Arthiritis

Question
Hi Sarah. My dog is only 3 years old, but she looks like getting up onto the couch or bed, or just using any effort in her back legs at all hurts her. She has had a leg injury before. She just looks like she is sore in her back legs all the time. What are symptoms of arthritis? If she happened to have it, should I just talk to my vet about medication, or should i just get meds through petmeds or a source like that? Thanks so much!
Kailee Young

Answer
Hi Kailee,
I don't know if Sarah has already responded to you or not - I saw your question in the main question pool for dogs and it didn't mark if it had been answered or not, so I wanted to be sure you got some help.

I can understand your situation completely - I have a 2 year old lab who already has orthopedic problems. As sad as it is, its entirely possible that your dog already has orthopedic troubles at the young age of 3. The symptoms of athritis are pretty broad ranged -- stiffness in the hind end, being slow to get up after laying down, etc. However, there are many possibilities outside arthritis. My dog, Laney, has hip dysplasia - which is when the femoral head doesn't fit correctly in its socket (this is the hip joint). It's also possible she's having knee/joint problems, such as a torn ligament. You should definately take her to the veterinarian, and they will most likely need to take x-rays to see exactly what's going on. As young as she is, arthritis medications like Rimadyl would not be a good option for her, as they can cause build up in the liver. My veterinarian has Laney on Glucosamine/Chondroiton and MSM, a safer, more natural way to protect her hips and manage her pain. The dosage on those vitamins would have to be determined by your dog's doctor based on her age, size, etc.
You definately should not order meds on your own without having her diagnosed by a veterinarian. It won't be possible to know what she has or how to treat it. Also, you would need a prescription for any professional-grade medications anyway.