What You Need To Know About Canine Arthritis

Canine arthritis involves the inflammation in a joint or joints. This can result in changes to the joint cartilage, the joint fluid, the bones involved in the joint and the actual capsule of the joint depending on the cause of the inflammation.

There are many causes that create arthritis. Listed below are the main types:

Osteoarthritis – trauma, wear and tear

Immune-mediated – Rheumatiod

Genetic – malformed hips, elbows or knees

Infective – Lyme or Anaplasma

Idiopathic (where the cause is unknown)

Arthritis Symptoms

Osteoarthritis or degenrative joint disease is a painful condition and can make your dog’s life miserable, therefore the sooner you detect the signs of dog arthritis, the faster you can adopt measures to slow its progression and help save your dog from further pain. Here is a rundown on some of the symptoms that your dog may have athritis:

 

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• Stiffness, lameness, or limping after rest


• Loss of appetite or unusual weight gain


• Inactivity and sleeping a lot more


• Relutance to walk, run or climb stairs


• Unusual urinating in the house


• Irritability and behavioural changes


• Depressed or withdrawn

If your dog has any of these symptoms, take it to a veterinarian for a full diagnosis. Typical dog arthritis evaluation will involve some physical examinations, blood tests and X-rays. In some cases, a synovial (joint) fluid analysis may be performed if joint swelling is noticed.

Treatment of Canine Arthritis

Once you confirm that your dog has joint pain due to arthritis, you will need to know what you can do to help relieve the pain and minimize your pet’s arthritic discomfort.

There are many ways to keep your dog’s arthritis condition under control and to substantially improve the quality of your dog’s life. Some treatment options available for canine arthritis include:

Physical Therapy

Light to moderate exercise is encouraged because it helps maintain your dog’s muscle mass and perserves joint flexibilty. Swimming is an exccellent exercise that improves muscle mass without overstressing the joints. Overweight dogs should be encouraged to lose weight to delay the onset degenerative arthritis.

Medication

There are always conventional medications to treat arthritis and help relieve dog joint pain. The use of Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and their anti-inflammatory properties can help provide rapid relief for your dog’s arthritis pain, but they do not repair or heal cartilage.

Caution: Never give your dog any human form of medication such as common household aspirin. If you are going to give your dog aspirin or steriods for arthritis pain, make sure you understand the possible side effects that may affect your dog.

Surgery

Surgery is usually recommended as a last resort treatment for dogs with canine arthritis because the treatment is expensive and it may also cause even further pro-longed pain for your dog. Your veterinarian will only suggest surgery when all other possible non-surgical treatments are exhausted to relieve your dog’s pain. The types of surgery available include joint repair, fusion, hip replacement and arthroscopic surgery.

Alternative Supplements for Arthritis Pain Relief and Joint Health

Supplements containing glucosamine and chondroitin can be very helpful for dogs primarily where the joints are involved. Glucosamine is naturally present in animal bones and as a dietary supplement, it can help to promote new cartilage growth, relieve joints and muscle pain and improve joint mobility.

Acupuncture can give excellent results in pain management and may eliminate the requirement for medications.

Herbal medicine can give great benefits also as they are designed to treat the animal in a holistic manner. Be confident in your choice of herbal practitioner and ask your veterinarian for guidance if unsure.

Future Prevention

If your dog is diagnosed with canine arthritis, work with your vet to establish a holistic treatment plan to help your dog live each day as pain free as possible.

Good healthy diets and proper exercise help your dog either avoid canine arthritis or reduce its affects.

A good healthy diet that prevents your dog from gaining too much weight is ideal. Diet is even more important when your dog is a puppy. Puppies need well-balanced, wholesome diets, with added calcium, to help minimize the likelihood of joint displacement. Adding omega 3 oil to the diet will also help to balance out its diet and add valuable vitamins and minerals it needs every day.

Contrary to what many people think, exercise is vital for dogs with arthritis. It should start out as gentle exercise to get your dog’s joints moving and progressively increase it as your dog’s fitness levels rise. Try gently massaging your dog’s painful joints to help restore the blood flow.

A dog with arthritic conditions can live normal, healthy lives and are better off out playing with a ball to keep their joints and muscles moving. A dog that gets little exercise puts on weight, and its joints and muscles seize up.

Buy a good orthopedic bed made for dogs with arthritis. Just like us, a dog’s painful joints may become inflame in cold weather so a good bed will keep your dog warm, support its weary bones and help your furry friend get a good night’s sleep.

Remember as a dog owner, there is much you can do to make a huge difference in the quality of your dog’s life to help your dog lead a pain free life especially if he/or she is suffering from joint problems like dog arthritis.

The Providence Veterinary Hospital Blog is a publication of Peter Herman, VMD, at the Providence Veterinary Hospital, 2400 Providence Ave. in Chester, PA. Contact Dr. Herman at 610-872-4000 or visit us at http://www.providencevet.com/.

Glucosamine for Arthritis in Dogs - What You Need to Know to Help Your Dog With Arthritis Pain

When my Shar Pei, Dozer, began to act like an old dog, my vet suggested I look into glucosamine.

