Arthritis Cases

Thank you for helping us all out here. I have an eight-year-old who has hip dysplasia and arthritis in both hips. She has been overcompensating and now has arthritis in her elbows as well. We have tried galliprant, green lipped muscles, CBD oil, fish oil, and Tumeric. We keep her activities low impact and have tried swimming, laser therapy, and the Assisi Loop. Do you have any other recommendations that may help her at this point? She has begun head bobbing when walking in the morning so I think it has gotten worse.

Dr. Steve's Advice - to take pressure off the front legs, we need to do something for that pain from hip dysplasia. Even at this advanced stage, I have seen Voltrex (https://goldstandardherbs.com/products/Original-Voltrex-85g-p647327438) from Gold Standard Herbs work quickly to significantly improve mobility. It may help the forelimb arthritis as well. 

Then there are all the other things that can dramatically improve hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis:
- a real food meat-and-vegetable diet
- chiropractic
- acupuncture
- physio- or rehabilitation therapy
There there are other things you can do like prolotherapy, stem cell therapy, etc. Bottom line, you've probably barely scratched the surface here. Start with diet change and Voltrex and then see what else is at hand to add in next. I'm sure you can get your dog feeling a LOT better

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I was wondering if a lack of space between joints indicates arthritis? We sent his xrays out to radiology. The fact that they didn't mention the bone spur tells me they didn't think it was significant. I'd like a second opinion on the lack of space between the metatarsal (sp) and the first (index finger/toe) filange (sp) and the bone spur. He broke the first digit a few years ago but I was told it wasn't a serious break.

Dr. Steve's Advice - if the pain is related to an old fracture, then homeopathic Symphytum (30C strength) given twice daily for a few weeks may resolve it.

Since NSAIDs were helpful and the pain stems from the paw, Quick River by Kan Essentials (often available on Amazon in the US) may resolve it as well. Dose according to the chart at https://nphc.ca/using/dosage. Give the number you see there twice daily.

Hopefully that helps you out. If you're just not sure, you can given both things together. Also have a chiropractor check your dog's neck. An amazing number of forelimb lamenesses in dogs actually come from neck fixations.

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Kaiser, 8.7 years old had his yearly physical last week.  Going into that appointment he was being treated for arthritis with Deramaxx 75mg per day. Yesterday our veterinarians office called to report that his liver levels were high, which could be caused by the Deramaxx. They suggested lowering that dosage and add Denmarin to help his liver recover. My question to you all is first and foremost for any insight you may have into this. Also do you know of anything I can add to his diet to help his liver as  well.  Kaiser and I appreciate your input!

Dr. Steve's Advice - if you have to use NSAIDs to keep your dog comfortable, you can try add in something that will improve liver blood circulation. Denamarin is not likely to help in that regard. I would suggest something like Happy Wanderer from Kan Essentials, which you can source safely through Aleksandra Topic at aleks.topic1@gmail.com. Hopefully that will help.

If it does help a little, circle back. There are herbs you can use along with it that might help with the arthritis. For sure you should only use the drug if your dog needs it. If he's not painful, give him a day off like you would for yourself.

Lastly, look around for canine physio or rehab therapists, chirorpactors or acupuncturists. Sometimes their methods are more curative, allowing a reduced reliance on the drug.

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I'm wondering what you would suggest for a Golden Retriever with really severe arthritis in her ankles. She does have chiropractic adjustments and laser. But the vet doing it hasn't really focused on her ankles. You can literally hear them creaking when she walks. She has good days but the bad days are bad. She has a sensitive stomach as well so if she has a GI upset the increase in potty trips really takes a toll on her getting up and down. She's been weak in her back end since she was a puppy (I'm assuming that's why the breeder sent her to a rescue) and we though it was always just weak hips. Now I wonder if it's always been her ankles. She is currently in CBD. She has been off of her Yumove and omegas for a few weeks because she had a GI episode and hasn't been out back on them yet.  She also is on Kan herbs Benefit hip and knees. We tried the Voltrex but getting the powder in her is impossible. She won't eat it on her food. 

