be another way forward

Devil's claw is a wonderful anti-inflammatory and excellent for joint pain :)

Personally, I wouldn't waste my money on homeopathic remedies but would consult with a herbalist.

Did I not hear recently that a long term research had been done on glucosamin and the results showed it was of no help at all - this research was done on the use in humans not canines.

IMO at 10.5 years the control of pain should be the aim no matter what drug was needed to achieve that - OK to experiment on ourselves but dogs can't offer an opinion.

> I wouldn't waste my money on homeopathic remedies

If they are anything like human remedies I think a person needs to be on them for an absolute age before any benefit occurs.

When I suffered from Reynauds Disease I took Ginkgo Biloba tablets and they took a month before they showed any benefit, but they totally worked.

When I suffered from Reynauds Disease I took Ginkgo Biloba tablets and they took a month before they showed any benefit, but they totally worked.

But that would be herbal not homeopathic - or am I wrong?

Accupuncture without a doubt is something I would go for!  Fab for pain relief.  Which area do you live?

> But that would be herbal not homeopathic - or am I wrong?

You are probably right. But Ginkgo is natural though.

Yes, Ginkgo is herbal and not homeopathic :)

I am a huge supporter of herbal remedies but, sadly, the studies on homeopathy are pretty clear - it doesn't work.

As I said earlier many drugs and medication are from natural sources, assuming you mean a substance extracted from plants, minerals, moulds and plant decomposition or animals. Some are only available from Herbalists but 1000s are sold or prescribed as normal medication, purified and combined but never the less from naturally occurring sources.

Homoeopathy seems to require a huge amount of faith and the believe that water retains a memory of something it has long since had no contact with along with an example of if you think it works, it might, no problem if it is used for a minor condition or in cases where all else fails, a sort of act of faith but not suitable IMO to be used on animals who have no say in their treatment and we owe it to them to use a products that are known to work.

Zajak I am in South Wales near Swansea.

Nova.....I am wanting to get on top of this ASAP she definately comes first. She is on Metacam at the moment BUT is being sick all the time. All pain relief we have tried in the past has the same effect. Hence why I am looking for new ideas.

You are really close to the Swansea physio specialist called Smartclinic, you may have heard of them?  They are absolutely brilliant, run by specialist rehabilitation vets who are more than happy to use natural alternatives where possible/necessary.  They deal with pain relief, physio, accupuncture and water treadmill, etc.  I have been really impressed as to how they have changed the way my 5 year old gsd moves and am now currently taking my 9 year old gsd to see if they can help her become sound/more comfortable.  The "patient" being really comfortable and relaxed with the treatment is of utmost importance to them and they go out of their way to ensure that the dogs don't become stressed in any way.

I cannot recommend them enough, honestly try to give them a chance to help if you can? 

One of my girls can't have Metacam as it makes her sick but is fine on Zubrin.

i have this problem at the moment and am currently treating with a combination of devils claw, cod liver oil and synoquin and although there is lameness and the instabilty in the knee my girl is very happy in herself and would happily play with the others and chase the cats if she was allowed.

I have rimadyl in the cupboard but am trying this first and would only give the rimadyl if i thought it was really neccessary.

Hope she is feeling more comfortable very soon x

Not a pain killer, but for joints, as well as Devil's Claw, which someone else has mentioned, there's green lipped mussel extract.  My two are on raw, and I put turmeric and apple cider vinegar into their blended veggies, both of which promote healthy joints.  I also give mine a tin of fish each week, either in oil or tomato sauce. 

Good luck with her, hope you manage to find something that works. 

Thanks everyone so much information here to look through I knew I could count on champdogs.

We have given up the Metacam today as Brooke is so sick and is getting stressed about it. This weekend will be keeping her as quiet as possible and then starting again Monday with new things. Her bioflow collar is on its way. We have our appointment with Richard Allport on Monday, she has been on homeopathic treatment alongside conventional meds for 12 months now for lung problems.

