[RyanHN]

I wanted to share my experience with what I consider to be a miracle treatment that we don't hear enough about (even my vet failed to mention it as an option when Gunther's arthritis got to a point of requiring medical intervention). When I approached her with it after learning about it online, her reasoning she explained for not bringing it up was the expense involved, but by my figures I found it in the long run to actually be cheaper than the more widely accepted approach of using NSAID's for managing arthritis pain. I'm talking about Adequan Canine. If you've never heard of it allow me to introduce you. If you've heard of it but decided against it then perhaps my own account may give you cause to reconsider (P.S. I own no stock in the company who makes it and receive no reward in recommending it except the knowledge that I may have helped relieve another dog's suffering from this debilitating condition).

Gunther started showing signs of arthritis a few years ago. My vet determined that it was in his knees (she could actually hear it popping during his bi-annual exam). For a long time his symptoms were only minor (some difficulty rising from a laying down position, a hesitancy to climb and descend stairs, and most noticeably a decline in his ability to jump into the van on his own--over time it became quite precarious where you weren't quite sure if he was going to make it or not). You may ask why I didn't start him on treatment with NSAID's from the get go. The reason is I was (and am) terrified of them based on what I've read and my own experience. Prior to the arthritis, when Gunther was younger he developed a limp at one point for no apparent reason. He tested negative for lyme's and leptospirosis (sp?) so believing it was unlikely to be arthritis due to his age at the time my vet determined he most likely twisted an ankle or something while jumping around on his walks. She gave me a couple of weeks of Rimadyl to ease his pain while it healed which I started him on immediately. Near the end of the two weeks however Gunther stopped eating and became lethargic. After a couple of days of him refusing to eat I brought him back to the vet. When tested his bloodwork showed a problem with his liver. Believing it was a toxic reaction to the Rimadyl I stopped administering it to him immediately. After a couple of weeks we tested him again and everything was back to normal suggesting the Rimadyl was indeed the culprit. While this was going on I read all sorts of horror stories about dogs experiencing serious complications to their health from NSAID use, even dying in some cases. A few sources suggested that labs are statistically more likely to experience a toxic reaction than other breeds. As a result I've been reluctant to go down that road again if at all avoidable.

So I started him on glucosomine supplements in the hopes of improving his condition or at the very least prevent it from worsening. About a year ago though I knew I had to do something more. His arthritis had progressed to the point that I was lifting him into the van daily, staircases were out of the question, and his walking slowed down considerably with him needing to sit and rest every minute or so. When it got to the point that he could no longer make it to his swimming hole, I knew I had to ease his suffering no matter what the risk. Still hoping to avoid the NSAID's I scoured the internet yet again for an alternative. After much searching I finally came across a site that mentioned Adequan Canine. Conducting a search on the Adequan brought up more information. Apparently people were experiencing excellent results with it. Technically a drug, you could basically think of it as glucosomine on steroids injected intramuscularly. It had been shown to actually aid in the healing of the joints rather than simply masking the pain like NSAID's. That and it had no reported side effects (whether that's still true I can't say but that was the case at the time and I can confirm that Gunther's never had any adverse reactions on it). I got very excited.

I made an appointment with my vet the next day to discuss Gunther's options , stressing my interest to her about the Adequan. She had only good things to say about it based on other dogs' results that she'd treated with it. She was aware however of my financial situation and warned me of the cost. I forget her exact quote at the time but it was in the $40/$50 range per shot. I had already researched prices for the drug online and had found a source (Discount Pet Drugs) where I could get 4 5ml. bottles (enough for 10 injections) for $169.95 (free shipping included). The basic regimen for the adequan was a loading period of 2 2ml. injections per week for 4 weeks, so the 4 bottles would cover the loading period plus cover 2 months after the loading period when the shots went down to once a month. I asked my vet if I provided the medication how much would she charge me to administer the shots. She said she wouldn't administer the shots in such a case but that she could write me a prescription and teach me how to administer the shots myself if I wanted to buy the drugs online. So that's what I did. She charged me $5 for the prescription and even provided a bunch of hypodermic needles for free. I ordered the drugs and when they arrived she walked me through giving Gunther the first shot. I'll be honest, to this day (over a year later) I still get nervous when giving him the shot but money's so tight I'd have a hard time affording them otherwise so I work through my own anxiety and manage to do it.

So how did Gunther do on it? The only word I can think of to describe the results is incredible. He showed signs of improvement after the first two weeks and by the end of the loading period you couldn't even tell he had arthritis. He still wants to be lifted into the van but how he has jumped into the van on his own unexpectedly a number of times without any problem, I think for the most part he just enjoys being pampered--who could blame him). As for his walks, he's back to his old self. He makes it to his swimming hole and beyond without a problem (I sometimes actually have trouble keeping up with him on the way to the pond now, he's so excited about the thought of going swimming and in a hurry to get there). I've been so impressed by the results I can't help but enthusiastically recommend it (sometimes annoyingly so) to anyone I come across who has a dog with arthritis. A lot of people are put off by the thought of injections rather than a pill but I think the potential benefits are well worth it if you can overcome that. And as far as cost goes, if you're willing to administer the shots yourself, then at $169.95 for 10 injections giving one per month that's only $17 per month. Try finding a month's worth of Deramax or even Rimadyl for that price. And all without the potential risk of the NSAID's!

I hope this helps a few owners looking for a solution to their dogs' arthritis problems. I know there's no guarantee that any one drug will work for everyone exactly the same, but in my book the Adequan is as close to a miracle treatment as you can find at present. I just hope it continues to work as well for Gunther in the years to come. That's my one wish: a long pain-free life for my best buddy.

[mrandrei]

Good to know that treatment works for your dog!