Stiff Front Canine Leg

by Lucy
(Suffolk, VA)

Reader Question: My Canine’s front leg is stiff

I have a seven year old Jack Russell (true mix, some parson and norfolk in there). She is a quiet dog but loves walks and would normally happily go for about 5 miles each day, plus lots of rabbit chasing. In the past week she has been quite stiff on her right front leg. This walks off with gentle exercise (no long walks) and is improving so believe she has pulled something.

I am keen to assist her in any way I can and have been recommended cortaflex - something which I give to my event horses as a matter of course. I have just been looking at the canine version but wonder if I were to take her to the vets they would point me in a different direction?

Many thanks

Lucy

Vet Response: Treating a stiff canine leg

Hi Lucy,

There are so many products like Cortaflex (i.e., glucosamine/chondroitin supplements) on the market that it is hard to keep track of them all. In my experience, there is no one best product out there for every individual. It seems like some dogs will have a better response to one while others do better on another, and a few don’t seem to benefit from any of them.

I have had good luck with a supplement called Dasuquin MSM. It contains glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU), and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), all of which can improve joint health.

Whichever joint supplement you choose, if your dog’s condition doesn’t improve over the course of 2-4 weeks or gets worse at any time, make an appointment with your veterinarian.

Regards,

Jennifer Coates, DVM