Rat terrier and arthritis

Okay, so me and my family adopted a dog.. about 12 years ago when he was less than a year old. So as you know, he is a pretty old dog. All he ever does is sleep and when he is up you can hear his bones popping a lot and you can tell that he is...

uncomfortable when he walks. We've had dogs that had arthritis before, but this is probably the worse we have seen. It gets worse when the weather is cold or rainy. In my opinion, I would just rather get him euthanized so he doesn't have to be in pain, but my mom and sister want to continue to give him medication which really doesn't help. He has gotten to be a really grumpy dog from the friendly dog he used to be. If you bother him he growls at you, he can barely walk, and he doesn't want to get up and eat really anymore, unless it's a good day for him. What is everyone else's opinions? I hate to see the dog suffer, but my mom and sister want to keep him around regardless.

I'm not trying to sound like I'm a mean pet owner or anything, but I think it's the right thing to do since he can barely walk without hurting.

You didn't say what medicines your mom is giving him...if it's just Glycosimine and Condroiten...at this stage of the game, it's pretty ineffective...HOWEVER...they do have new NSAID'S that really work well...One of them is Metacam...you have to get it from the vet, but I know of several old German Shepherds who were having an awful time just getting up, who have turned totally around and are now playing fetch, and running...

Here's a quote from the Metacam site...

The good news is that medical care of the problems associated with old age has advanced rapidly in recent years. One of these advances has been in the treatment of arthritis. METACAM is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat the pain and inflammation caused by osteoarthritis. The development of METACAM has enabled dogs worldwide to live longer and more comfortable lives.

For a dog this small, I'd think the dosage would be very inexpensive...and since they love this dog so much, it'd be well worth trying...

phrannie

Sounds pretty good. I might tell them about it, I'm not sure what it's called that they are giving them, but I know it's not that because it doesn't start with an M!