Doggy Mentor

Posts Tagged ‘dog arthritis’

Dog Arthritis and its causes can be broken down into two main categories and two subcategories:

1.  Degenerative Joint Disease:

              Degenerative Joint Disease develops from acute or chronic trauma to a joint.

                                Acute Traumatic Arthritis – marked by a sudden injury or accident of some sort.An injury that disrupts the joints will cause inflammation that will then have the potential to lead to dog arthritis.It is possible that deterioration of the joint will not set in if the degree of the injury was minimal.  

                                 Repeat trauma-induced arthritis – brought on by any repetitive stress on unstable joints.  The joints may be unstable in a dog that has poor conformation or the activity itself my cause instability.  A young puppy with developing joints is also suseptible to trauma to the joints if asked to do repetitive strenuous exercise such as jogging long distances.Being overweight will subject the joints to excessive stress.In most cases you will not notice any signs of pain until it is too late, the damage is extensive.This is true because cartilage does not contain any nerves.Pain sets in only after extensive damage has occurred to the cartilage. 

                Stress or trauma, whether it be acute or chronic, causes the joints to release large amounts of an enzyme that breaks down cartilage.  This is a normal enzyme that would normally maintain a balance of buildup and breakdown of cartilage,  however in the case of arthritis, the break down occurs too rapidly.

                Degenerative Joint Disease cannot be entirely reversed but it can be managed with weight control, exercise, and arthritis medicine for dogs.Dog arthritis medicine can include nutritional supplements and homeopathic remedies.  Glucosamine for dogs is a particularly popular and effective way to help manage the pain of dog arthritis.  The safety of glucosamine for dogs is also an important factor.

      2.   Inflammatory Joint Disease:

            Inflammatory Joint Disease is less common than degenerative joint disease and develops from either an infection or an autoimmune disorder causing inflammation in a joint.

                     Infective Arthritis – can occur if a joint becomes infected as a result of a wound, such as a bite or penetrating object.  The other possible route of infection is from the bloodstream.The treatment includes veterinary care in the form of antibiotics and potentially draining and cleaning directly into the joint.

                     Autoimmune Arthritis – normally affects multiple joints.  Rheumatoid Arthritis is an example of an autoimmune arthritis.In an autoimmune disorder, the body does not recognize its own tissues but rather reacts as if it was a foreign substance.  The underlying cause of auto immune arthritis in dogs is not known. 

             Inflammatory joint disease requires immediate attention from a veterinarian and medications available only from a veterinarian.

The most common cause of arthritis in dogs is hip dysplasia.  Let’s take a look at the condition of hip dysplasia and the process that leads to arthritis.

The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint.  In a normally developed hip joint the ball on the top of the femur (thigh bone) fits very snuggly and smoothly in the socket of the hip bone.We may find two different problems in the dog with hip dysplasia.  One, the ball does not sit deep and snug in the socket and two, the ball and/or the socket are not smooth and normally shaped. 

So why does this lead to arthritis?  Hip dysplasia brings on a vicious cycle.Inflammation results from the cartilage rubbing together between the abnormally shaped bones.  Inflammation further degrades the cartilage.Cartilage regrowth can be slow, possibly too slow to manage the rate of loss of cartilage.  The losses outweigh the gains.   The more damaged the joint becomes the less able it is to protect itself so even more damage occurs.

There are two possibilities as to how your dog developed hip dysplasia.  It is  a genetic condition,  meaning a dog may be born with the problem.  There is also evidence that environmental conditions can play a role.  Injury or overexertion at a young age, while the joints are still developing.You should not make your four month old lab puppy your daily jogging partner.That repetitive force on a sensitive, developing joint is damaging.

Many of the symptoms of hip dysplasia indicate a reluctance to use the joint.  Your dog may stand up slowly or with difficulty, may be reluctant to jump up on things or go up stairs and may even bunnyhop with his back legs when running.  Over time the muscles in the hip and thigh area may atrophy or shrink causing the bones to appear to be sticking out.

Hip dysplasia has no cure.  The condition is controlled with weight control, proper exercise and arthritis medicine for dogs.  Medication can come in the form of nutritional supplements such as glucosamine for dogs or anti-inflammatory drugs obtained from your veterinarian.  In severe cases hip replacement surgery may be considered.

If you think your dog may have a problem speak with your veterinarian about taking x-rays so you can diagnose the problem and start treatment right away.  With the proper management it is possible to slow down the arthritis and control the pain.  Also keep in mind that arthritis has other causes.  You may notice symptoms of arthritis in your dog but it does not necessarily mean that it was caused by hip dysplasia.Old age and injuries also play a part in the development of arthritis.  In any event, your arthritic dog may benefit greatly from supplementation to support the joints.

