We want our dogs to live long, healthy lives by our side. Unfortunately, as dogs age, they can develop arthritis, a painful condition that can make even the simplest activities uncomfortable.
Short of surgery, it is difficult to cure arthritis, which is a degenerative condition. However, you don’t have to watch your dog painfully hobble around. With a veterinarian’s help, dogs with joint conditions have many treatment options. Here are some.
1. Offer Pain Medications
Your veterinarian may order blood tests or x-rays to see if your dog could benefit from prescription medications to help control arthritis discomfort, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs are often the first line of defense against arthritic pain. These drugs work by reducing inflammation, which can help to improve your dog’s mobility and reduce discomfort. In some cases, NSAIDs may also be used in conjunction with other medications, such as steroids or joint supplements.
If your dog is a good candidate, your veterinarian will discuss dosage and administration with you. While dogs can benefit from many of the same medications as humans, you should avoid giving your pet drugs from your own medicine cabinet. You don’t want to risk an overdose or complications that could lead to other health conditions, such as liver failure.
2. Change Up Your Dog’s Diet
Diet is always important for your dog, but it is even more important if your dog has a specific condition like arthritis. For arthritic dogs, avoiding canine obesity is key. Your dog’s weak, often painful joints really don’t need to be lugging around some extra weight. Exercise might be challenging, especially if the arthritis is severe. Yet, you ask your veterinarian about low-impact exercises that could help your dog lose weight.
Check to see if you’re feeding your dog the proper food and that it’s meeting his nutritional requirements. Veterinarian-recommended high-quality dog foods may be beneficial in alleviating your dog’s arthritic symptoms. Look for foods that contain anti-inflammatory properties and omega fish oils to reduce any swelling.
Supplementing an arthritic dog might also help. Glucosamine is widely known to stimulate the body to produce more chemicals that can help produce and strengthen tendons, cartilage, and ligaments.
Other supplements that can be beneficial to joint health include chondroitin, MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), or a combination of all three.
3. Consider CBD Oil for Dogs
The use of CBD oil to treat arthritis and many other ailments in dogs (such as luxating patella) has become increasingly popular in recent years. In a nutshell, CBD is a chemical found in the hemp plant that some believe can help with a range of ailments. Don’t worry, while CBD comes from the same family as the marijuana plant, the chemical does not cause the high that THC does (note: if your dog eats cannabis, call the vet!).
However, while CBD oil is known to benefit dogs with arthritic discomfort, there is often no means of predicting purity, concentration, efficacy, or side effects. In addition, CBD is a relatively new treatment option for both humans and dogs, and insufficient regulation of CBD oil makes it difficult for most veterinarians to sign off on its use.
4. Enroll Your Dog in Physical Therapy
There are various alternative treatment options available to help manage a dog’s arthritic pain, in addition to food, supplements, and pharmaceutical drugs. Physical therapy, as well as adequate regular exercise, can be useful for dogs with arthritis. Hydrotherapy, or water therapy, is also known to benefit many animals, puppies and senior dogs alike.
In addition, acupuncture is a holistic treatment that has been gaining traction. Other alternative techniques for treating arthritis in dogs include acupressure and tailored pulsed electromagnetic field therapy.
5. Consider Surgery
When all else fails, surgery may be considered in circumstances where conventional and alternative medical care options have been exhausted. The sort of surgery required will be determined by the joint in question, as well as the dog’s size and activity level. Surgical options that may be considered include removing the femoral head, fusing damaged joints, or a complete joint replacement.
You Can Prevent Your Dog From Getting Arthritis
A healthy dog is an active dog – and that’s something every dog parent knows. Unfortunately, arthritis is a common condition that can make it difficult for even high-energy dog breeds to remain active.
But there’s good news. There are plenty of ways to help your dog stay healthy and pain-free, even as they get older. For starters, keep them at a healthy weight. Extra weight puts added stress on joints, which can make arthritic pain worse and exacerbate the condition. Even moderate exercise can help keep the body fit and reduce pain. Swimming is great for dogs and offers the same benefits as hydrotherapy.
Feed them a top-quality diet with loads of nutrients such as omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, glucosamine, and antioxidants. Give them joint-friendly supplements like chondroitin sulfate which can help reduce inflammation and pain.
Try to prevent them from jumping up and down from significant heights, which further stresses the joints. You can install a doggy ramp or steps up to the couch or your bed if your dog is allowed on the furniture. If you’re playing frisbee and fetch, be wary. As your dog ages, you might want to keep playtime to shorter sessions, relying more on puzzle toys than high-impact games.
Doggy arthritis is no fun, and we, as devoted parents, just can’t stand to see our pooches suffer. With some preventative care and medical help, we can help arthritic dogs lead long, active lives for many years to come.
