Our lovely Archie is really starting to limp badly now and is very stiff getting up-we have had him on metacalm but dont want to keep dosing him- any ideas-he gets fish oils etc but to no avail dont like to see him struggling like this

Our previous greyhound started to get stiff and arthritic around the age of 12. We had great success with a copper lined collar. So successful that he regained some of the sprightliness of his younger days and we never needed to put him on metacalm. (He was nearly 14 when he passed on.) If you google "Freedom Collars" you can get info on them.

Mustard seed pads. You can do them by yourself buying some mustard seeds and sewing a flat pad with many diagonal seams ( like a quilt) to keep the seeds in the right place otherwise the seeds will move to one place. Archie can sleep on such a pad.
Read below, please:
Mustard Seed's Bioneregy Field

Thanks to Kirilian photography and to modern electronics, we can undestand the incredible power of mustard seed and learn why mustard seeds have been used to treat many ailments for thousands of years, especially to relieve pain, stress, aid in healing, and invigorate the body. Kirilian photography, used to display the energy fields of plants, shows the mustard seed's bioenergy field. A tiny mustard seed, only about 2 millimeters in diameter, generates a huge, 100 millimeter radius, which is a record among all the tested plants.

energy fields activate all biochemical processes and ecourage healing. The most sophisticated energy-medicine instruments are used for diagnosing and treating ailments. Mocrucirrent electrical therapy (MET) is used to help relieve chronic and/or acute pain. Electriostimulation is used to control pain, and electromagnetic fields are used to stimulate the healing of broken bones.

Mustard seeds generate a natural bioenergy field as long as the seeds are alive, which is typically about 4 years. Because of the mustard seeds' bioenergy, simmilar to the human energy field, the seeds help to activate our biochemical metabolic process. Mustard seeds are the constant source of bioenergy that radiates into the muscles and ligaments, heats them up and relaxes them, and increases blood circulation and oxygen, thus accelerating the body's natural healing process and boosting its immunity.

Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds
Mustard seeds help relieve rheumatism, backache, joint pain, migraine and muscle aches.
They are used as therapy for anxiety, depression, insomnia, blood pressure disorder, thyroid gland disorder and impotence
Mustard seeds help neutralize radiation of television sets, computers and underground water rivers.

If you wanted to buy a ready-made one (about 80cm long) and you can not buy it in the UK, I can help to find one in Poland ( 2 mats 40 cm long, the price about 20 pounds in a Polish Internet shop).

Thanks folks will try copper collar and then mustard seeds-Stan I my use them on my poor knees as well Archie is only 7yrs old dont like to see him suffer like this

Heather, in the website below you can see what they look like if you wanted to make them at home. Click on the link below:

http://zdrowie.uzdrawianie.org/index.php?cPath=5

Hi Heather,

Poor Archie, hope he's feeling better soon. If all else fails, someone recommended 'Synflex for Pets' to me before. I had Finn on it when he started limping and he recovered quite quickly, though that's probably just a coincidence! If the stuff I have left is still in date I'll leave it at kennels for you.

Karen

Thanks Karen much appreciated we are also going to get him a copper collar-will let you know how it goes-cheers

Hi Heather,
It sounds like the inference is that Archie has osteoarthritis? Is that right? Is his lameness a confirmed case of osteoarthritis? Is it progressive? Is it hind/forelimb? Which joint? When and where is he stiffest? Can he excercise? Is he better with the Metacam? Have you tried other drugs? Has he been to the vets, had any investigations like radiographs? Sorry, so many questions! :)

There are many ways to manage and medicate osteoarthritis. By all means nutritional supplements and special diets have their place and can be helpful, but if he is painful to the point of lameness, then we have to assume that it is affecting his quality of life and analgesia has to be provided. Sometimes its not really an option not to. We may also have to change our expectations about our pet; since osteoarthritis is a progressive condition and we can't cure it, we can only aim to palliate it. So rather than hoping our pet will live as long as possible (which is perfectly normal!), we have to aim to make their remaining life, however long that may be, as painfree as possible.

There are many ways of providing analgesia for osteoarthritis. We can use opioids, steroids and NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatories) of which meloxicam (Metacam) is one example. NSAIDs are the commonest drug prescribed because they are very effective, with comparatively few side effects (the main side effect is gastrointestinal ulceration, which unfortunately dogs are very susceptible to).
In the past the use of NSAIDs was directed in a 'use-as-needed' fashion but nowadays it is known that regular dosing is more effective for long term control of pain. There are many other NSAIDs apart from meloxicam, there are even long lasting ones (eg. Trocoxil, one tablet works for about a month. I am not saying he needs this, its just an example of the variety of NSAIDs).

The mixing of several drugs, multi-modal analgesia, is also a good approach for controlling pain (directed by your vet of course, as there a couple of drugs that don't mix well, eg steroids and NSAIDs) a drug called Tramadol (a synthetic opioid) is very useful as a sort of top-up analgesic, for any 'bad days' in osteoarthritic dogs.

Basically the more multifactorial your approach is, the better your outcome will be. I haven't mentioned weight because greyhounds are not the chunky type, but this is very very important.

Provide the special diets and nutraceuticals like glucosamine, chondroitin, hyluronan, polysulphated glycosaminoglycans. All of which can act as chondroprotectants (protecting the articular cartilage from further degeneration).

Excercise your dog frequently but steadily. Constant steady excercise is beneficial, as opposed to infrequent or intensive excercise which is not.

Give anti-inflammatories if they are needed ie signs of pain.

I hope this hasn't ended up as a lecture and has been helpful!

The Synflex that Karen mentions is glucosamine. An example of a 'nutraceutical' (nutritional pharmaceutical; basically an oral supplement!!) that can be very helpful as part of the management of OA.