Arthritis affects not only people but also their dear pets as well especially pet dogs. Statistics say that in US about 25% of pets are affected by arthritis. As a dog owner and lover, you should pay attention that your non-human friend is always in good mood, playful and that it eats well and healthy food. But if you do get a glimpse of changes in your dog’s state of physical activity and mind like having difficulty in sitting down, standing, or even finds it hard to climb stairs or if one has gained weight or its attitude changed you should probably pay your vet a visit. You friend could have arthritis. Some owners who are emotionally attached to their pets have not second thoughts in bringing their beloved to the vet. The veterinarian will do an examination and an X-ray to your dog. And when everything is done, he can prescribed some over-the-counter medications for your dog. However, not all medications or dog arthritis treatment is best for the health of your pet. They can do wonders but they might have side-effects, too, just like medications for humans. That’s why, you can hear your vet saying that you have to make sure you give the right dosage or else…

Now, that is a very dreadful part. If you can’t manage to give your dog the right amount of medication it needs, it will be perilous for him. For some people, medications are not good for both humans and dogs alike that’s why, they would resort to other things and those other things can come in the form of a natural dog joint supplement and right now, there are virtual pet stores on the Internet that offer these kinds of herbal medications for dogs.

But the only problem is, because of so many choices, the owner of a dog with arthritis can have a hard time choosing for the best and of course, the safest product. That’s why, it’s always recommended that he should try to read first some product reviews and/or testimonies for other dog owners on what kind of arthritis dog supplement is best for their furry best friend.

Do you have a pet dog? Maybe, an older dog? Have you seen him walking lamely anywhere and he seems to have a hard time in doing any activity like jumping, leaping or running? Does he find doing the things difficult, not the way he’s doing it when he was still a young spirit? Maybe your old holler has arthritis. Yes, dogs can have arthritis, too, just like its owner. When humans start to grow old, arthritis comes creeping in. But although old age can also be the reason why dogs get arthritis, the first reason for this dog disease is because of the results of all those running and jumping around or maybe, at one time or another, he has experienced some kind of injuries which can lead to dog joint pain. In order to help your dog, he also needs some regular pet health exam. As part of his regular pet health exam, the vet will focus on the muscles and bones that will help your dog move. Beginning at the neck, the veterinarian can aid by running either of his hand along the spine up to the base of the tail. There, he can feel the muscles on both sides of the spine and he might notice if any feel unusually firm or knotted. Your pet dogs can get a variety of problems that will lead to muscle twinges especially in the back muscles.

Your vet or maybe even you, can massage any tight muscles and take note of the area. A common condition in active dogs is to develop fusing of the spinal column. This can lead to decreased mobility, pinched vertebrae and back pain. Your pet dog will greatly gain advantage from the usual rubbing gently of the lower lumbar spinal muscles. Put both hands on either region on the sides of the spine and utilize deep circular digital pressure with your thumbs. Work on the affected area once daily for 5 minutes. You can learn this from your vet and if you want your dog to feel fast relief, you can go for a dog arthritist medication.

If you go looking for medications, there are several options that you can find, from your vet and even online. A variety of herbs are used at different times for dog arthritis. Devil’s Claw is used in traditional African medicine and has scientific studies to back its effectiveness. You or your dog’s vet can give your best friend 100mg or 10 drops per 10 lbs of body weight. Utilizing Acupressure is also one of the efficient ways to let your canine friend deal with arthritis. Methylsulfonymethane or MSM is another supplement, found in some plants such as Horsetail. It works by reducing inflammation in the joints by acting as an antioxidant – this has been shown to work well in treating dog arthritis. The MSM dosage is 50mg per 10lbs of body weight daily.

These are just some of the treatments that might be used in your dog for his arthritis. However, for the best dog arthritis relief and in its purest, natural and safe form, you can go to this site called dog-arthritis-treatment.com by following one of the links above.

So, you think that only humans can be inflicted with this dreaded disease called arthritis, right? Wrong. Even your pet dog can suffer from arthritis and it’s a good thing if you know how to deal with it. But the only problem is, how on earth can you learn more about dog arthritis, the symptoms and of course, the cures for it? Before anything else, you need to remember that there are numerous sites today that offer the best dog arthritis treatment and you don’t even have to go to your vet to take care of your pet dog. You just need to sit in front of your PC and you can find the best remedies for your furry friend’s dilemma.

If you have a large dog, the giant breed kind of dog like the English Mastiff, Doberman Pinscher, the Great Dane or the Border Collie, expect it to be suffering from dog arthritis one of these days. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is, you can’t actually cure arthritis in dogs but you can do something about it. You can learn some pointers on how to make your furry friend’s life more at ease and easy once he has arthritis. You can also find some arthritis dog supplement to make it less painful. Medications like these can only assist get rid of pain therefore help get rid of the ailment itself.

But the only problem is, where can you find a dog joint supplement? As what they say, the most convenient thing is to go through Cyberspace and look for products like these. Yes, it’s true that the only person to approach in this kind of situation is your local vet. But not all veterinarians are accessible 28 hours in one day. What if your dog suddenly complains of tender joints in the middle of the night and you are dead worried how he wimps and yelps because of the pain. Would you prefer to wait till the morning light or would you rather go online and directly find the best product for your dog’s malady? If you care for your furry friend that much, you should go for the second choice and not wait for worst things to happen.