My old dog has arthritis. What are safe pain relief alternatives?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Female | spayed | 13 years and 4 months old | 70.5 lbs
Hello. I have a female labrador named Lily, she's thirteen years old. She has been diagnosed with acute arthritis and adviced to be given painkillers and steroids. The medication begins today but we're concerned about the side effects. Please advice.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on September 17th, 2017
Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Before beginning steroids, I typically start joint supplementation and conservative management before resorting to steroids. Below are the things I currently recommend to combat the pain from arthritis: 1. Dasuquin for large dogs 2. Adequan injections 3. Cold laser therapy 4. Omega 3 fish oil 5. Pain relievers such as amantadine, gabapentin, methadone, and tramadol. If you really want to invest more money into arthritis management PRP injections can help quite a bit. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on January 26th, 2020
Poor guy. I would highly recommend Adequan injections that your ve can either give or instruction you in how to give at home. This is one of the most effective forms of treatment for osteoarthritis in dogs. I would also recommend Gabapentin as an alternative to the Tramadol, which we have found isn’t very effective for managing dogs pain. And finally, acupuncture and joint rehabilitation facilities for dogs in your are would be a great resource. Ask your vet for a referral to a reputable place near you. And finally, it is always advised to confirm this is just arthritic pain via an x-day done through your vet. There are several other diseases that can cause limping and lameness in dogs, so we want to be sure we are on the right track with our treatment. Hopefully with these additional treatments you can effectively manage Jakes arthritic pain. Best of luck moving forward. Take care!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
10 y/o male pitbull mix at correct wt of 80 lbs. Tore both CCLs before age 2 and both surgically repaired. Now limping most likely from arthritis. Cannot take NSAIDs due to GI bleeding. Glucosamine-chondroitin not effective. Has taken tramadol post-o
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