Topics of the Month : September is Joint Health and Arthritis

Joint Health and Arthritis Month

 



Arthritis

Do you notice your pet tiring easily?                                                  

Do you see them limping or lagging behind?                       

During or after activity do they seem stiff or sore?

Do they think twice before climbing stairs? 

 

Arthritis may hard to detect in your family pet, because they try to hide their pain.  If you have answered yes to any of the above questions, your pet may have arthritis. 

 

Arthritis in pets is just as it is in humans, the painful inflammation of joints.  Arthritis is a progressive disease that becomes more painful and severe with age.  If you suspect your pet has arthritis it is very important to contact us right away for diagnosis and treatment. 

Treatment for arthritis can be as easy as giving your pet a daily flavored pain medication. It is also very important to keep your pet at a healthy weight.  Often pets gain weight due to immobility.  This will cause more strain out your pet’s joints.       

                                                       

Guide to Joint Health

Cartilage, joint fluid and underlying bone work together like a shock absorber allowing joints to flex.  With age, injury, surgery, or over activity your pet may be experiencing breakdown of cartilage.  Once the breakdown of cartilage has started, your veterinarian will recommend a supplement that will help maintain cartilage structure.

 

Arthritis Treatment and Management Recommendations:

 

Weight: Maintaining a healthy weight is very important for arthritis because obesity adds a lot of extra stress to joints.  Excess weight can greatly exacerbate arthritic conditions.

            Exercise: Exercise is important in the maintenance of good muscle strength.  Solid muscle

strength is important in supporting those structures suffering from arthritis.  Walking or swimming

is the best way to maintain good muscle strength.  Running, ball or frisbee playing, jumping, etc. are not recommended because these exercises cause undue stress on joints and can exacerbate or accelerate arthritic conditions.

Glucosamine/Chondroitin Supplementation:  Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements can help increase lubrication and therefore decrease inflammation in joints.  It is very important to choose a good quality supplement.  We at Companion Animal Care recommend Dasuquin because we are confident the sources the company obtains its ingredients from are of good quality and are bioavailable (the body is able to absorb and use it well). 

NSAIDs: Non-Steroidal AntiInflammatories are drugs used to decrease pain and inflammation.  These drugs are used when the other components to treating and managing arthritis are not enough.  Laboratory tests are done prior to starting your pet on this medication to ensure that there is not a pre-existing condition that would warrant not using this medication.  We then repeat a smaller portion of the laboratory tests (NSAID Panel) after 4 weeks and every 6 months to make sure your pet is handling the medication well. 

Massage Therapy:  If your pet is having problems with tight muscles or cramping we offer massage therapy services.  These services can help a variety of conditions including arthritis, anxiety, post surgery and many more.  If you are interested in this service please give our office a call.

Acupuncture: Acupuncture can be of tremendous benefit for those dogs that can’t take medications due to other conditions or those dogs that are using all of the above and it    

isn’t enough.  If you are interested in acupuncture please give our office a call and we can give you a professional referral.