Dogs Get Arthritis Too: How To Know If They're Suffering
Arthritis in dogs, similarly to in humans, refers to degeneration of the joints. A dog's health and quality of life is significantly impacted. Causes are varied and include trauma to the joint(s), some course of infection in the body that affected the joints, and genetic defects, excessive and strenuous overuse of the joints. Malfunction of a dog's own immune system can also be the culprit causing inflammation that swells and stiffens the joint resulting in pain. Normal and more intense dog activity such as walking and running, sports workout can cause joints to become slightly displaced. This displacement of a dog's normal skeletal structure results in the joints wearing in an abnormal way and not being able to heal.
Arthritis in dogs causes pain when the animal moves causing more and more reluctance to be active. They want to avoid pain. While some dogs are more prone to developing this condition, arthritis affects both young and old dogs, big and little and breeds of all kinds.
Dogs have learned from their past wild nature to hide their pain which can make it difficult to diagnose arthritis in its early stage. Dogs are good actors. That makes it sometimes quite a bit late in the development of the disease before it's apparent the dog is really in pain - when they are no longer able to hide it.
These are the symptoms you should look for : slowing down, reduced energy, a reluctance to be as active as normal, painful rising from lying down, reluctance or refusal to jump, and an overall change in personality. Moreover, a dog experiences an evident difficulty when walking up a staircase. A pet usually aims to protect themselves from further injury so will walk and stretch very carefully. Often a very telling sign is the usual joyful, excited homecomings for members of the family are much more subdued.
To effectively treat a dog with arthritis it takes a combination of medicine and behavior modifications. First off, the dog should take medication to reduce inflammation that will relieve pain and stiffness. For a natural, safe and non-toxic treatment, try Pet Bounce, a homeopathic substance. Once the dog's pain has been reduced, you can then move on to regular physical activity based on pet exercise (walking, running, playing with balls, sticks and other toys); warm sleeping mat (warm joints are less stiff and painful); pet diets based on balanced food enriched in vitamins, minerals and amino acids (that does not result in excessive weight which is known to be one of the primary reasons of joint displacement causing arthritis).
