Posts Tagged ‘pet care’

Signs and Symptoms of Arthritis Occurring In Dogs

Dog arthritis is a common term meant to denote pathological changes of a joint. Causes are varied and include trauma to the joint(s), some course of infection in the body that affected the joints, and genetic defects, excessive and strenuous overuse of the joints. Malfunction of a dog’s own immune system can also be the culprit causing inflammation that swells and stiffens the joint resulting in pain. . Normal and more intense dog activity such as walking and running, sports workout can cause joints to become slightly displaced. Altered positioning of bones and cartilages results in abnormal wearing of a joint which does not have enough time to recover and heal.

Arthritis In Dogs causes pain when the animal moves causing more and more reluctance to be active. They want to avoid pain. This condition is found in dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds, though the causes vary widely.

Dogs have learned from their past wild nature to hide their pain which can make it difficult to diagnose arthritis in its early stage. Dogs are good actors. The signs and symptoms of arthritis are more evident in its late stage when a pet can not hide the pain and clearly shows symptoms such as lameness, slow movement and slight howling from joint pain in dogs.

The signs of dog arthritis can be: the fact that a pet behaves carefully; walks slowly; stands up and lies down with a great care; tries not to move very fast; refrains from playing and is not willing to run. Moreover, a dog experiences an evident difficulty when walking up a staircase. Dogs will make an effort to conserve their energy and refrain from activities that will cause pain and discomfort. As a rule, a dog becomes more passive, sleeps longer and may show less joy when its owner comes home.

Treatment regimens for dog arthritis involves a combination of treatment and care. The first step is to provide relief from the pain and stiffness with a medication. For a natural, safe and non-toxic treatment, try Pet Bounce, a homeopathic substance. Once the dog’s pain has been reduced, the next step is regular physical activity based on pet exercise (walking, running, playing with balls, sticks and other toys); warm sleeping mat (warm joints are less stiff and painful); pet diets based on balanced food enriched in vitamins, minerals and amino acids (that does not result in excessive weight which is known to be one of the primary reasons of joint displacement causing arthritis).