Keep Your Dog's Joints Healthy

Almost all dogs will suffer some form of dog
joint disease as they age. In most cases, the
disease manifests itself as canine arthritis.
Osteoarthritis in dogs is a degenerative disease
that attacks the joints. The process and the
condition is exactly the same as with human
arthritis.

Although there are no cures for this dog joint
arthritis disease, there are things that dog
owners can do to help alleviate some of the pain
and suffering it causes in their pets. In this
article we will outline some of the steps owners
can take to ensure there animals are as healthy
and happy as possible as they age.

Some breeds of canines suffer from
osteoarthritis in their joints to a greater
degree than others. This is a hereditary process
and there's nothing to be done concerning how
severe the disease occurs in a given dog.
However, all dogs can benefit if there owners
understand some of the simple steps that can be
taken to ease the pain of joint arthritis. One
of the first steps in minimizing the effects of
osteoarthritis in canines is to make sure the
animal is not overweight. Having to carry around
too much weight causes undue stress upon the
joints of the dog and aggravates the issue of
joint arthritis.

Just as with humans, dogs tend to gain weight as
they age. Not only is there normal exercise
decreased due to their older age, but they also
tend to have a slower metabolism later in life.
These two factors usually cause increases in
weight in a dog's later years. Pet owners must
do whatever is necessary to ensure this
overweight condition does not occur in their
pet. It may be difficult to withhold food from
your dog, but it is vital to their overall
well-being and health but they remain slightly
on the thin side versus being overweight.
Besides adding stress to their joints, being
overweight has other cardiovascular issues in
dogs just as it does in humans.

A second consideration for minimizing the
effects of dog arthritis is the amount of
exercise the canine gets. Proper exercise
ensures good muscle tone which in turn add
stability to the joints. When the joints have
good stability there is less lateral movement
and thus less pain due to the degeneration of
the cartilage.

Again, all dogs will suffer from arthritis to
some degree in their later years of life. You as
a dog owner can help him through this problem by
making sure they are under proper weight and get
plenty of exercise.

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Visit our site for more information about how to
ensure healthy dog joints in your pet as he or
she ages and begins suffering the effects of
joint arthritis. http://www.dogjoint.com

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