I’ve heard of glucosamine, but that was in regard to people, not dogs. Can it really help dogs that are suffering from arthritis and joint pain?

Symptoms of Arthritis in Dogs

Dozer was 8 years old when he started to act like an old dog. He has always been somewhat reserved, dignified, but he started to walk very slowly, gingerly, as though he was having a tough time taking each step.

Climbing stairs seemed to be hard for him, too. He normally followed me down into the basement, but lately he started to sit at the top of the stairs and wait for me to come back up. Instead of exploring the yard while I hung my laundry on the clothesline, he would lay down in the cool grass and watch me.

Then he began to lay down in the bathroom. This was odd because he doesn’t like baths, and normally he stays far away from the bathtub!

Plus, there are no windows in the bathroom – it’s dark in there. He always liked to stay close to the french doors in the dining area, because he could watch out the windows for errant squirrels and other intruders who don’t belong in his yard.

When I told the vet about this, he asked what kind of floor was in the bathroom. I told him it was ceramic tile – and he said that was the answer. Dozer’s joints were aching, and the cool tile floor soothed the pain.

For Dog Arthritis, Glucosamine Has Been the Answer for Many

Arthritis is caused by a number of factors. The term “arthritis” actually covers more than 100 different joint pain conditions. It can be that the joint is inflamed, or infection, or the cartilage between bones wearing away and more.

Where the problem is cartilage wear, glucosamine for dogs may be the answer.

Where bones meet, say in a hip socket or knee socket, there is a layer of cartilage that acts like a shock absorber between the bones.

However, as we and our dogs age, that cartilage can wear away, leaving the bones rubbing against each other without any padding. That pain can be intense, as anyone who is a candidate for a knee or hip replacement can tell you.

Humans and canines produce glucosamine in the body naturally, but the aging process also causes glucosamine production to drop off.

The good news is that glucosamine is cheap and easy to obtain. It’s made from crustacean shells, and since the crustaceans are normally the valued part of the crop, the shells are typically thrown away, meaning that glucosamine supplements for your pet can be relatively inexpensive.

Types of Glucosamine for Arthritis in Dogs

There are 4 types of glucosamine, but the two most effective are Glucosamine Sulfate and Glucosamine Hydrochloride or HCL.

If your dog’s arthritis pain is caused by wearing of the cartilage between bones, then you’ll want to start supplementing with glucosamine as soon as possible. You’ll need to give this supplement for the rest of your dog’s life since your pet’s body is no longer providing the needed levels of glucosamine.

Glucosamine supplements can encourage the cartilage to regenerate, but it won’t completely solve his joint pain problem. If you stop supplementing, you’ll see a return of arthritis symptoms.

How Do You Give Your Dog Glucosamine?

Glucosamine for dogs comes in pills that are swallowed, chewable tablets and liquids.

Of course, if your pet takes pills well, then that may be the best solution for you.

Dozer, however, does not like pills, so we decided to try liquid and chewables.

Some dogs are happy with chewable tablets, thinking they are treats, but Dozer would have none of that. The other alternative is the pour-on liquid, which we poured over his dinner at night. That worked well for us. He cleaned it up right away!

We started to notice an improvement about 5 days after his first supplement. Two weeks later, he was back to his old self, jumping into the truck to check out the cows and running up and down the basement stairs after me. What a joy it was to see him feeling good again!

The good news is that glucosamine supplements for dogs typically work that quickly, with most dog owners noticing results within 10 days to 2 weeks.

What Dosage of Glucosamine is Best for Dogs With Arthritis?

Watch the product bottles carefully, since they may list dosages that are hard to compare. For example, one bottle may list 100 pills while another may list 16 ounces.

One website suggested that you think about the dosage in terms of one day. How much will your dog need for one day’s treatment?

A good rule of thumb to start is 750 mg of either Glucosamine Sulfate or Glucosamine Hydrochloride per 50 pounds of your dog’s weight.

Many veterinarians report that doubling the glucosamine supplement to start for 1-2 weeks is beneficial, and can “jump start” your pet’s recovery. And of course, make sure to discuss any medication or supplement with your vet before starting any new regimen for your dog.

Are There Any Side Effects to Glucosamine for Dogs?

A few side effects have been noted by some pet owners, including vomiting and diarrhea. Some dogs will seem drowsy or experience a lack of appetite, but these symptoms appear to be rare. Reducing the dosage for a short while seems to alleviate these side effects.

Many dog owners reported that their dogs seemed to experience these side effects for just a short time as their bodies adjusted to the supplement. You may want to try a different form of glucosamine if one form seems to present side effects.

If you’ve “jump started” your pet’s dosage to 2x, as recommended earlier, and you notice vomiting or diarrhea, back off to the normal dosage.

It is highly unlikely to overdose your pet on glucosamine.

The good news is that once we started Dozer on his glucosamine supplement, almost immediately we noticed our pet feeling and acting more like his old active self. He’s more than 9 years old now, but you wouldn’t know it!

We’re so glad that we discovered glucosamine for the treatment of arthritis in dogs.