Dog Arthritis Treatment Myths Part 1: Weight Loss & Exercise

How do we separate the myths from the facts of dog arthritis treatment?  We all want to help our dogs arthritis and we all receive plenty of well meaning advice. Some of this advice is helpful but some unfortunately is myth.

We can usually debunk these myths as they relate to our own health but this is a little more difficult with our dogs because:

We don't feel their pain
They don't show pain very well.

I encourage you to put yourself in your dogs shoes - think what treatments would hurt, help or hinder you if you were a dog stricken with arthritis. So read on, push some myths aside and you might very quickly make your dogs arthritis a LOT better.

This is the first in a series of articles that will hopefully debunk some of the most common dog arthritis myths. I want to start with the basics, so this article is about weight loss and exercise myths.

Myth 1. Exercise makes arthritis worse

There is a little bit of truth behind this myth. Many arthritic dogs pull up sore after exercise so it is reasonable to blame the arthritis getting worse on the exercise.

However dog arthritis will get MUCH worse if the joints are not used - joints will stiffen up and their nutrient supply will diminish. They need to be exercised but it should be gentle and regular - use them or lose them.

Myth 2. Dogs don't really feel pain - so no need to treat the arthritis

Have you ever suffered from joint pain? Maybe you have arthritis or a strained or sprained ankle. Most of us can vouch for how painful joints can be.

Animals feel pain, they just can't express it as well as we can. For those who understand this, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand this, no explanation is possible.

Myth 3. Arthritis only affects older dogs

I have seen plenty of dogs less than a year of age with arthritis. It usually relates to a birth defect and can often be treated at this young age, or at least controlled right from the start. If you think your dog is sore (at any age) then get it checked out by your vet.

Myth 4. Arthritis is just a part of getting old

Old age is not a disease so I am reluctant to blame every problem a dog has on his age. Wear and tear arthritis is more likely in older dogs. However other more serious problems such as cruciate ligament ruptures can also occur at any age and often benefit from more specific treatment even as your dog gets older.

Myth 5. Rimadyl (or other veterinary pain killers) will kill my dog

Any drug can have side effects but the negative press around Rimadyl has been blown well and truly out of proportion. The second part in this series will focus exclusively on dog arthritis medication. Look out for it here or on my blog.

Myth 6. My dog is overweight but I don't feed him much

It is true that overweight dogs do not require much extra food to maintain their extra weight. BUT how did they get overweight in the first place? At some point they have either been fed too much or not exercised enough, or they would not be overweight.

Obesity and arthritis are closely linked. In fact the single best thing you can do for an overweight dog is to get some weight off - you will see a marked improvement in mobility and quality of life.

So what should I do from here?

As always you should get your dog checked out by your vet. If your vet is professional and thorough he or she will not be swayed by the myths of arthritis. Instead you will probably come home from your vet visit with a diagnosis and a treatment plan for your dogs arthritis.

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