Old Dogs With Arthritis: Help Them Be Comfortable In The Cold Months

On these cold winter mornings we always have to
spend more time with the dogs. We have older
dogs and a few of them do not get along well
enough (females) to leave them alone. So we have
some dogs in the house, two dogs outside and one
dog in the studio for the night.

Mornings are hectic as we get everyone out to
use the bathroom, etc. A few of them (the older
dogs inside) are in the habit of a morning snack
so we have to get them satisfied. Once everyone
is relieved and has a snack, things settle down
to "normal". The outside dogs are loving the
cool, crisp weather and are playing full bore
outside. The two oldest dogs have had a snack,
been outside to potty and are now ready for a
nap already.

In cold weather it is important to remember
that dogs need just as much, if not more, water
in the cold weather than even in the summer
months. We always have to supply the water
differently because of the freezing
temperatures. In nature, canines do not have
access to water 24/7. Therefore, we don't
attempt that either, we supply our outside dogs
with water in the morning, sometime in the mid
day and at evening. We don't try to have water
in front of them at all times because off the
freezing weather.

As for the keeping the outside dogs warm, we
give them a good shelter and fill it with straw
and/or leaves. They do quite well with that
arrangement. We've seen the Arctic sled dogs
sleeping in the blowing snow with sub zero
temps, so I think dogs have a much better
ability to fend off the cold than humans do.

Most dogs with arthritis begin showing the
symptoms in their later years of life. On some
occasions, the signs of the joint disease will
begin showing up earlier. Usually, the first
indicator or symptoms for dogs with arthritis
are limping or having trouble rising from a
sitting or lying position. Of course all dogs
can come up limping from time to time for
various reasons, but if the animal's limping is
persistent and without a specific known reason,
it is quite likely a sign of canine
osteoarthritis. When this is suspected, it is
important to take your pet to the vet for an
examination and diagnosis.

Another symptom often observed is when the dog
rises from a lying down position or attempts to
rises from a sitting position. They may be very
slow and demonstrate great effort in doing so.
They may even grunt or slightly wimper during
the action. Although dogs do not exhibit pain as
humans do, close observation can show signs of
pain in the animal. Additionally, climbing up or
down stairs may become difficult for dogs with
arthritis. It seems, at least with our dogs
anyway, going down the steps can be as much of
an issue as going up the stairs. We've often, in
fact, had to build temporary ramps for our older
dogs so they could get up onto and off the porch
of our home.

Although there is no cure for dog arthritis,
there are ways to minimize its effects. First
and foremost make sure to keep the dog's weight
in check. If he or she has to carry around any
extra weight, this only adds to the stress
placed upon the diseased joints. It can make a
big difference whether or not the dog is at his
or her proper weight. Keeping the pounds off may
be easier said than done however. Just like with
older humans, older canines have a tendency to
add weight. One reason is because if they have
arthritis, they probably are getting less
exercise than they used to before the disease.
If this is the case, it's important for the
owner to monitor this and ensure that their
daily food intake goes down so as to even out
their decreased need for calories. This can be
very difficult to do because the dog will
continue acting hungry of course. But some tough
love is needed here by the owner since the dog
will be much healthier for many reasons with the
added pounds.

Be sure too that the older dogs with arthritis
have a warm and cozy place to sleep. The older
they get, the more sleep they will require. Old
bones with arthritis appreciate soft and warm
places to sleep. If an older dog with arthritis
is made to sleep outside when it is cold, this
only aggravates his or her symptoms.
Additionally, make sure the dog gets plenty of
exercise. This will really help minimize the
disease's effects. Do not allow older canines
with arthritis to become sedentary! On the other
hand, do not let them or force them to get too
much exercise either as this will also irritate
the diseased joints. You will know if your dog
is getting too much exercise if he comes up
limping on a regular basis after exercise.

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