Dog Arthritis
Arthritis is the inflammation of any joint in the body. It is a painful situation where more than a hundred diseases associated with rheumatism can give rise to pain, enlargement and stiffness of the different joints and can affect any part of your body. Arthritis is one of those diseases that not only affects humans but dogs also. As they age the larger breed of dogs are more commonly affected by arthritis than the smaller ones. There are no overnight cures for them, but we can strive to make them more at ease and happy. Dogs with arthritis are more comfortable if their beds are raised a foot above the floor level. The mattresses should ideally be soft, four inches in height and the older the better.
Arthritis in dogs is generally found in those who are older in age and heavier by weight. Since it is quite cumbersome to move around, they avoid any movement. This should not be allowed to happen as it may worsen the arthritis. You must give them mild exercises, and take them for short walks at least once a day. The exercising should be limited and if the condition is severe it could be on alternate days. Their diet should be controlled too. Since most of the older dogs develop dental problems, diets low in calories would do fine for them. Some of the brands that manufacture and market food for adult dogs are All Iam's, Eukanuba and Science Diet Oral Care and Hill's t/d. These foods are ideal for adult dogs as they are made from ingredients that help in keeping the dog's teeth clean and also keep them occupied for sometime as the food is very chewy. Hill's (Rx j/d) and Purina (JM Joint Mobility) specially make food for dogs suffering from arthritis. These two are not necessarily low on calories nor are they special for the teeth but they are exceptional for dogs that are not overweight nor have dental problems. They contain extra ingredients which enhance the health nutrients in the food. Ideally you should chose food that suits the individual needs of your dog and then add on other foods that add more specific nutrients to improve your pet's health. Products that help to ease the pain in arthritis are plenty. They often contain chondroitin, glucosamine and many varied minerals and vitamins which promote good health for joints and cartiliages.These are very safe and if you find any dog which shows any symptoms of arthritis we suggest you start with this diet as this will prevent the situation from deteriorating fast. If the situation is very painful medicines used for humans like aspirin may also be used. You should be very careful before administering any medication to dogs as this may lead to side effects which can be stressful to one who is already in so much pain because of arthritis. If your dog is severely arthritic then, with the veterinarian prescription you can buy drugs like Dermaxx, Metacam and Previcox which though quite costly make his or her existence slightly more comfortable. |