My pitbull is now 12 and slowing down. I took him to the vet and he's very healthy outside the arthritis. This is the dog I rescued from an abusive home off of MLK blvd in 2004/2005. The thought of losing him, even at his age, is freaking me out. Even being told that indoor pits with a healthy diet/exercise can live to 17-19 years of age - hasn't helped because it's a hypothetical. The meds he's on are caprofen and tramadol. Any animal lovers here have experience with these anti inflammatories/pain meds?
Try fish oil and curcumin, they are great, natural anti-inflammatories for dogs and people. Most drugs have really toxic side effects, and so really research those before giving them to your dog. Google curcumin + dogs and you'll see a lot of info about it. In a supplement, look for one that contains bioperine, as that allows the curcumin to be absorbed through the gut and get into the joints/tissues.
Also, you can give your dog massages. There are a lot of videos on youtube that demonstrate dog massage for dogs with arthritis. But I think you can intuitively know if something feels good for your dog because they'll either relax or pull away.
My pitbull is 13 or 14 and he has been slowing down for a few years. He also has severe dysplasia in his elbows, so he limps a lot, actually its more like two peg legs up front. It makes me really sad to think of the day he will be gone, and I know that day is soon. Anyway a few little things that can help are glycosamine pills for his joint and take him swimming. Swimming is great because it takes all the pressure off his joints and allows him to be more mobile and puppy like when you play with him. Other than that just enjoy what he has brought to your life.
