Arthritis in Dogs

Arthritis in Dogs

Source:
Tuesday 7th February 2012, 9:11pm

Arthritis in dogs is something the owner generally ignores until it's too late, often thinking it won't happen to my dog. They miss the tell tale signs that may be the early stages of dog arthritis.

www.arthritisindogsandpets.com

Arthritis in dogs is something the owner generally ignores until it's too late, often thinking it won't happen to my dog. They miss the tell tale signs that may be the early stages of dog arthritis.

Look for changes in your dogs behaviour and manner some of these can be very subtle. Limbing, difficulty sitting and standing, sleeping for longer, stiff or sore joints, not happy to run, jump climb stairs etc. Signs of pain when petted or touched, attitude or behavioural changes, less tolerant to children or other dogs, increased anxiety or clinginess. Becomes less active and less allert, trouble getting comfortable in bed and being restless. Change in grooming habits, like unusual licking sometimes leading to bald patches, chewing joints or gains weight.

Money may be a factor, regular trips to the vet when the dog seems perfectly well may seem a waste of money. There is pet insurance which would cover this but again the owner may feel regular monthly payments to an insurance company is not worth while if the dog dosn't seem to be ill. Unfortunately both these monertary arguements are unwise as a little money paid out now can save large amounts of money later, as well as pain suffered by the dog. Regular visits to the vet can pick up these problems, even subtle symtoms not even noticed by the owner. So the old saying "prevention is better than cure" is definately true when dealing your dogs health.

Just like humans as our dogs get older they are likely to suffer from some sort of dog health problems, arthritis included. If your dog has been very energetic, running, sprinting, jumping etc. this has over time put alot of wear and tear on the joints, which can be a cause of dog arthritis. Has your dog suffered from an injury, broken bone, dislocation of a joint or just a heavy sprain, again this could be the start of dog arthritis even in younger animals.

Poor diet can be another contributing factor in arthritis developing. Over time if your dog is fed cheap economical meals they may be loosing out on alot of the essential nutrients and minerals needed for good pet health. Over feeding is just as bad as poor feeding. The animal never goes hungary but over time is slowly increasing in weight. These over weight dogs are putting extra stresses on their joints which again can wear down the joint cartilage and bring on arthritis.

So to keep your dog healthy for longer, feed with a healthy diet, exercise regularly to keep an ideal weight. Supplement the diet with a good joint supplement which has been proven to help regenerate joint tissue and cartilage with no side effects as it is a natural product. These joint supplements come in various types, pills that can be taken or broken over food, liquids to give direct in the mouth or poured over food, chewable tablets given as dog treats and as a paste formulation which enables ease and flexibility of administration to your dog.

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