harley was lame last feb and the vet took xrays which showed that he as this osteochondrosis, a condition which small bone and cartilage peel away from the bone joint,he got it in the shoulder and elbow, which i think it was cause by two cars he hit when he was 18 months old. he went on metacam which did not worked,then on rimadyl which did worked only for two week then i put him on glucosamine with vitamin c,which has help,untill yesterday when all four where out for a run for and hour,when i got home after work,which he had rested for 4 hour he was lame again and in pain,so i give him rimadyl last night and today with arnica,is there anything else i could give with out side effects which rimadyl and metacam do have side effect.i did hear of shark cartilage or devils claws,has anyone use these products,he could be op on to wash out and take the bone out which is very painfall,so we are not going down that route with him,has long has he is comfortable and happy that all we want.

Leigh Note: Moved to Health :-)

It doesn't sound as if he is very comfortable and you need to be aware of the side effects of various medications and long-term effects. Osteochondrosis occurs when there are 'chips' or erosions in the joint which prohibit it from moving freely, causing a grating between the joint and socket. This is compounded when the bits of bone chipped remain and cause additional grinding and pain. In some cases, extensive rest (crate rest with dog exercised on a leash only to relieve themselves with absolutely no playing, running, etc. will allow the joints to form their own protection. However, since his seems to have been injury caused and extensive, my personal opinion is that crate rest will probably not benefit.

Imagine yourself dealing with pain whenever you move, taking drugs to alleviate the symptoms but not dealing with the source, and having your activities curtailed to that of an elderly person. Many of the elderly opt for hip replacements when they can no longer move or wish for an operation to alleviate arthrititic conditions. They have a choice which you must make for the day.

If your veternarian has stated that the operation will eliminate the condition, I would certainly opt for that over years of intermittent pain and lameness. The operation is actually easily recovered.

I have a human freind who has just undergone an operation to remove loose fragments from his shoulder which were causing him terrible pain. He is now back at work after having to keep the arm in a sling for a couple of weeks.

One of my GSDs had exactly the same problem when he was 18 months old also caused we think by a run in with a car. After pretty much the same treatments which you have tried I decided I could not watch him in pain any longer and went ahead with the operation. Within a couple of weeks he was a completely different dog and he did not seem to be in much pain at all after the op (he is a bit of a wimp and will always let you know if anything hurts). It made a complete difference to his life as he could go back to long free running walks with no painful hobbling afterwards. He is now 9 1/2 years old and pretty fit and well for a GSD of that age although he does now suffer from mild arthiritus in the leg which was affected by the OCD.

thank you for your post,harley back to the vets on wednesday to up date the xrays and they are going to be posted to a vet down in worthing for a second opinon,so we will wait for the out come for him,

Fingers crossed for good news Terri.

I have exactly what Sierra says re hip and will need a hip replacement at some point in the future, however the doctors would like to wait as long as possible, preferably until I am elderly. My osteopath recommended I take an oil called Udo's Choice Essential Omega Fatty Acids, I bought a bottle in a health food shop cost £9 and I put a couple of table spoons mixed in with my food after it has been cooked once a day. Takes a few weeks to work but I really notice a difference and it has made my skin really soft. Apparently these essential fatty acids are contained in a lot of foods but are destroyed the minute the food starts to cook hence why I put it on already cooked food. I wonder if your dog would benefit from this? Restricted exercise doesn't help me at all but I have learned what I can and can't do and also when to stop, unfortunately this is something which a dog can't do.

Just my penny's worth. Good Luck :-)