Greetings,
Welcome to this month's issue of The Pet Arthritis Chronicle. Please pass this along to your friends!

Table of Contents:

1. Featured Articles from The Pet Arthritis Resource Center
2. Steroids and Your Pet
3. Pet Arthritis Message Boards

Featured Pet Arthritis Content

A Guide to Glucosamine Products for Pets Canine Hip Dysplasia Stories of Users of Rimadyl Natural Arthritis Relief for Pets Recommended Books on easing arthritis pain in Pets Using Glucosamine to Ease Arthritis Pain in Pets

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Steroids and Your Pet

There was a time when veterinarians reached for corticosteroids (as they are known) to handle pain problems with your pet and thought nothing of it. Fortunately, with advances in the past forty years or so, they are used on a much more limited basis.

What They Are
Corticosteroids are produced naturally in your pet's body and are often referred to as steroid hormones with only some having any real effect. There are many corticosteroids produced by the body that have no real biological impact. The three that do have biological impact are grouped as glucocorticoids, mineral corticoids and androgens (sugar, salt and sex hormones when grouped that way.)

As a Pain Management Tool
Veterinarians use steroids for a wide variety of medical conditions your pet faces including pain. The reason they do so, is that they act very quickly and provide dramatic relief when they are used. Of course, that would include severe arthritis conditions.

Steroids are manufactured and are used in different forms depending on the nature of their usage. Some are used in the form of an injection. Others are in the form of a pill or topical cream. When they are used moderately, it is typical for vets to limit their use by prescribing lower doses for shorter periods of time. It is also worth noting that your pet's body becomes accustomed to the use of steroids and the result is that doses have to be increased. Given the potential for serious side effects, this is not a desirable situation.

The Evolution of NSAID's
It is interesting to note that NSAID's (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications) were developed in the 1960's as an alternative to the use of steroids. Of course, as regular readers of this chronicle know, we have cautioned many times about the dangers associated with using NSAID's. (See past editions of the Pet Arthritis Chronicle.)

The Side Effects
The consequences of using steroids can be devastating and occasionally, fatal. That is why veterinarians today strictly limit their use. Increased thirst, protein wasting, loss of potassium, suppression of the immune system, and even suppression of the pet's adrenal glands can occur. There are more, but the latter is likely the most serious.

When steroids are delivered in pill or injection form, the pituitary gland is unable to determine whether or not it should signal the adrenal gland to "make" more hormones. It stops sending the message and the adrenal gland responds by failing to produce more natural hormones. That is not a good situation.

There are a host of side effects that should be explored with the use of steroids and the question should always be: to know and understand exactly what they are and why steroids are being prescribed in the first place.

Do Steroids Still Have a Role?
It would be foolish to say that steroids do not play a role in certain limited situations. However, when arthritis-related pain is the reason for using them, the alternatives are now becoming far more attractive. Let's face it. The use of high-quality liquid glucosamine formulas has been an extreme advancement that has eliminated the need to even use NSAID's for pet arthritis pain in most cases.

Just be aware that there are dangers associated with steroids and make certain that you discuss all potential side effects with your vet before agreeing to use them. So long as you are making conscious decisions and conferring with your vet, it is likely that they are being recommended on a limited basis and with a good reason.

See you next time.

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Pet Arthritis Message Boards

Dogs

• Canine Hip Dysplasia
• Arthritis in Dogs
• Glucosamine for Dogs

Cats

• Feline Hip Dysplasia
• Glucosamine for Cats
• Arthritis in Cats

Other Animals

• Arthritis in Other Animals

Here's a few sample posts from the Forum...

heidi_doglover
Posted on 05 Oct 2003

My dog shes like 12 or so, she wont eat that much, she cant really do much anymore. im not sure if she has arthritis but im afraid she does and my parents are thinking about putting her down but i dont want to put her down if she really is fine but i dont want her to suffer if she is in pain. can someone help me.

My lab also has arthritis that started when she was about 3. When the weather turns cold, she is down. We had her on Rimadyl which did help alot, but I am going to try the glucosamine. I have also tried baby aspirin which works in a pinch. I know this can cause stomach problems in dogs, but I have had to give it to her a couple of times and she was fine. We also have a heating pad that we cover with towels and put on her hip. She also does not stay outside.

Post your own message on The Pet Arthritis Message Board now!

This concludes the October Issue of The Pet Arthritis Chronicle. Look for the next issue in your inbox on November 15th, 2003!

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Have a great October from The Pet Arthritis Resource Center and The Pet Arthritis Chronicle. See you next month!