Doggy Mentor

Posts Tagged ‘Remedy’

Most people who do not have canines at home know that dogs and cats are highly prone to dog arthritis. How many times have you seen some dog which maneuvers as though its joints are not quite in working order? This is particularly true of advanced aged and/or overweight dogs which are largely less active physically. Is this familiar? It may, as this is exactly the sort of life that causes arthritis in men and women, too. Nowadays, we call arthritis a lifestyle disease with reason.

Happens to all of us
Actually, arthritis in dogs is much alike to arthritis in men and women, in that it is a degenerative disease that creates hardening of the joints and muscles. And as with us, arthritis with canines is quite common as joints do, in everyday circumstances, suffer an amount of deterioration. And also as in people, arthritis – most usually osteoarthritis – in canines can be an immensely painful condition which, left untreated, causes great distress.

Age factor

One thing to consider is that arthritis can affect dogs at all ages. Obviously, the more aged the dog, the more chances that it will get arthritis, but arthritis affects younger dogs too. And if a puppy or young dog has suffered an accident, this increases the chances of developing gog arthritis early. Also there are ailments that can help induce the onset of canine arthritis, such as the disease called hip dysplasia, which is a usual symptom of limping in dogs, and which may lead to arthritis in later years.

First steps
Naturally, at the first signs of movement difficulty you should take your dog to a vet. Getting the right treatment is essential as dog arthritis is not  100% curable, but, given the right kind of dog arthritis treatment, it can be kept in check.

And although you might not think it, gentle exercise is one of the best treatments, which may sound paradoxical since exercise will cause increased joint movement, but is actually of great help. That is because the exercises are not meant to be vigorous physical workouts, which will no doubt worsen the condition, but perhaps a steady walk, which releases lubricating fluids for the joints and aid their smooth movement.

See it coming
Naturally there is a variety of medicines and treatments that you can buy to alleviate the symptoms, though as we have already said, there is no permanent cure. But these medications are assuredly prescribed by the vet. And a vet is also your best bet for preventive measures, which really are the best ways to treat canine arthritis. So, assuming that dogs have an approximate life span of 14 years, if your pet is approaching 10, you should know that it’s time to ask your vet about ways to keep your dog healthy so that dog arthritis cannot strike.