ARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATISM IN PETS

ARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATISM Arthritis means inflammation/ pain of
the joints

Rheumatism means pain associated with joints and muscles

The two are linked because muscles attach to the bones at or
near the joints. When a muscle is tensed it exerts its pull on
the joint; if the tension is excessive or prolonged this will
give the sensation of pain in the joint even if the joint is
healthy and normal.

Arthritis and rheumatism are most commonly seen in the older dog
and this gives rise to the misconception that the problems are
caused by wear and tear of the joints. In fact, much of the pain
and restriction of movement is due to muscle spasm rather than
to joint disease. This muscle tension is caused by

(1) the accumulation of waste metabolic products in the muscles

(2) weakness of a major internal organ system. This is a
viewpoint which will be familiar to students of acupuncture but
suffice to say that certain muscles relate to specific organs
e.g. a weakness in stomach function affects the muscles on the
front of the (hind) leg or the lumbar muscles at the level of
the stomach.

These effects may be due to unrecognised adverse reaction to
food ingredients. When the pet changes to a high quality food
which avoids damaging ingredients, the beneficial effect on the
function of the internal organs and the elimination of toxic
waste from the system will often lead to the relief of
rheumatism/arthritis.

Benefits are possible even when there is degenerative joint
disease e.g. hip dysplasia but are less likely if there is
structural damage which needs surgery e.g. ligament damage.

A programme of controlled exercise is usually helpful. It is
usually best to have four or five short walks each day rather
than one long walk as this will maintain mobility without
overtaxing the muscles. see http://www.burns-pet-nutrition.co.uk