I'm glad he's doing better, hate to watch an animal in pain because we all know they are not exaggerating.
I thought of another thing you could try if you feel you need to give him a pain pill again.
Splint and wrap his leg, maybe both legs, or make him some pants, whatever will greatly impede his ability to move. Animals, unlike children, will tend to lay around when they are encumbered in some physical way. Children on the other hand just crack their casts and braces. Many times it doesn't take much wrapping/restraining to freak an animal out a bit, and stop all the running and jumping. This gives their bodies time to heal.
Treatment of arthritis in a dog -
I would recommend you buy some MSM (for horses) and start giving it to your dog to help with the healing. The kids and I take it, works great for so many things. Really helps with their teenage acne. Google for dosage.
And I found several websites that
sell herbal combinations for this condition in dogs.
The pain relief product looks very good at this site.
Canine Herbals Scroll down
http://www.horseherbs.com/ * Antioxidants
* Anxiety & Stress Management
* Diet Balancers
* Digestive Health
* Immunity & Health Care
* Joint Care
* Metabolic & Weight Management
* Oils
* Pain Relief
* Power & Endurance
* Topicals
I did a search at the Weston A. Price Foundation on arthritis and found much good info on what to eat and incorporated into a diet to help arthritis. Consider modifying and applying this knowledge as part of your dogs treatment. Mostly bone broth, rich fats, fermented foods and raw vinegar added to
water -
http://www.westonaprice.org looked in my Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable book and here is what it recommended:
Any of these can be added to food
a Tablespoon of paprika daily.
2 large T of these herbs - parsley, comfrey,
ash, burdock, chickweed and celery.
raw
cider vinegar in water (just like WAPF) 1 T to 1.5 pints of water.
a good sea salt
There were recipes for external rubs too.
Good luck Marina