arthritis in 5 year old springer...

[cricketballs]

Our rescued springer is 5; on Sunday after her usual running around like a springer on Sunday she started to struggle with her back legs. This got to the point where she couldn't jump on the bed (her favourite place in the world!) I didn't take her out yesterday as thought she needed the rest; this morning she was obviously in pain so took her the vets.

After xrays is turns out she has n stage arthritis in both hips! The vet was astonished how bad they were given her age but thinks that she has been compensating as she is very fit normally and that she may have knocked a hip on Sunday which is why her pain has come on.

She is on a course of drugs and has to be seen once a week for a month so hopefully improvement can be seen else it might be the joints are 'cleaned out' and if that doesn't work hip replacements

Does anyone have experience of this?

One of our dogs was diagnosed with crap hips aged about 2. She is now 16+ and wobbling around. We expected problems with arthritis much much sooner. We have found Cartrophen really helpful.

Golden Retriever with bad hips responded really well with Canine Cortaflex. Brilliant stuff.

She's been given Yumove and metacam (anti inflammatory + painkiller). She's in less obvious pain tonight, but she's struggling to settle and woke me up to go out at 2am (very unusual, she normally waits till DH has just left for work and then wakes me up as she thinks he doesn't know how to open the door ) and as she can't get on the bed she is not happy (I don't want to lift her up as she normally gets up and down a couple of times in the night).

I've put a small step by the bed that DS used to use, but she's not tempted and now I'm wide awake!