How about massaging some warm olive oil. It is really soothing.

I have just received some free samples of James Wellbeloved dog food (kibble) Senior/Light. It contains glucosomine and chonroitin.

Let me also add something that has realy saved many of my dogs that I was sure would not last another year.

Vitimin C was a trick that an old country vet told me about being used to help hunting dogs and pregnant dogs with hip problems.

From the research I have done, Ester C is a better quality for dogs. Also you want to be sure to go with liquid or capsule to get a better absorption rate then tablets or caplets.

One of the things to keep in mind is that gluco-condroiton take time to build up in the dog's system, where with Vit C you will see a difference in a few days.
Here is one of my favorite articles which really explains it well for me.
Ester-C

heya kevin, my golden retriever mango was diagnosed with elbow displasia and arthritis at the age of 3. It was such a shock as she was and still is such an active dog. It all seemed to happen all of a sudden, I hadn't had any problems with her joints at all and then I took her on her usual hours walk when she began to limp. I wasn't too worried at first thinking she may have sprained her leg, i checked her paw and leg but there was nothing visably wrong.

When i got her home she wasn't herself at all, she lay in her basket and wouldn't eat her dinner, thats when alarm bells began to ring, being a retriever she neva leaves her dinner. I decided to let her rest the night and see how she was in the morning.

The next day she seemed alot better in herself but still not great, I left her to rest for a few more days n decided to take her on a short walk to see if she was any better, to my horror she couldnt even make it two mins down the street.

That night I took her straight to the vets, the vet gave her anti inflamitories for a week, but she was still no better, so they x-rayed her. What they found was the worst case of elbow displasia they had seen in a long time, they were shocked she could even walk, and I was shocked at how I hadn't noticed anything before hand. The elbow displasia had of course lead to arthritis, some of the vets at the practice wanted to operate and some didn't because she is such a young dog they wanted to give her a chance on medication.

So I made my decision to try the medication and the next week we started the treatment, When they told me it was injections of cartrophen my first thoughts where im not having my dog on rymadyl! But cartrophen is completly different to the more wel known caprophen (rymadyl). Cartrophen vet injections are not rymadyl and is much safer. Its been a miracle worker for my dog. She has a course of four injections set a week apart every four months. After the first injection she seemed a little more lively round the house, the second injection ment on the short ten min walks I was advised to do at first she didn't limp at all, after the forth injection she had a new leese of life.
Now she quite happily does her hour long walks again, she is now 6 years old, she has her off days, genrally when she is due for the injections, but she is one very happy dog again. You may want to ask your vet about these injections, hope it can have the same results for you, mango is on the highest dose, but the injections don't have to be given so frequently if the case isnt so sever.

Here is a picture of mango just a couple of months ago in the lake district, after walking for an hour and a half still full of energy and without a limp



hope that helps emma

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