Canine Joint Pain and Arthritis

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     Joint pain in dogs is very noticeable because as your dog gets older, he or she may have a harder time getting up from a lying down position, which could mean he is suffering from dog arthritis. Canine arthritis is similar to osteoarthritis in humans, though younger dogs can develop arthritis in one or more joints just like some children can develop arthritis at a young age. Just like in humans, dog joint pain causes a lot of discomfort that slows your dog down significantly.
Because most forms of dog arthritis occur as your dog moves into their senior years, it is considered a progressive joint disease that continues to worsen over time. The cartilage in the joints begins to breakdown and as this happens, the bones can rub against each other causing pain and stiffness. Besides your dog being stiffer, there are other signs to watch out for including, weight gain, loss of appetite, sleeping more, refusing to climb stairs, depression, urinating in the house (if this something the dog has never done), and limping.

Smaller canines with dog joint pain can become lame in their back legs and actually begin to drag their legs, which needs immediate medical intervention. Dogs are no different from people, when they are in pain and it hurts to move, it can lead to a change in behavior and cause irritability in an otherwise mellow dog. Therefore, if your dog shows any signs of arthritis, you need take him or her to your veterinarian.

There are two different routes of treating dog arthritis; the first is with Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDS because they help with inflammation and pain. These can bring swift relief to your dog, but the medication does nothing for the damage that has been done to the joint. If you notice severe dog joint pain, your veterinarian can prescribe a short course of steroids to get the inflammation under control.

Your second option is to treat with natural substances such as glucosamine, which can be given to the dog to reduce inflammation and pain with the dog arthritis, but it also helps to facilitate new cartilage growth. Many dog owners use a combination of the NSAIDS they get from their veterinarian to help with the initial dog joint pain, and begin adding the glucosamine at the same time because it needs to build up in the system for full effects to be realized.

A holistic approach to arthritis is the best approach for long-term management of pain. In addition, if your dog is overweight, getting him or her at their ideal weight will help ease the joint pain because the added weight on the joints makes the arthritis and pain worse for your dog. While dog arthritis is a very common condition as your dog ages, if you begin noticing stiffness or pain, check in with your veterinarian to get your dog on the best treatment plan to ease the pain so that your dog can have senior years that are happy, healthy, and pain-free.