Most importantly tomorrow I will be contacting my vet about the Smart clinic in Swansea which I had never heard of, looks good and lots to help with pain management...treadmill, acupunture, massage, exercise etc etc.

Thanks everyone for all the info will let you know how we get on.

Good luck Mountaindreams.  I am sure Lowrie and her team at Smartclinic will be able to help your girl.  Keep us updated.

Have spoken to my vet today and she will refer us. Intresting they hadn't mentioned the clinic. Also last year I lost Brooke's mum due to pain we could no longer control and our vet at that time never mentioned the clinic either. I had heard of the weigh bridge centre and knew they did ops there but never realised they had everything else available. What a great hidden resource in Swansea. Thanks Zajak

I go to the Smartclinic in Cardiff travelling from Bristol and went initially on opinions of friends who had been there, always the best way isn't it?  Let us know how your girl gets on!

Hi there, just wanted to say I am so pleased you have stopped the metacam.  I started a thread back in September about my labrador who was on metacam and being sick.  Anyway, we had to have him pts in the end because of chronic kidney failure, and I absolutely believe the metacam was responsible for this, and would never ever use the drug again.  He had to have a small op on his eye earlier in the year, and because he was over 8 years old the vet recommended he had his internal organs checked.  Anyway, his kidneys were functioning absolutely fine.  He started getting weak on his back leg after this, only a matter of months, and the vet put him on metacam.  He started refusing his food, being sick etc, and I repeatedly rang the vets to tell them this, they never told me to stop with the metacam.  He ended up so sick that he had to stay at the vets on a drip, and when I started researching and googling metacam, I found just how harmful it can be, and symptoms like being sick or loss of appetite are all signs of kidney failure and should never be ignored.  I found this all out too late, because I trusted my vet and just saw metacam as some sort of safe pain killer.  I learnt the hard way and will never ever use that drug on my dog again.  I had it out with the vet, who couldn't agree or disagree with what I was saying.  We are now in dispute with the huge vet bill, because I feel I was let down by my vet and he should of helped me recognise the symptoms.  I have since got a puppy, changed vets, and learnt a very hard lesson by losing a very faithful friend.

I know this sounds radical but have you or your vet considered amputation of the painful limb?

Dogs compensate so well and the loss of the endless pain may just be what she needs.

Not a natural medicine but has the vet suggested a anti-inflammatory medicine called Trocoxil?
I have never used it for a dog of my own but have heard positive results from those who have used it.
Compared to metacam etc it is only given once a month so easier on the tummy...

My Lab has a old leg injury that has been causing her problems the last twelve months,however I can see a difference in her as I have changed her food to nature diet,chicken rice and veg.She has a bioflow collar and goes on a water treadmill at hydotherpy,I thought she would gets stressed but once in she enjoys it,she will be going in the pool in a few weeks,the dogs are not hoisted in the pool they swim freely with staff,which is much better the dogs wear a life jacket,as staded on another thread there are good and bad hydrotherepy all the staff were we go are trained at hawksmoor which is known for excellence.She is on prescription pain relief but i have been able to reduce,must be a contribution of everthing that is working for her as she is much brighter and happier.

Sheila

We are now using Devils claw with Brooke and she has been accepted at the smart clinic in Swansea. Her first appointment is in 2 weeks and then we will see what treatments they suggest.

Hope all goes well with Brooke,please let me know she goes on,they are a worry at times.I am not sure if Sadie will take to the pool,because if she gets stressed I will not continue,she swims in dirty smelly water,a nice clean hot pool is a different matterLOL,

Sheila

sheila

I found with Brooke it was the jets in the pool she hated...they would blow her ears and the more she tried to shake her ears the more water went in them lol. They have a treadmill here and also acupunture and whilst I worry about it she will probably take it all in her stride with the needles as long as she is fussed.
I am not keen on the water as she has very low lung capacity but obviously they know what they are doing. The inital appointment is an hour and a half so plenty of time to talk about things properly.
Good luck with Sadie and will let you know how Brooke goes. The devils claw seems to have helped as she is jumping on and off the bed by herself lol