need advice; my dog has OA

[fresh to death [:]

my boy is an 8 year old bull terrier, he recently developed a lump on one leg (in the area of styloid process of ulna in human). i suspected the OA since he has not been wanting to get up & go for walks. when he does get up, he is very stiff. he looks at me crazy if i expect him to jump into the car and gets fatigued when we do just short walks. we used to go about 2 or 3 miles, now just a block and he's done.
so... the vet gives us a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory called duramaxx. only two days on this medication and what a difference. morning stiffness is almost completely gone, the lump above his foot seems reduced, we went for a decent walk this morning, he did great, he loved it.
i would not particularly like to put him on long-term medications, for a few reasons including that i respect the inflammatory response and that this medication seems to cost about $60 month. i'm wondering if anyone can give me some tips for things i can do for him, to hopefully keep him off medication a while longer. i have no training in canine massage, i just apply the techniques i learned in massage school. mostly cross-fibering tendonous areas, some petrissage in the muscle bellies, whatever joint movements he will tolerate. of course, he likes it all.
also, can someone recommend the proper bath water temperature. he has to be bathed once a week right now due to allergy skin. he does seem to prefer warmer water and relax more, but i was wondering if warm bath would aggravate the OA.
and do you think i can do some things to help with his pain, or just listen to the vet on this one and stick with the meds?
thanks for any advice.
c.c.

 

[akhilstar]

Have you considered acupuncture for your dog? My dog injured his hip when he was not much more than a puppy, had to have surgery, and was in horrible pain. (Heartbreaking, since he's not the complaining type! Tiny inconspicuous whimpers!) My mother took him to an acupuncturist and, as she tells it, Rusty limped in and walked out. (I wouldn't believe it if anyone else had told me, but my it's my mom so I trust her not to make this stuff up. LoL)
Wish I could help you with your specific questions. Good luck to you and your darling pooch.

 

[lbaker2656]

From the little bit of info you gave, he expresses a couple of keynotes for the homeopathic remedy Rhus Tox; stiff when first getting up, prefers warmth. It's a remedy often given to people and animals with arthritis. My own 8 year old dog has some similar issues and responds really well to it. No meds in our household.
You might try a daily dose of a lower potency, like 3x or 6x.

(I'm a homeopath as well as a bodyworker)
Good luck. PM me if you want to consult a bit further.

 

[Sierra]

need advice; my dog has OA

I have eight year old dog and at this age he has a face some joined pain problem. I don’t want to give him drugs that are available in the market because I think it might have some harmful side effects. So anyone can suggest me what can I do for him??