How To Safely Treat The Symptoms Of Canine Arthritis

Your older pet may have dog arthritis if he or
she is limping for no apparent reason, having
trouble going up or down stairs, or if he or she
seems to be having problems getting up or lying
down.

Almost all dogs get this joint disease as they
grow old. Usually, larger breed dogs suffer from
canine arthritis more so than do small breed dogs
because the larger dogs have more stress on their
joints with the added weight.

Dog owners should know there is no cure for
arthritis. All we can do is minimize the
symptoms as safely and as much as possible. Dog
arthritis is a progressive disease and usually
worsens with age. If you suspect your pet may
have arthritis, it is important to take him or
her to the vet for a proper diagnosis.

If the veterinarian does confirm the presence
of osteoarthritis, he or she will suggest
several possible treatments. Before I get to
those treatments, let's talk about some things
you can do without drugs to help your dog with
arthritis symptoms.

First, make sure your dog is not over weight at
all. This is very important because the added
weight can cause significant stress on the
diseased joints. The symptoms of arthritis will
be greatly exaggerated with the added stress. It
can be hard to trim the weight off an older dog,
but it is very important. A caring owner will
make sure their dog is not burdened by the extra
pounds.

Next, it is very important for the arthritic
dog to get the correct amount of exercise. There
is no set correct amount as all dogs are
different. You must gauge the correct amount for
your specific dog. If the dog arthritis is
allowed too much exercise, he will suffer more
symptoms and pain. Too little exercise means the
muscles around the joints weaken and this too
causes added stress on the joints. Pay close
attention to your dog and try to provide the
best amount and type of exercise suited for him
or her.

Lastly, in my opinion, all older dogs should be
given a daily dose of glucosamine. It is a
natural supplement that is completely safe. The
glucosamine, often given to dogs in the liquid
form, supplies the needed building blocks for
the damaged joint tissue to regenerate and
repair itself. There are no side effects or
other dangers for the dog when using glucosamine
to treat dog arthritis.

The veterinarian may suggest prescribed
medications for the arthritic canine. Be sure to
ask the vet about all the possible side effects
of these drugs. Also, go online and search for
the drug and read about the problems associated
with using it to treat dog arthritis. You may be
surprised at what you find about some of these
drugs. Although the vast majority of these
prescriptions will help dogs, there are a
significant number of dogs severely injured and
even killed by some of the drugs. Just be aware
of the side effects and what to watch out for.

Other tips for helping your dog with arthritis
is to keep him warm in the winter, offer him a
soft place to sleep (old bones like soft, cozy
places to sleep!), and you may need to buy or
build ramps for outside stairs, and dog steps
for inside beds or furniture (if they are used
to sleeping there).

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