[Leanne77]

Where are Flynn's mobility issues?

I hope the other turns out to be minor

He has lumbosacral disease which is his biggest mobility issue but past x-rays have shown he has a bony spur on his left knee (he's struggled with that knee for years) and he has arthritis in both front legs - definitely in his elbows but there is pain in the wrist area too, maybe to do with having no dewclaws.

 

[rona]

He has lumbosacral disease which is his biggest mobility issue but past x-rays have shown he has a bony spur on his left knee (he's struggled with that knee for years) and he has arthritis in both front legs - definitely in his elbows but there is pain in the wrist area too, maybe to do with having no dewclaws.

I have been wondering if it would work on front leg issues, as that's what Archie has. Have you found anything that eases it?

 

[Silverpaw]

I have been wondering if it would work on front leg issues, as that's what Archie has. Have you found anything that eases it?

Maci's arthritis is in his front legs and it's worked for him so far.All his legs have to work a bit harder because he's missing a back one.His clinical canine massage and physiotherapy both help enormously too.

 

[Leanne77]

I have been wondering if it would work on front leg issues, as that's what Archie has. Have you found anything that eases it?

Nothing now seems to help with his aches and pains. A few years ago he had laser therapy on all 4 legs, it worked wonders. There were some significant lameness issues which disappeared with laser. He also used to have massage several years ago which kept him in good condition.

In the past year we've tried massage, laser, chiropractic and acupuncture and nothing has eased his obvious pain and discomfort. I was hoping the Librela was the wonder drug but again, no effect. In fact it's not even halted things, he's gotten worse over the last 2 months.

I think he's past the point of anything helping now tbh, things are just too far progressed.

 

[rona]

Nothing now seems to help with his aches and pains. A few years ago he had laser therapy on all 4 legs, it worked wonders. There were some significant lameness issues which disappeared with laser. He also used to have massage several years ago which kept him in good condition.

In the past year we've tried massage, laser, chiropractic and acupuncture and nothing has eased his obvious pain and discomfort. I was hoping the Librela was the wonder drug but again, no effect. In fact it's not even halted things, he's gotten worse over the last 2 months.

I think he's past the point of anything helping now tbh, things are just too far progressed.

Yes I remember Alfie getting to the point where there was nothing more to do. Just got to try and keep them happy in their heads!

I've tried Laser on Archie and just trying it again, but it didn't seem to help much. We'll see how a second course works...........or not.

I've persuaded the vet to give him Tramadol because it helped Alfie so much. The Cimalgex just doesn't seem to be cutting it at all and I think I'll drop that

 

[rona]

I've persuaded the vet to give him Tramadol because it helped Alfie so much. The Cimalgex just doesn't seem to be cutting it at all and I think I'll drop that

Have introduced Tramadol very carefully, as I know what effect it can have.
One day on one tablet and now two days on two tablets, he's supposed to have 3,........but it's like we have a different dog. He's now happy and active

Mind, he's sleeping well too

 

[Twiggy]

Flynn has had 2 injections and I've seen absolutely no improvement at all.

He is booked in for his third on Monday but I will have to shelve the idea for now. I literally cancelled his insurance a week ago and now he has some worrying symptoms, could be kidneys, so my money will have to be spent on that rather than the Librela. If it had worked I would've found money for both but since it appears to have had zero positive effect I feel giving it a miss isnt detrimental.

Oh dear. Fingers crossed it isn't something too major.

 

[cava14 una]

Has anyone seen their dog scratching more than usual since starting the injections?
My friend's dog is nibbling and scratching himself. She's checked him for fleas bathed him but still the same. He gets Omega 3 and. 6 as well as EPO.

 

[Silverpaw]

Maci hasn't been scratching since having Librela injections but he's never been a scratchy dog.I've had plenty insect bites this summer though.I'm sure your friend has thought of it but,if the Librela is helping her dog's mobility, could there have been more ventures into the long grass etc that could have attracted bites?

 

[cava14 una]

Thanks for that. We had wondered if it was something like that. They are walked where there is longish grass

 

[lfcmeg]

Has anyone seen their dog scratching more than usual since starting the injections?
My friend's dog is nibbling and scratching himself. She's checked him for fleas bathed him but still the same. He gets Omega 3 and. 6 as well as EPO.

