Dogs, like people, suffer from many joint problems and infirmities related to age. Arthritis in dogs is not unusual It's estimated that one in five adult dogs in the United States suffers from arthritis. It's said to be one of the most common causes of chronic pain in dogs seen by veterinarians.
Arthritis is a general term for abnormal changes in a joint. It can occur in many joints in the body and can happen from joint tissue destruction following infection, stress, trauma, from conformation, or from other reasons for degeneration. Usually the cartilage and tissue surround a joint wear away and the bony layers beneath begin to rub against each other, causing pain. It usually occurs in the later years, but it can happen at surprisingly young ages. Many different animals can suffer from arthritis.
There are a number of signs that your dog could be suffering from arthritis. Your dog symptoms could be changes in attitude or behavior, decreased activity or less interest in play, being less alert, weight gain, reluctant to jump, run or to climb stairs, stiff or sore joints, difficulty sitting or standing, sleeping more or favoring a limb or limping.
These signs, of course, may also be indicative of other problems, but they can indicate that your dog has arthritis. If you see these signs in your dog for more than a few days then you should see your veterinarian for an evaluation. He or she will give your dog a physical exam and possibly x-ray the affected area.
Once you have a diagnosis you and your vet can devise a treatment plan. There are a number of possible therapies:
1. Make sure that your dog has a healthy diet and exercise. It's important that your dog should not be overweight if he has arthritis as excess weight can exacerbate the problem. Gradually increasing your dog's exercise will help him improve his joint mobility.
2. If appropriate, to treat your dog's arthritis you and your vet will work together to find a drug treatment. Not all arthritis is bad enough to require drug treatment.
3. Some dogs will respond to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatorymdrugs (NSAIDS). These are the most common pharmaceutical treatments for arthritis in dogs. You will need to discuss with you vet certain risks that they have.
4. Your dog may benefit from over-the-counter medication, such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate or Omega fatty acids. These have been shown to help relieve the symptoms of arthritis in some dogs.
5. One of the most effective approaches is to treat a dog using both drug treatment and over-the-counter medication.
If your dog is diagnosed with arthritis you shouldn't despair. Many dogs in the United States have some degree of arthritis and they continue to lead happy lives. In fact, with a good diet and exercise and appropriate treatment, there is no reason why they can't live out their normal lifespan totally pain-free.
About the author: To learn more about dog training, conditions affecting dogs and to get access to the latest products, just go to: http://www.HealthyDogsLife.com
Joshua Ocampo ยป Proven Treatment For Arthritis in Dogs
Dog arthritis is confirmed thru radiographic evidence of the degenerative changes which occur in joints. Surgery is not the only proven treatment for arthritis in dogs. You would only have to consider it when everything else fails. ...
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Arthritis in dogs | Arthro-Ionx Review
Diagnosis How do you know if your dog has joint pain and if it's arthritis? Your dog can't explain what's wrong with him, so it's important to watch his non-verbal cues closely and take even subtle changes seriously. ...
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Arthritis In Dogs
This poor pooch suffered from arthritis until he was given flexpet with cm8. Dog arthritis became a thing of the past! www.dog-arthritis-care.com
Anybody, who has ever had a dog, knows they are part of the family. One of the things which could cause a large amount of unhappiness for dogs is when they get ear infections.
Having an infection in the ear could cause a dog to be exceedingly uncomfortable and even major agony. Diseases that are not treated can affect a dog's capability to hear and even cause deafness. There several things that may cause this sort of infection.
Ear mites and bacteria contagions are 2 of the large reason for dog ear infections. Poor cleanliness and an unhealthy environment may also cause the contagions. If a dog swims a lot than excess moisture can build up in their ears and cause contagions.
There are 1 or 2 symptoms of dog ear infections that dog owners should know about. Many instances when dogs have an infection they can rub their head against carpet or furniture. Dogs will probably times shake their head and ears when they have an infection.
Another sign a dog has an infection is when they're pawing at their ears. If a dog's ear smells bad or is inflamed their ear could be infected. Having a discharge coming from a dog's ears may be an indication of infection. If somebody suspects that that their dog has an ear infections they will want to take their dog to a vet for treatment.
There are a few different treatments for dogs with these infections. Drops and ointments are a standard treatment for the ear infections. Cleaning and flushing the dog's ear is an alternate way to treat the infection. Antibiotics are often wanted to treat the problem. While there are some homeopathic methods to treat infections, dog owners will want to make checks with their veterinarian to determine which option is best for their dog.
While there are some great treatments for dog ear infections avoidance of the infection would be better. One of the greatest methods to stop illnesses is to wash a dog's ears constantly. This could be done, at least weekly.
Another thing that may help stop infections is to keep a dog's ears dry. This is done simply simply by wiping a dog's ears out with a cotton cloth.
Of course, if you think that your dog may be suffering from an ear infection or any other issue, it is important to have your dog examined by a veterinarian. This article is merely a reference and should NOT be used as a replacement for seeing your veterinarian.
About the author: Dr. Dean Severidt has practiced veterinary medicine for more than 30 years. Dr. Severidt discusses dog ear infections and other pet health topics at http://petdoctorblog.com/dog-ear-infections . You can also see a video on this topic from Dr. Severidt at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NBmPOLI-zo
The protein in dog dander is most often at the root of allergy and asthma flare ups. The sensitivity to this protein often causes watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, and many other disrupting symptoms in people. Here are 6 suggestions for ways you can reduce the amount of dog dander in your life.
