Have you noticed your four-legged friend moving slower? Are they having trouble going up stairs or jumping onto furniture? By age 8, 4 out of 5 dogs begin to show signs of arthritis.
Arthritis symptoms can include stiffness, lameness, or limping after rest, inactivity and sleeping more, reluctance to walk, run or climb stairs; unusual urinating in the house; and irritability.
Although there is no cure for arthritis, you can help relieve the signs and keep your dog active. The first step in managing arthritis is to schedule an appointment with us. We typically focus on 5 important areas to help relieve pain and discomfort. These include:
1. Weight management
Weight loss stands tall among osteoarthritis management options. Overweight animals will place proportionally more weight on their joints and therefore cause more localised inflammation and irritation to the joints.
Whilst oral analgesics have an adjunctive role (such as to enable exercise and maintain physical function), weight loss has a direct effect on slowing disease progression.
2. Exercise
Exercise is crucial for pets with arthritis. Regular controlled exercise (leash walking and swimming) is extremely beneficial for keeping the joints mobile and muscles and tendons that stabilize them strong. It is important to exercise an arthritic dog in scenarios that will promote longevity, rather than place him at undue risk for more joint pain. Uncontrolled exercise such as chasing balls can place undue pressure on joints and should be minimised or retired completely.
3. Joint supplements
Nutraceuticals are dietary supplements that function as building blocks to some of the normal constituents of joint cartilage. They decrease the effect of the destructive enzymes present within an osteoarthritic joint.
Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to decrease inflammation present within arthritic joints. We may suggest supplementing your dog’s food with fish oil or feeding a prescription joint diet.
4-Cyte oral joint supplement contains EPIITALIS®, combined with marine concentrates including green lipped mussel, shark cartilage and abalone. Used together, these ingredients work synergistically to target the chemicals responsible for causing inflammation and impairing joint function.
4. Pain management
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are a cornerstone in the treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs and cats. These medications are very effective and act by blocking inflammatory pathways that lead to the destruction of destructive molecules and subsequent pain.
5. Disease modifiers
Disease modifying osteoarthritis drugs work to modify the underlying disease process to relieve pain and lameness. Cartrophen Vet is an injection given by your vet in a similar way to a vaccine with four weekly doses. It has been shown to stop the destructive enzymes that break down cartilage, stimulate the body’s production of cartilage, clear blockages in blood vessels to deliver nutrition to the joint and bone, and stimulate the production of antioxidants that block damaging free radicals.
If you need advice or treatment for your arthritic pet, book an appointment with us. Simply call us on (08) 9277 2231 or contact us online.