Dr. Steve's Advice -  for a sensitive GI and very swollen (fluid-filled?) joints, the first thing I think of is Free the Sinews by Kan Essentials. You can get an authentic version from Aleksandra Topic at aleks.topic1@gmail.com. Find her weight in the table at https://nphc.ca/using/dosage and give that amount twice a day. It might also help those weak hind legs

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Can a Cushing's dog be given Lumbrex? She is a 10 year old boxer with pituitary Cushing's (with a macroadenoma) and had SRT done over 2 years ago. She also has very bad arthritis and has been whimpering more recently. We have been giving gabapentin 100mg 2x a day and know we can increase that but I'd prefer to give less drugs, not more. Her Cushing's is controlled with vetoryl but we only give 10mg every few days. We also give CBD 10:1 with THC as needed for pain. I was on the Gold Standard website ordering Cessorex and saw the Lumbrex and thought it might help. Any recommendations are appreciated! I hope you have a fabulous 2023!

Dr. Steve's Advice - If your dog has actual arthritis in the hips or knees, I'd wonder about Gold Standard Herbs' Voltrex (https://goldstandardherbs.com/products/Original-Voltrex-85g-p647327438) as a better fit. If the joints are severely puffy and swollen at all, such as in polyarthritis, then I'd wonder about a Kan Essentials product called Free the Sinews. If you meant the arthritis was in her back, not her legs, then Lumbrex is a good fit if both legs are somewhat equally affected and she is primarily weak and not so much lame. If the response to Gabapentin has been dramatic, that is another reason to try Lumbrex.

Some people just use Voltrex and Lumbrex together to hedge their bets! Hope that helps!

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What do you think of this product or Myos muscle formula for improving muscles after TPlO ? This is for my 103lb male lab mix 2 2/3,yr old brindle. Who has had 2 modified TPlO surgeries due to deformities. 1 in May and 1 end August.

His name is Dakota he takes yumove right now )will switch to Dasaquin advanced until I find a better joint supplement ).He is eating honest kitchen in pm and will be eating Natures logic Distinction or honest kitchen clusters in pm. 

Other pup is Sandy she is a 2 years old female black mouth cur who has same diet and supplement as Dakota. She weighs 70 lbs. and has had limping and hopping on z3 legs off and on . Vet suspects possible partial cruciate tear. Wanted me to do X-rays at cost of $558 pd $80 for exam. surgeon who did Dakota wants $180 for exam says xray not necessary. I am going to follow your natural steps for healing but wondering if she needs additional supplements also. Thank you for your time and help sorry thi is so long. Really appreciate you and your advice.

Dr. Steve's Advice - either of those products is fine to try and not likely to cause issues.

To my mind, medicine is like a game of darts. There are a lot of ways to rack up points, but you only need one dart in the bullseye to win the game. Glucosamine, chondroitin, and Myos are like 'point racker uppers' whereas something like Voltrex (https://goldstandardherbs.com/products/Original-Voltrex-85g-p647327438) by Gold Standard Herbs is something that hits the bullseye. The reason it hits the bullseye is because it does so many things despite being a relatively simple product. As discussed in Sarah MacKeigan's webinar with Sarah MacKeigan: Upward DOG: Rehab & Wellness the other day, it:
- targets the microbiome and its role in arthritis
- normalizes circulation through the joints and ligaments, to stop renewal of inflammatory responses and allow healing to occur
- quells the inflammation already present in the joint
I think that's why it works so quickly and completely. It also takes care of the main differential diagnosis for cruciate tears, which is sciatica from sacro-iliac fixations. That needs to be ruled out in Sandy and can't be detected on an X-ray. A visit to a chirorpactor or rehab therapist might help make sure it isn't there, or provide prompt relief if it is.

As for Daktoa, even though the problem has been ostensibly corrected through two TPLOs, it hasn't been from a Chinese medical point of view. The underlying diagnosis of Shao Yang disharmony still exists. The continued presence of that disorder, which amounts to a blockage of adequate blood flow to the hind limbs, is what (in their eyes) is keeping the muscles from getting the circulation they need to become strong again. Thus, even with the surgeries and the products you're considering, I'd still use Voltrex for him, too, to be more assured of reversing that atrophy. A visit to a chiropractor/rehab therapist might also make sure there are no spinal fixations impeding nerve impulses to the legs that can make the muscles become weak

My last comment has to do with diet. I see you're trying to move along the continuum from processed to real food. Dehydrated foods are still substantially processed, though. Strive to give as much real food as possible, since it is lower in AGEs and inflammatory effects, and since real food normalizes circulation through joints and ligaments whereas dried processed foods really do not

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