Arthritis In Senior Dogs- How To Manage Pain At Home?

Arthritis in old age causes a significant problem in our pets. It has specific ramifications that need evaluation. As our dogs start to age, the grip of their pain strengthens. Our pets love running around the house and jumping on the couch whenever they want. It strikes when they can no longer get up to the sofa by themselves. Our car seats seem a thousand stairs away to get to, while long walks are no longer enjoyable but rather painful. Yes! Arthritis can cause all of this to your dog. Though these are the signs, senior dogs often manifest too.

Osteoarthritis in dogs

Arthritis, commonly known as osteoarthritis in dogs, occurs for many reasons. It is also referred to as degenerative joint disease (DJD), progressively causing joint inflammation in dogs. A dog with healthy cartilage acts as a socket and joint cushion to move smoothly in full motion. If your pet is suffering from osteoarthritis, the pillow in the cartilage will break down, and it will cause the to get loose. It can occur due to injury, age, stress, and other diseases. Close breeding (breeding between canine siblings) in dogs is one of the main reasons for misfunctioning joints and fragile bone structure.

Osteoarthritis is detected in one-third of the canine population and often leads to pain and joint disabilities. The cartilages often become inflamed and sore due to their fragility impacting your pet’s back leg and spine. The typical locations in a dog’s body affected by osteoarthritis are the hip, knee, elbows, and shoulders. Ligament rupture is another cause of hip dysplasia in dogs and occurs in most breeds. Large bread dogs like labrador retrievers and golden retrievers are more prone to arthritis. However, this does not limit any particular species, while the earlier factors could work for any dog breed.

Risk Related to Arthritis in Dogs

Many risk factors working alongside arthritis in dogs can worsen the condition or make it difficult for your pet to live everyday life. There are six risk factors to consider when dealing with osteoarthritis.

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What Are The Medical And Veterinarian Treatment Exits For Arthritis In Dogs

Pets limping with their front leg, unable to walk much longer or sit stressing one side of their back leg are prominent signs of arthritis. Various treatment methods are involved in veterinarian practices that can help your pup relieve.

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Low-intensity exercise:

Veterinarians often prescribe low strenuous and intensified exercises for your pet which might help maintain mobility and joint functions.

Medication for reducing joint inflammation:

Few medicines work as pain relief in hip dysplasia or acute arthritis. Medications like prednisone (steroids) help in reducing joint inflammation. In addition, prescriptions also include painkillers like carbaryl, ibuprofen, or diclofenac (only to be given when prescribed by your veterinary doctor).

Joint supplements:

Joint supplements are another form of treating osteoarthritis in dogs as these include;

• Fish oil
• Vitamin D
• Multiviamin Supplememts
• Glucosamine and Chondroitin
• Methylsulfonylmethane

Water Therapy:

Water therapy, also known as hydrotherapy, is another crucial step in helping your pet with arthritic pain. With the help of professional canine physiotherapists, pool therapy affects joint pain and reduces inflammation and leg dysfunctionalities.

Along with this, surgery is considered the last resort to help our pets to reduce pain. Though surgery has many pros and cons, water therapy and underwater treadmills work wonders in helping your pup recover from surgery.

How To Manage The Arthritis Pain At Home In Senior Dogs?

It is not always possible to keep your pet on medication or spend time at the vet’s. Pet parents could take measures to help their pets have a less painful life. We can take some strategic actions to help our pets deal with the arthritic pain and be happy and sound when getting up to the couch, playing in the yard or taking a walk. It is good to consider a few minor but essential acts that could significantly change your pet’s daily activities.

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Exercise:

Exercise is one major step in managing arthritis in your dog. Light exercises like stretching the back, legs, and back and forth help stimulate blood in the muscles and increase oxygen in those body parts. In addition, going on walks with little breaks where you should allow your pet to rest and then walk. It would also help keep the function of the joints going on.

Including certain food items in daily diet

Along with the medication, we can find specific types of food in our kitchen that are effective for arthritis.

• Ginger (small piece of it mixed while cooking their food)
• Garlic clove (one in their food cooked properly)
• Pumpkin seeds ( roasted tastes great as a treat for dogs)
• Omega 3 and olive oil (small amount in their food)
• Turmeric (mix in food while cooking)

These homely items can significantly help manage the pain and inflammation of joints while acting as a supporting element to the medication prescribed.

Please read our other article: What Happens When Your Dog Sleeps In Your Bed?- Know 7 Benefits.

Weight Management:

Managing weight in pets is one major thing to consider, as obesity could stress the joints and spine. Overweight dogs often fall prey to paralysis, specifically senior dogs. The weight should be managed and kept within the minimum range per the breed weight chart of dogs. You could give specialized medicated foods with particular measurements to maintain a healthy weight. Apart from this, homemade foods are similarly effective in producing outstanding results. Brown rice, celery, oats, flaxseed, and chia seed are very productive in weight reduction and managing obesity in dogs.

Orthopedic beds:

One of the most avoided things a parent could consider is refraining their pets from sleeping on the floor. The hard floor surface could increase senior dogs’ pain and muscle strain. Getting an Orthopaedic bed could support the bone while sleeping and resting.

Warming pads:

Warming pads or hot water bags help reduce muscle stress in your pet, while the hot compress would also reduce pain in senior dogs.

Giving food in raised bowls:

Pet parents should always avoid placing the food bowls on the floor. It increases stress on senior dogs’ spine and back leg joints when they lean over to eat. It could also increase the risk of slipped discs and severe pain over time. Giving food in raised bowls can help maintain a firm grip on the floor and level the bodyweight equally divided into the spine and back portion of your dog.

Conclusion

To sum up the main idea, it is always essential that pet parents closely monitor their senior dogs. Pets with arthritis have always had difficulty doing the bare minimum, like getting up on stairs, couches, and car seats. Here, considering a little push or having pet stairs can help their daily activity easily achievable on their own. The most important thing is to provide massages that can help relieve stress in senior dogs due to continuous joint pain. Similarly, focusing on their walk pattern and understanding their health condition can help ease their life more effectively.