Large Dogs With Arthritis

If you have a large dog, there's a good chance
that he or she will develop osteoarthritis to
some extent as he or she ages. Canine arthritis
is a debilitating joint disease that is
extremely prevalent in not only canines but also
humans. Although there is no cure for this
disease, there are things that pet owners can do
to alleviate some of the issues caused by this
joint disease.

One of the reasons larger dogs suffer more from
joint arthritis is that their joints have to
sustain the added weight of their size. Although
there is nothing to be done if the breed of the
dog is naturally large, pet owners must be aware
that proper weight must be maintained in the
animal or the arthritis symptoms will be
increased by the added pressure caused by the
extra weight.

Large breed dogs who are overweight suffer the
most from osteoarthritis. As the arthritis
progresses in the joints, the dogs become less
and less mobile. This causes them to get less
and less exercise. If their food intake at this
point is not monitored and decreased somewhat
they will began gaining weight. This is an
unfortunate situation for the dog as his or her
joints are already suffering from the joint
disease and now must carry the extra load of
added weight.

Just like with humans, it's very important to
monitor a dogs weight on a regular basis. If
possible, what your dog once a month so you can
keep a handle on any possible weight gains. It's
far easier to notice your dog has gained a few
pounds and to cut back a little on his or her
food when it is first observed. If the dogs
allowed to gain too much weight, it will be an
extremely difficult process for both the dog and
the pet owner to cut back on the food enough to
lose the weight.

If you're not able to way your dog with the
scales, simply observe your dog on a regular
basis and perhaps take pictures of them along
the way so you can remember what they look like
when they were more fit. With good observations
it's possible to notice even a few pounds of
weight gain on those dogs. That is the time to
take action in either have the pet with dog
arthritis do more exercise or decrease the
amount of food he or she eats each day.

Canine arthritis symptoms can be lessened to a
great extent by simply giving your dog plenty of
exercise and making sure he or she is not
required to carry any extra weight. Putting a
dog on a diet may be a difficult thing for many
pet owners, but they should understand that
having the dog a bit on the skinny side is far
healthier for the animal been to be overweight.

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Steve Weber's website, Cactus Canyon, offers pet
owners a variety of solutions for treating their
dog' osteoarthritis symptoms. Syn-flex
glucosamine for dogs is an all-natural
supplement that helps many dogs counter the
effects of canine arthritis.
http://www.cactuscanyon.com

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