Organic Dog Arthritis Supplements and Other Natural Dog Arthritis Treatments

Apple Cider Vinegar: I kept seeing references on dog care forums (like Dogster.com) to ACV. It took me a while to discover it meant: Apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar contains many important nutrients, mineral and vitamins, essential acids and several enzymes. ACV is cheap, easy to use and it really benefits our health in numerous ways. ACV can benefit both people and their pets. It is antibacterial and anti-fungal and gives the immune system a good boost. By affecting the dog's pH balance, it can help repel fleas.

Cider vinegar is thought (unfortunately I didn't see any studies on this) to be beneficial in the treatment of arthritis, as a supplement added to your pet's daily water supply (or poured over the food) or with compresses soaked in hot vinegar applied directly to the joints. Quality natural apple cider vinegar can be found in health food stores. Look for one with a rich amber color with visible sentiment on the bottom. You can mix apple cider vinegar with the dog's food or water. To be effective the dog should have a teaspoonful (small dog), two teaspoonful (medium) or a tablespoon (large dog) per day.

Fish Oil Supplements Fish Oils are rich in Omega-3 oils which have been proven to have anti-inflammatory properties. To ensure that the dog absorbs as much of the Omega 3 fatty acids as possible, use a liquid fish oil supplement (gel pills can go through a dog's system undigested). I've seen recommendations as high as 1,000mg per 10 lbs. of the dog's weight for a therapeutic dose, however since 2000 - 3000mg is generally considered an effective dose for an adult person, you may want to call your vet and get his/her opinion.

Glucosamine, Chrondritin and MSM - These compounds have all been proven to help repair and lubricate arthritic joints. While some dog foods contain them, generally the dose in dog foods is too low to be effective. Almost any pet store will have joint supplements which contain one or more of these. Flexpet contains glucosamine, chrondritin, MSM in a patented compound which is clinically proven to promote optimal joint health in your dog, cat or any other pet. With any of these supplements, it can be 4 - 6 weeks before you see any results. Flexpet is currently running a Buy 2 Get 1 FREE off.

Pet Bounce: Pet Bounce is an all-natural, plant-based homeopathic blend designed to help alleviate the symptoms your pet may be experiencing safely and without side effects. When I first read the list of ingredients in Pet Bounce, they sounded rather odd, like something Hermione might be adding to a potion at Hogwarts: Apis mellifica 30C, Belladonna 6X, Caulphyllum 6C, Colchicum autumnale 200C, Rhus toxicodendron 200C, Ruta graveolens 6X.

Pet Bounce Offers vary. When I first posted this page, they had a free trial offer. Today when I checked, it appeared that offer was gone, but they had an offer where you could get a lifetime supply based on a 6-month purchase. So you'll have to click here for current Pet Bounce offers.

Nothing is worse for joints than to be immobile. Try to get your dog some exercise. If he doesn't enjoy long walks any more, then take him out for short ones, but try to make them frequent.

The ideal exercise for arthritis sufferers, people or canine, is swimming, since it increases the range of motion in joints without the stress of having weight on them.

The final reason that exercise will help arthritis is that keeping weight down also helps ease joint discomfort. The thinner and fitter the dog (or person) is, the less affected by arthritis.

Heat is a fantastic way to treat arthritis. It provides substantial arthritis pain relief, but also improves arthritis by improving circulation. Arthritis inflammation generally reduces blood flow, which causes additional health problems. Heat feels good and improves circulation. A real win-win.

I was at the vet's office today and saw a notice that they were adding a veterinarian to their practice who was trained and licensed to use accupuncture. I knew, from my husband's arthritis, that often (though not always) accupuncture can bring substantial pain relief to arthritis sufferers.

For people, the biggest drawback of accupuncture for treating arthritis, is that most health insurance plans don't cover it. But, most of us do not have health insurance for our dogs any way, so the insurance status of acupuncture for pets is less of a factor than people's health care plan policies.

Obviously, not ever veterinarian or veterinary practice is going to have someone trained to use acupuncture. If your dog (or cat) is suffering from arthritis and none of the above options brings sufficient pain relief, I'd suggest giving acupuncture a try. Use the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture (AAVA.org) website's 'Find an Acupuncturist' function to find a veterinarian in your area.

There is also an interesting article here on acupuncture for dogs growing in popularity and acceptance among veterinarians.