Is Arthritis Affecting Your Pet And Causing Him Or Her Pain?
January 28, 2012 by Steve Weber · Comments Off
Have you noticed any changes in your dog’s behavior lately? Is he or she taking longer than usual getting up in the morning, or reluctant to go for a brisk walk? This very old disease creeps up slowly as the dog’s joints gradually become inflamed. This is accompanied by swelling and pain and the joints become stiff and immobile.
This is always painful for us too, but our animals cannot communicate what they are feeling and so when the first signs are evident it is important to take them immediately to the veterinarian. He or she will take X-rays and take tests to determine which kind of arthritis your pet has succumbed to. There are many different types of canine arthritis and so the correct diagnosis should be ascertained before treatment. Although there is no cure yet there are things we can do to maintain quality of life for our canines.
Once you have the appropriate diagnosis from your veterinarian, there are various treatments available these days which he or she will prescribe. Sometimes it may be necessary to give anti-inflammatory pills to relieve pain and reduce swelling of the joints. Although this offers immediate relief, know that all chemical pain medication has side-effects and can also be lethal.
Be sure to get as much information as you can before deciding on this. Ask your veterinarian about liquid glucosamine. This is a perfectly natural supplement which, in time, fortifies the cartilage surrounding damaged joints. Sprinkled daily on your dog’s food at meal times gives his body the best way to heal itself. Although liquid glucosamine HCL is not a ‘quick fix’ it may well be the most beneficial aid you can give to your canine suffering from arthritis. In a few short months or even weeks, you will notice an improvement as healing takes effect.
If your dog with arthritis is having trouble jumping on or off the bed/furniture, you could invest in steps or a ramp in order to make life easier for him. These can be purchased or else made at home inexpensively. Some plywood, a few nails, a hammer and some soft carpeting is all that is needed. Also, place feeding bowls a little higher off the floor so that he doesn’t have to bend all the way down.
Make sure the floor is non-skid, or else place a non-skid runner where necessary. Give your dog a soft, warm bed and maybe heat it initially with a hot-water bottle or a pad heated in the microwave. Consider using a wide, thick sling if he has trouble getting up.
Place it under the chest and using both hands lift him up until he is balanced and on his feet. This can also be used to help him in an out of the car. Your pet will love to be brushed gently, especially if he cannot do it himself like he used to. He will love you for it and know that you love him.
Provide Handicapped Access For Older Dogs With Arthritis Disease
January 16, 2012 by Steve Weber · Comments Off
It’s an unfortunate fact that almost all dogs will suffer from arthritis joint disease in their later years of life. Some breeds and some specific dogs suffer from the disease far more than others. Usually, larger dogs experience more difficulty in their later years of life due to this joint disease. Larger dogs carry more weight and so there is more stress on their diseased joints. Smaller dogs often exhibit few if any symptoms of arthritis in their later years of life which many vets prescribe glucosamine supplements for.
If your dog is suffering from joint disease and having trouble negotiating steps and stairs around the home, it may be time to think of implementing some form of handicapped access for them. In our own home for example, we have sets of steps on both the front and rear doors which must be accessed in order for our dogs to venture into the yard and to return to the home.
In their later years of life, all of our older pets have had extreme difficulty in negotiating the steps. Fortunately, our steps were wide enough for us to add a piece of plywood at the side of the steps in order for them to use it in the form of a ramp. It was simply a matter of measuring and cutting a piece of one half-inch plywood for the ramp and using a few screws to fasten it to the wooden steps. If your homes steps are concrete or brick, it still is possible to anchor the ramp using simple masonry screws with anchors.
It’s also important to find or purchase a throw rug and staple that rug to the plywood in order to give the animal better footing while going up or down the ramp. We used these ramps for a number of years for older dogs and they have been good service for both the animals and us. Without them, we often had to resort to carrying the animal up and down the steps. Of course for the larger dogs, this can be quite difficult and dangerous for both the pet and the human carrying the animal.
When the ramp is first installed, some coaxing may be required to teach the animal that the ramp is a good thing. In these cases we always use food as a method of getting the dog to do what we expect. We simply put a leash on the dog, carry the treats with us and show it the ramp. Then we use the leash and the food to help guide the dog up the ramp the first time. It is usually easier to get the dog to move up the ramp at first than it is to move down. Arthritic dogs are often unsure of their footing and going down steps is usually far more difficult than going up.
Don’t expect your dog with arthritis to learn this in one day. Return to the ramp with the food and leash for several minutes each day for a week or so and, depending on the dog, they should be very appreciative and well adjusted to using the ramp all the time.
Does My Dog Have Arthritis?
November 15, 2008 by Dane Masters · Comments Off
There’s nothing worse than having to watch your pooch suffer from arthritis pain. You can tell by the look in their eye they hurt. Chances are you desperately want to do something to ease their misery. The good news is there are things you can do to slow down the progression of this painful disease, or perhaps prevent it from ever happening at all!
Arthritis is considered by many to be an auto-immune disease which causes the body to attack its own healthy tissue in the joints, causing pain and inflammation. In dogs, arthritis can appear in many forms and can’t affect canines of all ages.
This disease affects the cartilage of the joints and causes it to degenerate. Since cartilage connects and projects the joints between bones, when cartilage breaks down it can lead to the bones rubbing against each other which is very painful. In dogs, most owners will first notice arthritis in the major joints such as the hips and knees, although arthritis can affect any joint in the body.
Symptoms of arthritis in dogs include:
v Difficulty sitting, standing, or getting up from the floor or bed
v Favoring a limb
v Decreased activity, sleeping more, lack of interest in play
v Weight gain
v Attitude or behavior changes
v Appearing to have stiffness or sore joints
v Swelling around the joints
In recent years, scientists have been studying Glucosamine as a way to treat arthritis in dogs. Glucosamine is a glucose molecule produced naturally in the body. Its job is to fuel cartilage cells to produce the proteins that hold joint tissue together. As dogs age, they are less able to produce glucosamine, which causes the cartilage to wear down and stiffen.
Along with glucosamine you may want to consider chondroitin, which is found in cartilage and can help slow down the enzymes that are causing the breakdown of the cartilage. Combining these two components and giving them to your dog regularly can help them create new cartilage and relieve their arthritis suffering.
Glucosamine plus chondroitin has been clinically proven to prevent arthritis symptoms in rats with arthritis in up to 54% of cases, as opposed to 96.5% of the group that received no treatment. What this means is that by giving your dog this compound you have an over 50% chance of helping them get rid of some, if not all of their arthritis symptoms.
Secondary arthritis usually occurs as a result of surgery or injury. This conditions as well as osteoarthritis show promising results when treated with glucosamine and chondroitin supplements.
Last, but not least, studies indicate Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements are a safe and effective supplement to add to your dog’s diet at an early age. However, there are conflicting reports on this topic and it’s best to consult with your veterinarian and determine if this is the best option for you and your dog.