Bathe Your Dog Regularly - Regular baths can keep your dog's excess hair and dander to a minimum. Shampooing your dog regularly keeps the skin healthy, and removes hair that your dog has already shed. Depending on the size of your dog, the shower with a hose extension puts the water where you need it.
If you have a bigger breed, outside might be a better option, or having your dog professionally groomed might make more sense. Check with your veterinarian for suggestions on shampoo and frequency of bathing.
Brush Your Dog's Coat - Regular brushing outdoors will help remove the undercoat and excess hair that would go airborne with normal activities. Brushing also increases circulation and lessens scratching and the flaking of dead skin and dander.
Brushing your pooch is time consuming but so worth it in terms of the benefits it provides. Your dog will love you and the attention, and you'll love the fact that their is less hair to which dander is able to cling. Your dog will also look forward to it because it feels good, and it's a way to receive one-on-one time with you. You may even find that your dog will bring the brush to you as a reminder.
Fine Tune Your Dog's Diet - Adding a small amount of oil to the daily diet will help. Derm Caps have been a success for us. They are easily lumped in with food and seem to go down with the rest of the food without notice.
If your dog shakes and scratches a lot, sometimes the culprit can be diet. Check with your veterinarian to help determine that the food is not a cause of excessive scratching and licking.
Take Your Dog for Regular Checkups - Regular visits and consultations with your veterinarian will help keep your dog in top physical condition with healthy skin and coat which will lessen scratching, shaking, and licking, all of which send hair and dander airborne.
Vacuum Your Home Often - Once dander has fallen to the floor, normal activity will send it airborne again. Vacuuming (for best results with a HEPA air purifier) not only your floors but your furniture (with a soft brush, of course) will stop dander from re-entering the air.
Filter Your Air - Nothing will eliminate dog dander completely, but greatly reducing the amount of dander in the air you breathe will make a huge difference in how you feel. A portable high efficiency particle arresting air purifier will continuously filter dander from the air, and many are designed to run economically 24 hours a day.
This type of filtration will remove not only dog dander but other normal household particulates that you live with down to .3 microns in size.
About the author: Remove dog dander and other household pollutants from your air continuously with the air purifier from PurerAir.com at http://purerair.com/pet_dander_air_purifier.html
It is difficult to see your dog suffering from the severe pain caused by arthritis, which is why I have added Pet Bounce to my dog's diet. There is no known single cure for this debilitating disease, but there are several remedies against canine arthritis that are available to help better manage the problem and ease the pain. You will want to take some action when you discover that your dog is actually suffering from arthritis. You do not want the symptoms to worsen and the disease to progress.
NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are FDA approved medications to help treat arthritis in your dog. These are medications you want to from your vet, as you need to get something that has been specifically formulated for a dog. Human formulas can work, but getting the dosage right as well as the right drug is too risky for your dog. Remember that, no matter how human our dogs seem, the body of a dog responds differently.
To get the correct dose, be sure to read the drug label or consult your veterinarian. Adverse reactions have been reported when using such treatments, some being very serious so watch for reactions in your dog. NSAIDs are used more for large canine arthritis remedies and will help to relieve pain, reduce inflammation and inhibit the disease's progression.
Supplements such as Pet Bounce are also effective remedies for canine arthritis. You will not see results immediately, but they offer benefits in long-term relief of arthritis symptoms dog with continued use. Such supplements increase the joint fluid in the joints and help heal them by preventing inflammation. with time. Glucosamine with chondroitin is one of the most effective and popular canine arthritis remedies we have around.
When a dog is suffering from arthritis, it means that the unique and protective cartilage in the joints is wearing away, which then results in bone on bone contact which is a main cause of pain. The supplements that contain glucosamine and chondroitin provide the cartilage-forming cells to produce new cartilage and repair existing damaged ones. Veterinarians often prescribe NSAIDs along with supplements.
If your dog could talk, he'd ask you to learn about the Arthritis Diet for dogs.
Some advice please on the exercise of an overweight dog with arthritis?
I have a 5 and a half year old Chihuahua. She has arthritis in the hip, because it broke when she was a baby. She also has the condition that commonly occurs in small breed dogs, where her trachea collapses or partially collapses causing her to cough. She weighs about 11 pounds weigh 6-8. I want her to lose weight for her health, but it is very difficult because she can not do a lot of physical activity (because of the hip and trachea). I have heard that swimming is one of the best things for her, and we are getting a pool this summer, so I will be able to get into it with her. Anybody know of anything else? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Water therapy has had very positive results in animals and humans, so dog water therapy is a good idea. Just remember that you will need to be carefully monitoring your dog's swimming activities. We have a 12-year-old beagle with arthritis in the spine and hips and dog swimming helps her. Our vet also suggested a supplement that we have had very good results with. It is called Genesis Resources Canine Re-Flex 2. It is a glucosamine supplement plus other good stuff. You may also want to consider dog massages. It can be very pleasant and relaxing for you and your dog. Any veterinarian who prefers a more homeopathic approach will be happy to demonstrate the proper dog massage technique.
See Spot Swim is a full service Canine Aquatic Center offering hydrotherapy for rehabilitation, therapeutic massage and recreational swimming. They are located in Redondo Beach, CA. Many communities are creating dog swimming services, check your local links and listing.
