Relieve Arthritis in Your Pup with These Tips

Just as humans are taking care of themselves better and living longer, our dogs are also living longer. On the flipside, this longer life may mean they’ll suffer from some sort of degenerative joint disease. There are several types of canine arthritis, but the most common seen is age related.

As dogs age the cartilage surfaces of their joints start to thin, thus causing cartilage cells to die. This releases enzymes that cause inflammation in the joint and the release of excess joint fluid. Severe thinning can even mean the bone under the cartilage starts to deteriorate, so you can imagine how painful this can become for your beloved pet.

While there is no one ‘’big’’ solution as severity can vary from each dog, it’s best to work with your vet to work out a multimodal therapy regime to maximise your dog’s comfort and minimise any extra damage. Here are a few strategies you can implement to relieve your dog’s arthritis;

1. Don’t let your dog get over-weight. If your dog has arthritis he may not be able to move around as much, so if you over feed him he can easily put on the pounds. The extra weight will put even more pressure on his joints and could make things worse.

2. Keep your dog warm and dry. Cold, damp conditions can aggravate arthritis even more and you should consider investing in a padded dog bed and place it away from cold drafts.

3. Give him a daily joint supplement to promote healthy cartilage and joint health. Supplements including; glucosamine, chondroitin and green lipped mussel like this PetMussel 100s may assist in support your dog’s joint function.

4. Controlled exercise. Keeping your dog moving is a must, especially in the early stages of arthritis. More severe cases may benefit from non-weight bearing exercise like swimming.

5. A professional animal massage treatment. Ask for a recommendation at your vets, as massage can help increase circulation and flexibility and may incite feelings of wellbeing.

6. Consider acupuncture. Today this treatment is not only for humans, some success has been seen in dogs suffering from arthritis.

7. Administer pain medication. While some injections can be expensive, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (commonly called NSAIDs), may help relieve pain, and disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs) can also have good results.

While all the above tips can help to relieve the pain from canine arthritis, each case is unique and it’s best to check with your vet before starting any course of action. A low stress environment and plenty of love will also make your pup feel so much better!