Hounded by pain: Treatment options available for arthritic dogs

Tuesday, June 11, 2002 | 8:17 a.m.

When Elizabeth and Harold Hurlbut's 8-year-old clumber spaniel was unable to get out of bed one morning last month, the couple were surprised.

Normally their dog was active. She went on daily walks and often ran in the park.

"She went to bed and that was it," Elizabeth Hurlbut said. "You wouldn't even believe it was the same dog. She couldn't even go to the bathroom. She couldn't walk."

The Hurlbuts brought their dog, Suzie, to their veterinarian's office on a stretcher. It turned out that the dog's left hip was arthritic. The pain immobilized her.

Until that morning, the Hurlbuts had no idea the dog was in such bad condition.

"She didn't really show any signs of it," Elizabeth Hurlbut said.

Such is the problem when it comes to canine arthritis.

Dogs may be quick to tell their owners when it's time to eat, go for a walk or use the backyard facilities. But when it comes to complaining about their health they're often secretive, local veterinarians say.

Most pet owners assume their dogs are going to cry when they develop arthritis, said Debbie White, a veterinarian at Lone Mountain Animal Hospital on West Cheyenne Avenue, who treats Suzie.

But that's not usually the case, White said. It's common for an owner not to know a dog has arthritis.

According to Pfizer Animal Health, a division of Pfizer Inc., a pharmaceutical company based in New York, more than 8 million dogs (one in five) are affected by arthritis, and more than half of those dogs go untreated because owners don't know the dogs' condition.

In some cases, White said, "They think the dog is just getting old when really it's showing signs of arthritis."

Deborah Lynch, executive vice president of the American Kennel Club Health Foundation in Aurora, Ohio, said more attention is being paid to animal arthritis because dogs are living far longer than before.

"We've solved a lot of disease, like parvo virus and distemper," Lynch said. "And people take better care of dogs. They keep them home. They don't roam. They don't get hit by cars as much.

"Dogs now, today, are members of the family," Lynch said. And when it comes to health needs, "They get that kind of care."

Some of the common signs that a dog may have arthritis include trouble standing (or, in some cases, sitting up), persistent limping, slowness or panting as they walk, White said. Some dogs may simply quit jumping onto the couch or climbing stairs.

Lynch pointed out that owners of severely arthritic dogs should make sure their pets don't sleep on cold floors. Orthopedic beds are good, as are no-slip steps and flooring, she said.

"When they slip, it's just going to aggravate it more," Lynch said.

Treatment options

Elizabeth Hurlbut said she had seen Suzie limp every once in a while, but such occasions were rare.

To treat the arthritis, Suzie was prescribed Rimadyl, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug for dogs, and the joint supplement glucosamine. The dog, who weighs 85 pounds, was also placed on a diet.

Additionally, the Hurlbuts place a warm compress on the dog's hip and have installed a ramp for Suzie to use when she is getting in and out of their van.

Down the road, the couple said, they may consider surgery to remedy the problem. For now, Elizabeth Hurlbut said, the dog is doing much better.

"She's up and around running and the next day she's not sore," Hurlbut said. "If everything goes this way she can remain on the medicine. There should be no problem."

Because of the side effects caused by Rimadyl, such as liver and kidney disorders, not every dog should be given the medication. Dogs should have their blood tested to make sure their systems will tolerate the drug, White said.

Also, White added, pet owners should check with a veterinarian before giving their dogs anything more powerful than aspirin.

Moderate exercise, such as walking the dog a half of a block and swimming, is also good for arthritic dogs, she said.

Weight conditions

Another way to treat arthritic pain is to make sure dogs maintain a healthy weight. "In a lot of dogs that can make the biggest difference," White said.

Pahrump resident Carol Gerardi said that weight was a contributing factor to her dog Harley's arthritis.

The 7-year-old black lab was up to 140 pounds last February and has since lost 22 pounds.

"He had a lot of weight on his joints," Gerardi said.

This is Gerardi's third black lab. Her two previous dogs had arthritis. But because the dogs weren't as heavy as Harley, the arthritis didn't develop until the dogs were older, she said.

Harley's arthritic condition worsened in February when he fell on icy steps in Ohio, where Gerardi lives part time. The accident injured the dog's hip and hindquarters.

"He could barely walk," Gerardi said.

Gerardi's vet in Ohio had prescribed anti-inflammatories and suggested a knee replacement for the dog, which Gerardi opted against. Instead, she hoped the warm Southern Nevada climate would lessen the dog's pain.

But it didn't.

After reading a magazine article on animal acupuncture, Gerardi decided seven weeks ago to bring Harley to Natural Care Institute, a holistic veterinary clinic on East Windmill Parkway.

Veterinarian Nancy Brandt uses acupuncture and chiropractic care to treat Harley each week, and prescribed Chinese herbs, diet dog food, glucosamine and vitamins.

At least once a week Gerardi massages Harley's knee and hip joints with oil, and places warm towels on the dog's joints.

Harley has returned to his former self and his energy has returned, Gerardi said. "Now he's got his little wiggle back."

Holistic help

Brandt is certified by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association. She worked in traditional veterinary medicine in Las Vegas for 12 years before returning to school to study holistic medicine.

Brandt uses chiropractic care to realign the joints and acupuncture to reduce pain.

She prescribes herbs and uses electromagnetic field therapy, a field generator that pulsates electromagnetic energy through the body. (The technique is used by doctors and veterinarians to eliminate pain and rejuvenate and heal the body.)

"It goes beyond trying to cover up the symptoms but helping the body to repair itself," she said, referring to holistic medicine. "Allopathic medicine is very powerful. But in medicine, equally important is using all tools."

Referring to arthritis, Brandt said, "If you look at different modalities, such as homeopathy and traditional Chinese medicine, you start realizing that it's (caused by) a weakened immune system."

Rimadyl works for some dogs, Brandt said. But the two most important treatments are nutrition and chiropractic medication that ensure alignment of the body's biomechanics, she said.

"In younger dogs, nutrition and good chiropractic care can at least delay the onset of arthritis," she said.

Brandt often recommends that owners make home-cooked meals for their dogs. She said she will assess a dog's nutrition levels and prescribe intensive nutritional doses to meet the dog's needs.

Howard Solomon is a Las Vegas real estate agent whose 15-year-old chow chow, named Jetta, is a patient of Brandt's. Solomon makes meals for the dog that usually consist of rice, chicken, bone meal, olive oil, potassium and sardines.

The dog had long suffered from arthritis. Surgery wasn't an option. "She's too old," Solomon said.

By the time Solomon brought Jetta to see Brandt in February, the dog had developed gastrointestinal problems from taking Rimadyl for the past couple of years.

Brandt took the dog off the medication, and put Jetta on herbal supplements and a nutritional diet to treat her arthritis and gastrointestinal problems. Brandt also adjusts the dog's spine regularly.

After the first chiropractic adjustment, Solomon said that he noticed a change in Jetta almost immediately.

Before, he said, the 42-pound dog couldn't climb stairs. "She was having a hard time moving and sitting down. She just kind of lost her playfulness.

"She's just improved so well," he said. "She's like she was several years ago.

"When you have a commitment to a pet this number of years, you'll do anything to make sure she has a good quality of life."

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