Dog Arthritis Treatment

Was told i could give my 12 year old Lab aspirin for his arthritis pain. I have been giving him 2 (81 mil ) low dose aspirin a day and it seemed to help him some but have noticed that he has been having problems going to the bathroom and it seems he is panting alot more. should i stop with the aspirin and find something more natural to give him or what?

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I have been giving my 7 lb Toy Poodle 1/4 of a 81 mg baby aspirin (so approx 20 mg) for a couple of weeks now. She has developed osteo-arthritis in the last 5 vertebrae of her spine. She is 18 yrs old this past June.
I have been giving her glucosamine with MSM for about 3 months now with no noticeable effect. She is intermittently quite grumpy and snappish when being handled, so I think she is in some chronic pain.
So, I started the aspirin. After 4 days or so, she began to get her old bounciness back, and she has not snapped for a few days now.
But a co-worker said that aspirin will kill a dog. I know this is true for cats, but do the benefits outweigh the risks? I am second-guessing myself here, but don’t you think I should make her last couple of years as happy as possible?
Anyone with experience giving dogs therapeutic aspirin, I would appreciate advice. I am generally skeptical of Westernized medicine and vets/doctors in general, as I have found them to be mostly motivated by the “drug of the week” and the almighty $$.
-J-

My 11 year old Red Setter has O/A in his left shoulder causing him to stumble after walking only 20 minutes. We have been to the vets and he has had the usual x-ray and is on Rinadyl tablets twice a day. Can anyone suggest a good (tried and tested) supplementary medication to help with the condition (similar to the Glucosamine Sulphate and Chondroitin tablets you can get)
We have searched the internet and there are different types available. Has anyone had any success with these supplementary medications and what would you recommend?
Only serious replies please as this is a sensitive subject.

He is 14 years old and has developed arthritis.He is a Collie and Weschester Corgi mix.I know weird combination but I love him.He weighs 84 lbs.The vet gave me some medication but it costs $114.00 for 20 pills.I just can’t afford it.He said I could give him aspirin but didn’t say how much.I know not to give him acetaminophen or ibuprofen as it will shut down his liver and kidneys.