dog arthritis

Dog arthritis has become a bit of an obsession for me over the last 6 years. The reason being that in my small animal practice dogs suffering from arthritis walk through the doors everyday. In all honesty, I get excited to see these patients, because I know that will be able to help them instantly and improve their everyday quality of life for the years to come. This passion has lead me to opening a nationally recognized canine rehabilitation facility and now evolved into a bit of guru for treating arthritis in dogs which has been incredible.

Studies have shown that 1 out of every 5 adult dogs suffers from some degree of arthritis. Most of the time the pet owner has no clue that their dog has this debilitating condition. Why? Because in the early stages the signs or symptoms are very subtle. For example: when the dog is running they may use both hind legs at the same time, almost like a bunny. Or when they are going to sit down it may be a tiny bit on the slow side. Or even after play they may slightly stiff or sleep more than usual.

In addition, many times the pet owner thinks that their dog is a little slow just because they are getting older. WRONG! More likely than not the dog is suffering from chronic pain due to dog arthritis.

OK so why do I love this so much? The reason being is that there are so many ways to help these pet naturally. Most veterinarians are much to quick to put the dogs on "pain meds", which are actually just non-steriodal anti-inflammatories such as rimadyl, deramaxx, metacam, previcox. Though these medications are effective they have their time and place. The potential side effects have to be taken seriously.

Many times a veterinarian or the pet owner will also put their dog on glucosamine and chondroitin. These ingredients have gained quite the popularity over the years. Again, the problem is that most pet owners and even veterinarians have no clue that there is a wide diversity of quality when it comes to these ingredients. Not all glucosamines are created equal and in this case most of the time you get what you pay for. If it is inexpensive then most likely it is poor quality.

In addition, glucosamine and chondroitin only are scratching the surface when it comes to naturally available ingredients that support joint health. Things such as MSM, CMO and even Vitamin C are beneficial to the joint and that is only naming a few.

When all is said in done, if your dog is suffering from arthritis or if you want to take preventative action against joint disease make sure that you get informed, do your research and find the best product for you and your pet.

Just remember that with a little knowledge we can beat the chronic suffering of dog arthritis and keep our dogs healthy and happier longer.

Now I am a bit of a dog arthritis guru in my state.