10 Things To Know About Dog Arthritis
Arthritis and dogs 10 things you need to know.
It is very difficult to see your longtime companion suffer the ravages of osteoarthritis in dogs. Your dog who once had a spring in his step, was able to leap tall fences, and run around the block 10 times now has difficulty just climbing the stairs into the house. Canine joint pain or canine osteoarthritis is caused by wear and tear on a joint and occurs as your dog gets older. Some other names for it are degenerative joint disease or just dog arthritis.
1. Canine arthritis is characterized by the loss and smooth cartilage that covers and protects the end of the bones in a joint.
2. Canine arthritis is the most common source of chronic pain treated by veterinarians.
3. The diagnosis of osteoarthritis and dogs is normally done by a physical exam done a veterinarian combined with x-rays.
4. Treatment and prevention have several options including Rimadyl or a more holistic approach of using glucosamine and chondroitin.
5. Some signs of osteoarthritis include difficulty walking climbing stairs, jumping, or playing, limping, or lagging behind on walks.
6. Diet can also play an important part in treatment of your pet for canine joint pain. Excess weight causes more stress on the joints and exacerbates existing arthritic pain.
7. Sometimes surgery is used to halt or prevent canine arthritis when x-rays indicate joint malformation.
8. Immune mediated-arthritis is caused by an underlying weakness in the immune system. This is usually hereditary.
9. Rheumatoid arthritis which is a deforming type of immune mediated-arthritis is not common in dogs.
Veterinary medicine has come a long way in treating the various forms of arthritis that afflict dogs. If your dog is experiencing symptoms of joint pain it is wise to visit your veterinarian to develop a course of action to make your pet as comfortable as possible. It may take some time but your dog may soon be once again jumping over tall fences, chasing cats, or going on that morning run with you. With proper treatment your dog can live a relatively pain-free life.