Supplements for morning stiffness in our dog

Question
Shelley Davis
Hello,
We have an eight year old golden retriever who is starting to
show signs of jiont stiffness. Especially early morning or after he
has been resting for quite some time. His weight is
approximately 75 pounds. He gets daily walks/play time along
with our other dog which I am sure helps.
The vet wants to start him on prescription meds "but" the cost is
quite high per pill at one pill per day needed. We realize that as
he grows older he eventually will need the prescription meds
My question:
Are there some over the counter jiont relief products that are
safe for use with dogs ?
Any other supplements you can suggest that will help relieve his
stiffness ?

Thank You ! for taking time to answer.
Have A Happy New Year !
Ron  

Answer
Hi Ron,

Thank you for writing to me regarding your dog's condition.

The first thing that must be addressed is the possible presence of Lyme Disease.  Have you tested for this yet?

There are many suppliments and approaches that are far superior to and safer than medication, unless your vet is referring to Cosaquin or Glycoflex (less expensive).

Here are some suggestions:

-Make sure that your dog is eating a human grade dog food such as Solid Gold Fish and Potato, Spots Stew, Paul Newman, etc.  These don't have by-products and other things that might cause allergies, which in turn can cause arthritic symptoms.  Stay away from grains as they cause inflamation.  I personally prefer real food as opposed to processed dog food.

-Give your dog Missing Link (J&B Wholesale Pet Supply) and Prozyme (from the same place).

-Include a good probiotic such as the one by B-Natural.

-Give your dog an antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase that come in a liquid (SOD).

-Order SYN-FLEX and put this liquid on your dog's food.

-Give Transfer Factor Plus.

-At the health food store buy bulk Ginger and sprinkle that on your dog's food or buy ginger as a suppliment and include that in your dog's daily protocol.

-Try acupuncture.

-See if there is a place for your dog to swim.  It is a wonderful exercise for arthritis.

-Buy a book describing massage for dogs and try that on him.

Stop vaccinating (except for a 3 yrs. rabies vaccine) or putting flea collars/ flea dips etc on your dog.  These are toxic and can lead to a break down in the immune system which can lead to arthritis.

Good luck and have a wonderful New Year.

Shelley Davis
www.bednbiscuit.com