Yes, my dog, a 10 year old collie, started itching badly a week after her first librela injection. The vet could find no other cause and prescribed Apoquel, but I am only giving it to her every other day (having read about side effects) which seems to help. More worrying, but potentially pure coincidence, she had what is believed to be an episode of Vestibular disease just after her second injection - very frightening. She does seem to have recovered quickly (but did need an overnight stay at the vets) and I know it can happen suddenly to elderly dogs, but she had never had any health issues other than developing joint problems as she has got older, until she had the librela injection. It is very unlikely we will give her a 3rd injection.

 

[StormyThai]

Posted on behalf of @Tammy Wise so that links could be added:

Invitation to Participate in a Pet Owner Research Study

Hello I am currently working on a commercial marketing research project and wanted to invite interested pet owners to participate in an online survey about managing painful conditions in dogs and cats. I found this forum while researching pet health issues and thought this group could provide useful feedback based on their own real-life experiences. In my many years conducting marketing research about pet health topics, I have seen the critical role that the opinions of pet owners have played in both the development of new treatment options for our pets and in improving existing treatments, so I hope some of you will be willing to share your experiences with me.

If you are interested in participating in this study, sign up using one of the links below. It takes about 3-4 minutes to complete the registration survey which can be found by clicking on one of the URLs below.

Dog owners register here: http://s.alchemer.com/s3/Dog-Owner-Survey

Cat owners register here: http://s.alchemer.com/s3/Cat-Owner-Survey

FAQs
Participation in this research is completely voluntary and you will not be asked to provide any personal identifying information. This is a research study only and no attempt will be made to sell any products or services.

As is common in marketing research studies, this will be a blinded study in that the name of the company sponsoring this research will not be revealed to study participants as this can bias the information being gathered based on past experiences with a company or its product.

Please note that additional information about this research was provided to the admins at PetForums so that they could verify the legitimacy of this study and to obtain their approval of this post.

 

[Tammy Wise]

Posted on behalf of @Tammy Wise so that links could be added:

Invitation to Participate in a Pet Owner Research Study

Hello I am currently working on a commercial marketing research project and wanted to invite interested pet owners to participate in an online survey about managing painful conditions in dogs and cats. I found this forum while researching pet health issues and thought this group could provide useful feedback based on their own real-life experiences. In my many years conducting marketing research about pet health topics, I have seen the critical role that the opinions of pet owners have played in both the development of new treatment options for our pets and in improving existing treatments, so I hope some of you will be willing to share your experiences with me.

If you are interested in participating in this study, the survey links are provided in @StormyThai original post (I was not able to share the links)

FAQs
Participation in this research is completely voluntary and you will not be asked to provide any personal identifying information. This is a research study only and no attempt will be made to sell any products or services.

As is common in marketing research studies, this will be a blinded study in that the name of the company sponsoring this research will not be revealed to study participants as this can bias the information being gathered based on past experiences with a company or its product.

Please note that additional information about this research was provided to the admins at PetForums so that they could verify the legitimacy of this study and to obtain their approval of this post.

Thank you for posting this for me. I am still hoping to find a few people willing to share their experiences about some of the newer treatments for arthritis in dogs and cats. The survey is still open for those interested in participating.

 

[Cleo38]

Thank you for posting this for me. I am still hoping to find a few people willing to share their experiences about some of the newer treatments for arthritis in dogs and cats. The survey is still open for those interested in participating.

Done!

 

[Tammy Wise]

Done!

Thank you so much!

 

[MMM .]

Hi there.

I just wanted to share my experience of Librela.

My 15 year old collie had a number of issues with her pancreas and liver so our drug choices were very limited - pharma and herbal. She had extensive arthritis and we were most definitely in the last chance saloon. Our vet suggested we try it under the guise of why not, there is nothing left to try (we live very rurally and getting acupuncture or an animal osteo is actually impossible).

Long story short, we tried it and it was nothing short of a miracle - she was very much a free spirit and movement was very important to her. She was not a dog for sitting around doing nothing like a lot of BC's.

We had an amazing 12 weeks of her over Winter and Christmas where she was clearly not in pain and we had her younger personality back.

She suffered her third acute pancreatic attack in January and despite us catching it early, we were unable to turn her around and she was PTS - broke my heart but there was comfort to be had from those 12 weeks for us.

Our GSD also has extensive arthritis, its in her spine, paws, tail - she had her first jab today and by the end of the day, she was running whereas before, at her best, she could speed walk. She is exhausted from her efforts and snoring away on her bed in front of me I hope this is a solution that works for us in the longer term.

