Arthritis in Dogs and How You Can Help
Your Pet Feel Better
There's nothing worse than
having to watch your pooch suffer from arthritis pain. You can
tell by the look in their eye they hurt. Chances are you
desperately want to do something to ease their misery.
The good news is there are things you can
do to slow down the progression of this painful disease, or
perhaps prevent it from ever happening at all!
A rthritis can strike dogs of any age, size, and
physical condition. It's still a mystery as to what causes
arthritis, but many researchers suggest it is an autoimmune
disease -- a disease that causes the body to turn against its
own immune system.
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Your Pet Can Get
Arthritis Too
Did you know that arthritis
could affect your four-legged
friend? Like human beings, cats
and dogs can also find
themselves stricken with stiff
joints and loss of flexibility.
Here are some of the most
common arthritis-related
conditions that your pet may be
susceptible to. Like the human
versions, they can be difficult
to treat, but more treatment
options are becoming available,
including drug, physical, and
surgical in nature.
Acute Traumatic Arthritis:
This is a disease that causes
your pet's joints to swell and
may result in his or her
becoming lame. Acute traumatic
arthritis is almost always the
cause of trauma to the joints.
The symptoms of acute traumatic
arthritis generally appear
quickly, and surgical
intervention may be necessary
in order to prevent the onset
of long-term osteoporosis. It
is important that acute
traumatic arthritis be detected
and treated early.
Degenerative Joint Disease:
This is a condition wherein
your pet displays symptoms that
are very similar to
osteoarthritis. Of all the
arthritis related diseases that
affect pets, this is the most
common. Like human
osteoarthritis, this disease
attacks parts of the joints,
and especially the cartilage.
Many pets that suffer from
degenerative joint disease
experience inflammation. Pets
may be treated by a combination
of drug and physical
therapy.
Auto Immune Arthritis:
Sometimes, this disease is also
referred to as rheumatoid
arthritis. Like human
rheumatoid arthritis, this is a
progressive autoimmune disease
wherein your pets own immune
system attacks its tissues and
joints. Auto immune arthritis
can be difficult to treat
because it is common for the
disease to affect many joints.
Your pet's mobility may become
affected. This occurs when the
synovial membranes become
inflamed. NSAID drugs are often
prescribed to pets suffering
from auto immune arthritis.
Canine and Feline Hip
Dysplasia: This form of
arthritis is related to
osteoarthritis. The afflicted
animal's hip may experience
irregular growth, resulting in
excessive wear on the hip
joints. Sometimes hip dysplasia
is the result of acute injury,
and it can result from a severe
infection. Hip displaysia can
be difficult to treat because
it often affects other parts of
your pet's body. It is not
uncommon for hip displaysia to
spread to other areas of your
pet's body.
Infectious Arthritis: This
is a type of arthritis caused
by an underlying infection. In
most cases, a diagnosis of
infectious arthritis is made as
result of injury or some kind
of secondary infection to the
joint. The symptoms of
infectious arthritis include
lameness, joint stiffness, lack
of flexibility and mobility. It
can often be treated with
antibodies.
Hypertrophic arthritis: Like
infectious arthritis, this
disease often develops as
result of trauma or injury. But
in hypertrophic arthritis, the
animal develops bone spurs that
cause progressive damage and
pain to the animal.
Osteoarthritis can also cause
this disease.
Inflammatory arthritis: Not
as common as the other types of
arthritis, the cause of this
condition is not known. This is
a progressive condition that
resembles osteoarthritis in
many of its symptoms. Some
doctors speculate that
infectious agents may be
responsible.
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When arthritis strikes, it causes cartilage to break down.
Cartilage is the dense connective tissue that protects the
joint between bones. In dogs, these areas include the hip,
knee, and ankle joints. However, arthritis can occur in other
locations such as the feet or spine. As the cartilage wears
away the bones rub together, leading to pain, inflammation and
stiffness.
Symptoms of arthritis in dogs include:
v Difficulty sitting, standing, or getting up from the floor
or bed
v Favoring a limb
v Decreased activity, sleeping more, lack of interest in
play
v Weight gain
v Attitude or behavior changes
v Appearing to have stiffness or sore joints
v Swelling around the joints
In recent years, scientists have been studying Glucosamine as a
way to treat arthritis in dogs. Glucosamine is a glucose
molecule produced naturally in the body. Its job is to fuel
cartilage cells to produce the proteins that hold joint tissue
together. As dogs age, they are less able to produce
glucosamine, which causes the cartilage to wear down and
stiffen.
Chondroitin is a cartilage element believed to restrain the
enzymes that break down cartilage. Glucosamine and chondroitin
are both essential to maintaining healthy joints. Together they
protect and rejuvenate the cartilage tissues.
In a clinical trial conducted in 1998, rats were given
injections to induce arthritis. They were then divided into two
groups. One group received glucosamine and chondroitin, while
the other group received no treatment. Only 54 percent of the
glucosamine/chondroitin group developed arthritis symptoms, as
opposed to 96.5 percent of the untreated group.
Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements show promise in treating
symptoms of secondary arthritis in dogs. This type of arthritis
typically occurs after an injury or surgery. A study suggests
this combination can significantly reduce the symptoms of
osteoarthritis in dogs.
Last, but not least, studies indicate
Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements are a safe and effective
supplement to add to your dog's diet at an early age. However,
there are conflicting reports on this topic and it's best to
consult with your veterinarian and determine if this is the
best option for you and your dog.
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