Does Your Dog Have Canine Arthritis?

Almost all dogs will develop canine arthritis in their later years of life

. Larger breed dogs have more of a problem with the disease then do smaller dogs since their added weight creates more stress on the joints. There is no cure for dog arthritis available today. Let's examine here the question as to whether or not your dog may have the disease and how you should treat it.

Although it is impossible for pet owners to diagnose the disease themselves, there are typical signs which oftentimes indicates the presence of canine arthritis. One of the earliest indications the disease may be progressing in the older animal is when he or she begins limping on a regular basis. This limping often occurs after a long walk or vigorous exercise. Of course all animals, just like people, may suffer from temporary sprains and pulls during exercise, what is important is to notice when this event happens on a regular basis. If you notice limping in your older dog on a regular basis it's probably time to take him or her to a veterinarian for a full checkup.

Another indication of the onset of osteoarthritis is when your dog either has difficulty or becomes slower in lying down or rising up from those positions. Also at that time, dogs afflicted with the disease, may give out small groans and grunts while moving into those positions.

Once a veterinarian diagnoses that the disease is present in the animal, he or she will offer a variety of treatment alternatives to help deal with the disease. In the past, many doctors suggested using prescription medications in order to minimize the pain associated with the dog arthritis. Although these prescribed drugs work very well to all but eliminate the pain associated with osteoarthritis, they had oftentimes very severe side effects. In fact, there have been many reports of deaths due to these prescription medicines. One veterinarian recently was quoted as saying that if these drugs were used for humans, they would be banned because they are so dangerous and cause such a high percentage of serious side effects and deaths.

The veterinarian will also suggest the dog lose weight if he or she is not at their proper weight. When dogs carry too many extra pounds, it causes undue stress on the already weakened and diseased joints which in turn causes the animal more pain. Although it may be difficult to put the older dog on a diet, being slim is vital for his or her overall health and in dealing with the canine arthritis disease.

Canine arthritis may be a fact of life for almost all animals, but when properly dealt with, pets can have many more quality years of life even with the disease.

by: Steve Weber

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