Dogs can develop arthritis at any age, although generally it’s assumed if your dog is older, it’s more likely to develop through wear and tear over the years. Canine osteoarthritis can be extremely painful and can cause a lot of distress for some dogs.
Symptoms such as limping and struggling to get up from a lying down position, or reluctance to walk up stairs can be signs.
Although you may not think it, regular light exercise, such as short walks, rather than longer walks can be a good way to help your dog if it suffers from arthritis. If your dog does little to no exercise, then the joints will only worsen and stiffen up more. By encouraging your dog to do regular movements and stretches, as shown in the video below courtesy of www.awalkinthepark.co.uk, it will help the natural release of lubricating fluids in the joints which in turn will help with their flexibility.
Expert Tails Case Study from Jane Alexander
Jane is the proud owner of Oak, a female Flatcoat Retriever, who is now nearly 13 years old. Oak has suffered from canine osteoarthritis for 5 years and has a very stiff left shoulder because of the condition.
Being a professional vet, Jane was 99{d4f4ff813a06e2c77cbb9c6effe011ebffe2f8986e44983e90e08c54deb62f63} sure it was osteoarthritis, but because Flat-coated Retrievers also have a tendency to develop cancer, she did not immediately rule out other sicknesses. After a complete examination, Jane confirmed Oak’s osteoarthritis and knew they needed to look for a suitable treatment that would allow Oak the same full and active lifestyle that she was used to.
Jane noticed that Oak wasn’t able to keep up with her other younger dogs and wasn’t jumping and moving as freely and quickly as she used to which was difficult to see. However since Jane has started to manage Oak’s osteoarthritis, she has continued to run freely.
Most dogs that have canine osteoarthritis can live a relatively pain free life when teaming treatments with a complete care program. Always consult your vet before trying new medications and remedies.
Article Brought To You By Canine Arthritis Awareness Month
