Genie:
What were Shiloh's symptoms? Did she ever have problems before? Did the vet do bloodwork or take x-rays?
I have heard of Glyco-Flex. It is made by Veti-Science, a reputable manufacturer who makes the multi-vitamins we give VA (called Canine Plus). I'm still evaluating which glucosamine/chondoitin product to start her on...I'm leaning toward trying the liquid.
I am a big-time advocate of complementary/alternative/integrative (or whatever today's buzz-word is) medicine for both humans and pets. With the understanding that some alternative supplements can be just as powerful (and potentially dangerous) as traditional pharmaceuticals, I really like to take the safest, least invasive and most conservative approach to medical problems. Having said that, however, I also believe there are times when traditional medicine is helpful and necessary. It's really a matter of doing the research and intelligently weighing the risks and benefits.
My vet is "integrative" in his approach, and really takes his cue from the pet owner. When he suggested putting VA on Deramaxx, I was very leery since it is a fairly new drug and I knew nothing about the drug's profile or side effects, etc. I did some research and I wasn't thrilled. It turns out Deramaxx is a Cox 2 inhibitor for control of pain and inflammation, similar to the human drug Celebrex. There are some horror stories circulating on the web about how the mfg. rushed it to market, and some dogs had suffered side effects.
However, after 3 days of watching my otherwise-healthy dog walk with a limp, I knew there was inflammation that wasn't going to improve on its own. So, I called the vet and he urged me to give her the prescription, telling me that he had found the drug to be very effective in his practice, and has not seen side effects. I "negotiated" my decision- instead of 1-1/2 pills a day, tapering to 1 if she showed improvement, we gave her 1 pill a day- period. She did seem to move much better after about 3-4 days on the Deramaxx, but I still only view it as a short-term fix, which is why I want to look at glucosamine/chondroitin now.
Here's an interesting article:
http://www.ivillage.com/pets/vet/pages/0,,197293_543882,00.html
By the way, it very much depends on what your dog's symptoms are as to how you make these decisions. I don't honestly know if I would be ok with her being on it for more than 10 days. And, I know that I would NOT be comfortable with Rimadyl. Having said that, there are dog owners whose dogs are in dreadful, chronic pain with serious disk and joint problems- who view these drugs as a god-send. So, I certainly don't pass judgment on these folks- just think everyone should exercise caution and weigh the risks.
(Sorry to be so long and rambling...)
