Dally:I have a 6 1/2 year old female Lab/German Shepherd cross (she's around 42 kg). She started showing symptoms of hip dysplasia around this time last year and was diagnosed with it in May of last year.
Sorry - I had a devil of a time finding this -- for some reason it wasn't "notifying" me that this was even here! I'm so sorry!!
I have a whole article on arthritis and pain management that I'll be happy to send you if you email me (It's an attachment and I can't attach anything to a post OR a PM so click the 'contact' button to the right of my name and choose email).
Dally:
Dr. Maggie's (for gluc. and chond.) - 1000 mg each of chond. and gluc. and 100 mg vitamin C
I'm not familiar with this -- the big deal is to use a good quality of g/c -- and you probably can do them individually if you want. C is water soluable and several doses a day do more good than just two a day. Just monitor it -- if you see diarreha back off to the last well tolerated amount. Some dogs can take large amounts, some can't. But it leaves the body almost instantly so just monitor if it seems beneficial. I'm arthritic myself and I can't take C much at all. (Most humans take it by the 1000 mg and 100 will put ME over the edge *sigh*)
Dally:
Apple Cider Vinegar - 1 tablespoon
That's fine -- just use an organic one. My concern is that it puts some dogs off their water (if that's where you're adding it). I know some folks swear by it.
Dally: Hawthorne - 100 mg/ 25-50 lbs twice daily
I've never heard of using Hawthorn for arthritis. Usually it's for the heart -- and I've used it for years for that, but I'd be hesitant using it unless there's a reason. Generally it's used the help the rhythm of the heart -- angina, high blood pressure, and carious cardiac stuff. It's got natural Vit C but that would *not* be a reason to use it here. I'd be interested to know your source on that one, but I'd probably not use it for any sort of pain management.
Dally: Vitamin E - ~400 IU
Only if you use Vit A with it as well -- the two are co-dependant in the body and if you use E without A it will leech the A out of the body and you'll get imbalance. Maybe 7,000 units of A to balance the 400 of E. I wouldn't do it every day -- maybe 3-4 times a week (it can form free-radicals in the body if it's not used - that from my holistic vet, Dr. Demers).
Dally:
Fish Oil - 1000 mg / 10 lbs body weight
Again that's a HUGE amount of it -- I don't even give mine 1000 a day total. Again it's something some vets (holistic vets) are concerned that it can have a negative effect if too much is used -- and fish BODY oil, not organ oil (i.e., you want to use something like salmon oil not cod liver oil -- that's an organ oil and it's more an Omega 6 than an Omega 3). Mostly I use FISH rather than just fish oil. I homecook and I often use whitefish, or I add sardines to their food rather than just the oil.
Be picky -- and I don't EVER use dog stuff there -- it's too easy to get rancid oil. Use the best quality you can afford.
Dally:
Traumeel (liquid form) - not really sure about the dosage on this one (we have it for my horses and us but not sure for dogs)
Traumeel is awesome stuff -- but I wouldn't bother with the liquid (I use the tablets). It's mostly alcohol and pretty bitey. Traumeel is a homeopathic. You can't give it when you give ANYTHING else -- **no food at all**. The tablets are easy with dogs. Now mine will "chew" if I ask them to, and Traumeel is a favorite. You can always crush that tablets in a folded piece of paper and just let them lick it up or pour on their tongue. It's made to be absorbed in the mouth.
It's not a problem to use the liquid -- but it's gonna be tough -- you'll have to use a dropper and put it behind the canine tooth. 5-6 drops would be enough altho I typically give my dogs a whole tablet. (If you're at all familiar with Heel products, it contains remedies that are "homocord" or multiple strengths, so it's safer than something "stronger" and less dilute. That's "greek" if you're not overly familiar with homeopathic medicine.
Traumeel is essentially an anti-inflammatory (it also rocks for any sort of "trauma" at all -- human or animal). It comes in a cream or gel ... but if you HAVE the liquid you can actually use THAT topically probably more satisfactorily on a dog than any of the Traumeel 'topicals'.
But the tablets are completely pleasant for them. You just don't want to give it with anything else at all -- it's not meant to go to the stomach, but rather to absorb in the mouth.
There are other homeopathics that are good for pain and arthritis -- but if you've never learned about them READ READ READ. For something so dilute they are powerful medicine and you can do things you didn't intend to do if you get into the single remedies.
Dally:
Dandelion or Alfalfa - once again not really sure of the dosage
...I read with Alfalfa that it is an anticoagulant, she roams around our property a lot (we have 15 acres), so I'm afraid to give this to her in case she cuts herself at some point.
Hmmm, again I'm not sure why these particular herbs. Dandelion helps the gallbladder, but it also has oxalic acid in it which will worsen arthritis. The dose would depend on what you were trying to achieve -- and honestly, it's nothing *I* use without a vet's input (and the dose varies with what they wanted to do).
Same with with alfalfa -- not something I'd use without vet input just because of it's anti-coagulant properties.
Ok -- MY choices would be different. If you'll email me I'll send you my arthritis/pain management article.
The tricky thing is that you want to keep the muscles strong as possible and yet reduce the wear and tear on the joint. Knox Nutra JOint would be MY first 'go to' thing beyond anything else. It puts the basic stuff at the body's disposal so the body can RE-BUILD cartilage. It's not just a hydrator like glucoasmine/chondroitin (which just plumps up any cartilage that remains -- makes it 'cushion' better temporarily), but Knox takes MONTHS to actually rebuild cartilage. like 2-3 months before you see a difference, but the difference is more permanent. it's not a pain-management thing it actually helps the body restore cartilage. My 30 pound dogs I use a half a scoop a day in their food. I wouldn't do a whole scoop unless it was a bit "over 100 pounds" dog. It's cartilage (like gelatin) and some calcium. Not enough calcium to knock your dog's calcium intake off tho.
Massage would be the other biggie -- that's going to help with pain and it's going to help keep the muscles in condition without hurting the joints.
The big deal with this sort of pain and arthritis is to avoid inflammation -- don't wait until the dog limps to stop. Watch the tension at the back of ht neck -- and stop at the first **sigh** of any tenions. Once you see limping there is inflammation and damage is done.
Holler if I can help more. Callie