I know it does not work for all dogs but for those in the last chance saloon or where drugs can't be used, where quality of life is sliding away, I think its worth a go if you can find the money.

The vets have had problems getting it - I spent a day hunting it down on line for them because I am like that the prices were all around the 100 euros mark depending on volume which is based on the weight of the dog.

I hope this helps other owners - am happy to answer questions.

 

[SeniorDog]

My dog has had two Librela injections (they are given at 4 weekly intervals).There was a marked improvement in him a few days after the first and this has been maintained to date.He is an older boy, around 15 1/2,who has had a rear leg amputated.He has some arthritis in his front legs and obviously anything that affects his mobility is very serious for him.He can't have any of the NSAID's because of problems with them in the past (he was really ill). Consequently,when I became aware of Librela,I looked into it for him.
His vet,who has always been brilliant with Maci,was happy for him to have it and felt that it was a good,safe option for him.I don't really understand the science behind it but apparently it works very differently to other arthritis meds .It contains a canine monoclonal antibody that targets nerve growth factor.
The company who produce Librela seem to be good at providing information so it might be worth contacting them if you have any questions.
I have heard of several dogs who have started on this treatment, through Maci's physiotherapist and his canine masseur.They report positive results so far.
I know it's a new drug but from what I have learned about it and seen so far, I am really pleased that Maci is having this treatment.

Thank you for this post my Male dog Brandy is 16 and had his 1st injection of LIBRELA - he too has exactly the same issues as Maci, from lesions on his liver, spleen to digestive issues he too cannot tolerate anything which contains gluacosamine. I have seen a marked improvement within 3 weeks! But he did develop a fever on the first 2 days of having the injection.

 

[Silverpaw]

Thank you for this post my Male dog Brandy is 16 and had his 1st injection of LIBRELA - he too has exactly the same issues as Maci, from lesions on his liver, spleen to digestive issues he too cannot tolerate anything which contains gluacosamine. I have seen a marked improvement within 3 weeks! But he did develop a fever on the first 2 days of having the injection.

Ahh, it's good to hear that Brandy seems to be benefiting from his injection.It's a bit of a minefield isn't it, with all of the other things going on.Maci's having his next injection on Thursday, haven't seen any side effects so far but I'm always on the lookout for any changes.Maci's mobility is pretty poor now but I think that is more down to his age/missing leg catching up with him.He's had one or two changes recently.Stopped having physiotherapy because he couldn't really do the exercises and he gets massage and laser treatment from his canine massage therapist.He started having acapuncture a while ago, initially for an issue with his jaw but he also has treatment for his mobility too.He's been absolutely brilliant having it and does seem to have benefited.He has a session tomorrow.He's been weaned off Gabapentin recently.He was appearing to be a bit spaced out,so trying him off it to see how he gets on.There's not much in the armoury with their other issues,is there?
I hope Brandy goes on ok.The oldies thread on here has one or two of our lovely seniors on it,if you feel like popping in some time.

 

[Elizabeth Ashley]

Anyone tried this relatively new drug for arthritis? Thinking of asking my vet to prescribe it for my 13yr old collie who is beginning to suffer.

I have a small terrier who is nearly 13. She has been suffering from very poor appetite, some kidney issues and arthritis. For the past three months she has been given a monthly injection of Librela along with amantadine for pain relief. I can't say these medications have made a clear difference to her mobility nor has her appetite improved. It is very hard to tell with my dog how much she is suffering. She drags on the lead on a short walk, then charges back with her tail up on the homeward journey. She sleeps a great deal and often tenses her body as if in pain.The local fox population is very grateful for all the tempting dishes she has turned her nose up at. I am going to discuss with the vet a change in medication next time her injection is due.

 

[Twiggy]

I have a small terrier who is nearly 13. She has been suffering from very poor appetite, some kidney issues and arthritis. For the past three months she has been given a monthly injection of Librela along with amantadine for pain relief. I can't say these medications have made a clear difference to her mobility nor has her appetite improved. It is very hard to tell with my dog how much she is suffering. She drags on the lead on a short walk, then charges back with her tail up on the homeward journey. She sleeps a great deal and often tenses her body as if in pain.The local fox population is very grateful for all the tempting dishes she has turned her nose up at. I am going to discuss with the vet a change in medication next time her injection is due.

I'm sorry to hear that and hope your vet can prescribe a different medication to help her.