Hi all, I'm new to the forum, hope everyone had a good Xmas.

Our 13.5yo Border Collie, Bryn, has RA, most noticeably in his front legs/feet. He is currently on Rimadyl to reduce the inflammation. Previously he was on Metacam which did not seem to work at all for him, he has had cartrophen injections too but again little relief.

I have been doing a lot of research and Devils Claw seems to have received good reviews, I understand that some things may work for one dog but not another but will give anything a fair trial to try to ease our boys pain.

Does anyone happen to have first hand experience with Devils Claw and RA, also, although I will ring the vet tomorrow (Monday) to check I just wondered if anyone happened to know if you can give DC with Rimadyl? We have also bought DLPA which should ease some of his pain.

Any help, advice etc would be most welcome.

thanks
S

Sorry to hear about your boy.

Have you tried glycoflex? I have used it for my dogs. I have found it great for my old souls. I also have used a magnetic collar (not sure if it works, but they are worth a go).

Another alternative is hydrotherapy ( I know some insurance companies will now pay for this). Even those not that keen on water seem to enjoy this, however ensure you go to a reputable pool with trained staff, that will have a proper therapy plan and will dry off your dog afterwards.

All the best.

Also, acupuncture is a good pain relief. Insurance companies will also pay for this!

i can really vouch for the use of water as therapy, its soooo nice for pain relief just be aware that when you get out of the water the pain washes in fast if the joints get cold quickly but i'm sure that good pools would be well aware of this and take action.

some vet bed or similar for the journey home and if your dog will tolerate it then wheat bags are worth their weight in gold esp in the evenings.

Hi Everyone, just picked up this post and found it interesting. One of my dogs has had a bad limp for 3 months now. After having x-rays and £700 lighter in my wallet and falling out with the vet I am still no wiser what is actually wrong with her which is very frustrating. I have been told different things by different vets but they think, Think !!! .its arthritis. I am disgused that after 3 months they cant tell me exactly what the problem is....she is 9 years old. As changing vets is not practical due to my location I have decided to try alternatives. She has been on Metacam for 3 months which I would like to get her off due to bad reports of liver/kidney damage. So, I have bought a litre of Devils claw, a Bioflo collar and some tablets called Arthiriti-UM from Pets at home. She has been having cod liver oil and a glugosamine tablet daily for the last 2 years.
I have also put her on a lo-fat diet to lose a little weight which may help.
I will keep you informed of any progress, I dont want to count my chickens but after 2 days of wearing the collar and taking the Devils Claw there seems to be a slight improvement......She is fit and lively otherwise but feels frustrated at not being able to keep up with her litter mate who can still run like a Greyhound.
Any comments or advice would be most welcome.

X-rays won't sometimes show you what's wrong, It was about 5 months until I eventually took Paddy for an MRI scan, which DID show what an x-ray can't. Don't be too mad at your vet, sometimes they just can't see things with a normal x-ray.

I accept what you are saying, I did lose my cool because after all this time they cant even tell which leg is causing the problem !!..I feel that they were all too quick to get her on Metacam for the rest of her life instead of tackling the problem.
After all this time and money we are no further on than the first day I took her in.
headwallbash headwallbash

have you had a mctimoney practioner look at her? well worth the trip!

Thanks for that Gemma, I have just been reading up on it and it may help, I will give anything a try just to get her better. And the good news is that my nearest one is only 85 miles away so not much of a journey. I will get a referal from my vet.
Thanks again.
trophy1st

goodluck! :)

Just a quick update on Skye, its been almost a week since I started her on Devils Claw and fitted her Bioflo collar and there has been some dramitic improvement. When she walks to heel there is no sign of any limp, after 3 months this is wonderful to see. When she tries to speed up the limp is there but not as bad as it was. I will give her another week and reduce or drop off the Metacam.
I am wondering now, is it the collar or the Devils Claw that has helped ?


IMG]hp://[/IMG]

Well, its been 2 weeks now on the Devils Claw and the Bioflo collar and Skye is now RUNNING.......I cant believe it, she saw the vet on Tuesday and he was pleased with her progress and suggested I start reducing the Metacam gradually which makes sense. I really do want to get her off the Metacam. The Devils Claw can only be given for 7 weeks so after that she will only have the collar on and it will be interesting to see if she is still OK or if she goes back to limping. She has had the limp for 4 months now and this is a miracle, I expected her to have the limp for the rest of her life.
I am keeping my fingers crossed, she is like a new dog and enjoying romping with her sister Corrie....Its lovely to see them.

runningdog *sheep(

So pleased for you Runrig - i hope Skye carries on getting better.

Thanks Ruth, I hope so to ! I have never been a fan of alternative medicines or therapies but I am amazed at the improvement, I still dont know if its the collar or the DC but whichever it is I am so impressed. I must admit I had a tear in my eye when she started romping with Corrie, they were just like pups again instead of 9 year old senior citizens.
waggingd