First, here’s some references for you:
Spondylosis Deformans, from the Textbook of Small Animal Orthopaedics:
http://www.ivis.org/special_books/ortho/chapter_61/61mast.asp
Common Conditions of Old Greyhounds, by Julia Carter, DVM. From Celebrating Greyhounds Magazine:
http://www.adopt-a-greyhound.org/cgmagazine/commonconditions.htm
Lumbosacral Stenosis, by Suzanne Stack, DVM (Excerpt from Spring 2003 issue of GCNM News):
http://www.gcnm.org/stenosis.html
This last one is in there because it is a very common condition in older greyhounds, especially the larger males, and while your dog may or may not have it (it is often present in conjunction with spondylosis), the treatment outlined in that URL is both effective and not very well-known, so I wanted to put it out there.
I’m very sorry that your pup is having problems. I lost two of my older greyhounds to degenerative spinal issues, and it sucks. Pain relievers do help and I do think a glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM supplement can be of use, too (the National Institutes of Health have done studies on glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate and have found benefit in humans, particularly those with arthritis in their knees, so giving it a try is certainly worth it). As interest in pain relief for animals has grown, so have the number of available NSAID-type pain relievers, so be sure to check out what is available. Some may work better than others for your pup, and some will be better tolerated than others. Deramaxx, Zubrin, and Metacam are all newer pain relievers that can be considered.
My old Roman, who had stenosis and spondylosis, benefited from chiropractic for awhile too – he was able to go up and down a few steps after the treatments, whereas before my husband would have to lift him. Of course, like any degenerative disease, though, things slowly get worse over time and some things that helped at one time can stop helping.
That said, do not give your dog any supplements that contain hops! They’ve been shown to be toxic in some dogs, particularly greyhounds, so any ‘natural’ remedy with hops in it should be avoided.
There are places that you can get things like Glyco-Flex for less money than at the vet. www.kvvet.com and www.revivalanimal.com are two sources I like. Revival carries Arthri-Soothe, which I used for while on Rob, my pup with the cervical spinal issues. Choose your supplement carefully, not all of them are created equal. Nutraceuticals are not as tightly regulated as drugs, so you want to make sure you are getting what you are paying for. Consumerlab.com does testing on these kinds of things, and does offer a short list of brands that actually have in them what they say they do (for a more detailed list you have to subscribe). Gluco and Chondro are listed in the Other Supplements section.
Another thing that can help is just gentle massage or acupressure, which you can learn to do yourself. It’s relaxing and comforting and can make a dog just feel better all over, the way it does with people.
I’ve had more experience with this than I care to think about, so if you have any questions, just ask away.