Anything that I could do for my 14 year dog; I think that his hips are starting to bother him?

Its time for his hips to have arthritis. my 12 year old border collie has the same problem. the vet gave him some anti-inflammatory medicene for him and it seems to really help. dogs are like humans. once the age factor sets in, its time for some help from our doctor and their vet. if your dog rides in your vehicle, you may have noticed he is having a hard time jumping onto the car seat. he will need your helping had, so plan on it. its just the aging process of us all.

Rimadyl may be prescribed for him by the vet. It seems to help.

Thanks, you two. I’ll look into the anti-inflammatory meds.

The cold can also be a factor if he has arthritis. Maybe some doggie pants, or try to get him to lay on a heating pad.

A heated bed is a nice luxury for an older dog.

My old boy gets one aspirin per day, half in the morning and half in the evening. I could worry about what it is doing to his liver, but he is 13 so I am more interested in keeping him pain free while he is still here than worrying about long term effects. Also a bed of egg carton foam is helpful.

My veterinarian recommended Glucosamine, Chondroitin and EPA (epicosapentaenoic Aic) and DHA (docosahexanoic acid) for my cat’s arthritis. He told me to buy the EPA and DHA from a vitamin supplements store but only give 50mg/day of EPA and DHA to my 12 pound cat and warned that if I gave too much EPA/DHA to my cat that she would develop diarrhea.

Forgive me if my answer is a little odd, but whenever I see my friend’s dog (a young springer spaniel, but with a metal pin in one of his hips) I always give his hips a proper massage, around the joints etc. He always seems grateful (if that doesn’t sound too daft).

Rimadyl is now available in generic (Carprofen) which is MUCH cheaper than the brand name. Etodolac is another prescription that might help. My old guy couldn’t tolerate the Carprofen but did great with the Etogesic. We also used a supplement called Welactin (a palatable oil) that seemed to make a great difference.

There are many other NSAIDs available but if the pain gets really bad, you might be prescribed prednisone.
If your vet prescribes something it’s worth checking prices on Doctors Foster and Smith
Sometimes you can save up to 50%.
Luckily there are many treatment choices now so chances are good you’ll be able to get your friend some relief.

I’m not sure if it’s the same with dogs but with some animals it’s very important not to decrease the prednisone too abruptly once the animal is taking it.