Potential Remedies for Arthritic Pooches

Taking in a dog for a pet can be one of the most rewarding experiences in your life. When you put time and care into raising your canine companion, you will be repaid with truly unconditional love. They will not judge you when you walk in the door after a rough day and if you treat them right they will be eternally loyal.

Having a dog is a big responsibility though and it stretches beyond just feeding them and letting them out to go to the bathroom. Dogs need love and attention from you. It isn抰 enough to just let them run out into the back yard for a few minutes only when you get up in the morning and when you come home from work. Your animal needs plenty of exercise to stay in shape and lots of attention to remain mentally healthy.

But even if you do everything in your power to care for your animal, they may still suffer from perfectly natural afflictions. Arthritis affects animals in the same way it affects human beings. And as with people, it may develop or get worse as your dog ages. Luckily there are plenty of arthritis medicines out there today for animals that can do a world of good for your pet. Here are a few brands that will have them feeling like a puppy again.

Adequan Canine

In many cases arthritis is the result of damage to cartilage. As cartilage deteriorates bones begin to scrape against one another, which can cause serious pain. Adequan canine is partly synthetic, but also produced from bovine tracheal cartilage. This helps to rebuild your pup抯 joints.

Adequan Canine must be prescribed by your vet. They will also put you on a schedule to administer the drug. It comes in liquid form and you inject it directly into your animal抯 muscles near the problem area. Again, your vet will give you specific instructions on where to administer the medication and how often.

One of the advantages of using a medicine that is injected intramuscularly is that side effects are less likely than with other drugs. Still, it is possible that your dog could experience diarrhea, vomiting, depression, or pain at the site of injection. If you notice any of these issues, or anything strange at all after you have begun the drug regiment, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Deramaxx Chewable Tablets

If your dog has undergone orthopedic surgery it is common for your vet to prescribe Deramaxx chewables. Pets with chronic pain that comes from osteoarthritis may also see benefits from taking the medicine.

One of the nice things about Deramaxx is that it can be taken with or without food. Giving your pet medicine with food is usually the easiest way to get it down the hatch. Try rolling it up with a piece of cheese to get your dog to swallow it. The best way to go is just to find the snack your pet likes best and see if you can sneak the pill into it. Just make sure they didn抰 just eat the food and not the medicine. If at first you don抰 succeed, keep on trying.

It is important that you try to give this medicine at about the same time every day and that you don抰 miss any doses. By building this level of consistency your animal will be more likely to reap the benefits of Deramaxx. While most dogs react very well to this medicine, remember to contact your vet if you see anything abnormal in your pet抯 behavior or health.

Zubrin

The active ingredient in Zubrin is called Tepoxalin. While Tepoxalin is in no way a cure for osteoarthritis, it can greatly control pain and reduce inflammation in your pet抯 joints. This means your dog will be able to move around with greater ease. While results may vary from animal to animal, it is common to see results and improvements in just a few short days.

Look for signs of pain in your dog before getting them on a schedule of Zubrin. Do they have trouble walking up the stairs? Do they not jump and run like they used to? Do they struggle just to stand up sometimes? Talk to your veterinarian about getting them on the right drug schedule.

You should never start your pet on any medicine regiment before first consulting your vet. These are just a few of the many drug options available for dogs these days and your veterinarian is the only person who can decide which brand, dosage, and schedule is right for your animal.

It can be hard to see our pets age. But getting older and slowing down is a natural part of life; for people, and for animals. Just because your dog is slowing down in their old age doesn抰 mean they have to be in pain. And with the right medication schedule, they might just start to feel like that puppy you first fell in love with again.