My vet has prescribed PLT for my dog due to arthritis. She also has CDRM.

I've heard that steroids can be very bad for your dog, what is everyone's advice on this?

Thanks

Main thing to consider is the quality of live, steroids are a naturaly produced hormone and in the correct amount and the correct type are essential. However if your dog is not a youngster it is best to make what is left of their life comfortable, and if that makes it nessasary for them to take steroids then so be it.

Would be interested to know if your dog is neutered and if so at what age, what sex, and when did you first notice the problem, thanks in advance.

Hi my shepherd bitch aged 12 is on plt for arthritis, its certainly helped her, now shes gone and sprained her cruciate I feel if I can give her whats left of her life pain free then I will apart from arthritis in one front leg there is nothing else wrong with her, I certainly would recommend that you give them at least for a while to see what response there is and also to make life more comfortable for the dog

Janines

Hi Jackie,

My dog is 8 years old, I first noticed it about a year ago but it was nothing really, just a slight change in her gait when walking. Nobody else could really see it, even when I pointed it out. Many tests later, she is now very wobbly but still walking and it still seems to be in one hind leg only. Both legs still have a lot of feeling in them. She hasn't been neutured. Hope this helps.

Just one thing I forgot to add, I actually asked for anti-inflammatories for her, they weren't offered. A few weeks ago she had a throat infection as a result of some of the tests she'd had for the CDRM. She was given an anti-inflammatory injection and her walking improved by more than 50%.

I was just concerned because I'd read that certain steroid based tablets can be very bad in the long term, but as you all say, I think at her age and with her condition anything that helps is a bonus.

Thanks all for your advice, I will use these tablets.

Some dogs do not respond to the non steroidal drugs as well as they do to drugs like PLT. But I see no reason why you should not ask the vet to try that first, they are more expensive but if you can manage that and they work, then that is fine. If you said what breed I missed it but with most breeds in a dog of 8 years the long term effects of taking a drug are not so important a consideration as it would be in a young dog, as 4 to 6 years are not such a problem as 8+ years would be. It is true that because a human with expectations of a 70 year life should watch what long term drugs they take, the shorter life of the dog makes this less of a problem.

Have had to use this type of drug on 3 dogs since they became available, and the non steroid ones worked well with one of them, but not with the other 2. So give them a try and see, the main thing is that the dog should not be in pain, if you shorten her live by a few months, the reduction of pain must be worth it.

Hi

My dog also has arthritis and I swear by Cortaflex which contains Glucosamine, MSM and Chondroitin Sulphate. I also take him to regular Hydrotherapy sessions which has improved not only his quality of life but also his general fitness level. Friends who saw him 6 months ago do not believe it is the same dog.

He was also prescribed PLT after Non Steroid drugs had no effect. However he is now doing so well that he very rarely has any medication.

Good luck

H