Treating Arthritic Pain in Dog With Kidney Disease

I have a 13 year old Weimaraner who has some arthritis but also has kidney disease. What medication can I safely give her for pain relief?

Suggestion From Dr. Coates


Hello there,

I can’t make specific recommendations since I don’t know all of the details of your Weimaraner’s case, but if I had a patient who had arthritis and compromised kidney function, I would consider using a combination of a joint protectant (either oral products containing glucosamine, chondroitin, green-lipped mussles, etc. or injectable Adequan) and tramadol. If I after a month or so I wasn’t impressed with the results, I would probably add amantadine.

Depending on the severity of your dog’s kidney disease, it might be wise to stay on the low end of the dose range for tramadol and especially amantadine, both of which are excreted, at least to a degree, through the kidneys.

Your veterinarian or a veterinary pain specialist who is familiar with your dog’s condition could make more detailed recommendations.



Best of luck,
Jennifer Coates, DVM