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03-25-2013, 08:34 AM | #1 |
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
| ARTHRITIS! HOW TO Help Your Dog With Arthritis! Found this on the i Love Dogs website! It is a good article about arthritis in dogs. I couldn't find an author's name for the article on the webpage but still think it is worth the read. HOW TO Help Your Dog With Arthritis | Shop i Love Dogs Dogs with arthritis are suffering from inflammation of the joints. The most common type of dog arthritis is osteoarthritis, where the cartilage that cushions joints wears down and bones rub against each other. The friction can damage the bones themselves. Arthritis in dogs may not be apparent right away, since animals can’t complain about the pain. When a dog first gets arthritis, she may start avoiding activities she used to enjoy or become agitated when touched. She may get depressed, change eating habits or become grumpy. These symptoms may also indicate other problems, such as certain cancers or cognitive dysfunction. For this reason, it’s important to have your dog examined by a veterinarian. The veterinarian will test the dog to see what type of arthritis she has. Sometimes a bacterial infection inside a joint or an autoimmune disorder can cause arthritis. Hip or elbow dysplasia can cause arthritis but can be treated surgically. Veterinarians stress that pet parents shouldn’t try to medicate their four-legged companions on their own. Human anti-inflammatory drugs and supplements can be dangerous to animals. After diagnosis, veterinarians can determine the best course of treatment. It could be steroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, operations, dietary supplements, acupuncture or massage. Taylor Truitt, a veterinarian and certified veterinary acupuncturist, advises pet parents to feed their canine family members supplements of glucosamine and chondroitin, such as i Love Dogs Glucosamine & Chondroitin with Green Tea and Reishi. Chondroitin is found in cartilage, and the body produces glucosamine. Both can increase the sponginess and elasticity of cartilage which helps the dog’s mobility, Truitt said. Arthritis can be treated but is permanent, and pet parents must take steps to help their furry companions cope, such as making alterations around the home to make it easier for the dog to move around. You can also take the following steps to help your arthritic dog: * Give your dog a padded surface in a warm, draft-free spot to cushion her joints where she sits and sleeps. * Groom your dog regularly since she has lost her flexibility and can’t stretch as much to scratch * Your dog might stumble on slippery floors. Make floors safer by applying a non-skid runner, available at most home improvement and hardware stores. * Ramps will make it easier for your dog to get on the couch, porch, etc. and keep her from jumping. You can construct one from a sheet of heavy plywood lined with carpeting. Made sure both ends are completely secured and the angle isn’t too steep. * Your dog may try to climb the stairs even though she’s stiff. Supervise her when she’s doing this to make sure she doesn’t fall and hurt himself. * A homemade sling of thick durable fabric can help support the weight of a large dog as she moves. Slip the sling under her chest and hold one end in each hand. Pull the ends to help her stand and get her balance. * Warmth can soothe a sore dog while she sleeps. Wrap a hot water bottle in towels and place it in your dog’s bed. * An arthritic dog needs to avoid strenuous exercise that could damage her joints. But light exercise is good for strengthening muscles, maintaining weight, keeping ligaments and tendons flexible, and circulating blood to stiff joints. If your dog is reluctant to move, entice her with an incentive such as a treat-filled Kong toy. Make these easy workouts enjoyable with lots of affection and maybe a healthy treat afterward. * A healthy diet and weight management are also important to dogs suffering from arthritis because extra pounds increase stress on joints. Consult with your veterinarian to determine the best ways to make life more comfortable for your dog. Click here to order i Love Dogs Glucosamine & Chondroitin with Green Tea and Reishi today.
__________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis |
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03-25-2013, 09:48 AM | #2 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Alaska
Posts: 3,299
| Thanks! I need this for Rosco. He has some arthritis and his favorite spots to lay is in the snow or the cold tile floor |
03-25-2013, 10:11 AM | #3 | |
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
| Quote:
Tibbe is going to be 6 August 30th. He shoes absolutely no signs of slowing down or avoiding any activities but one day he probably will, though Jilly was almost 13 before she showed any sign of age - and it was when her shoulder dislocated from just walking or jumping down her doggie steps! Until then, I really never noticed a single sign of age other than sleeping a little more and her coat might have gotten a bit thinner. I wonder at what age a Yorkie will show arthritis that isn't related to an old injury or something?
__________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis | |
03-26-2013, 08:59 PM | #4 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Alaska
Posts: 3,299
| He's 9 which is pretty old for a big dog It is a little hard for him to get up or lay down, and his torn ligament doesn't help. We try to get him to lay on his bed but he doesn't like it. I'm sure he is hot with all his thick fur |
03-27-2013, 05:15 AM | #5 |
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
| 9 is pretty old for a biggie. Poor guy - I'll bet you are right that he's hot-natured and wants to cool off. But you'd think it would make him stiff to lie for a long time in a cold place. Is he kind of stiff when he gets up? My late Yorkies that lived to 9 and 13 never did show any evidence of stiffness even though they both must have had some form of arthritis at those older ages, one would think.
__________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis |
03-27-2013, 07:11 AM | #6 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Alaska
Posts: 3,299
| He is pretty stiff when he gets up. It makes me sad because I can tell he wants to play and do lots of stuff but in the end it makes him worse |
03-27-2013, 08:28 AM | #7 | |
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
| Quote:
Perhaps he lays in the cold because he is hurting really badly as I use ice when my hip or back hurt a lot, as well as his being hot-natured. I would encourage him to lie down on warm surfaces to help increase circulation and promote reduced swelling as the blood flow takes up the extra fluid and follow some of those steps in the i Love Dogs arthritis article for him. Maybe one of those cooling collars around his neck with the little ice pack can keep him cooler as he soothes his stiff parts on a warm surface. I hope Roscoe feels better soon and can get a little more active and leaner with less pain and stiffness on a good treatment regimen.
__________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis Last edited by yorkietalkjilly; 03-27-2013 at 08:30 AM. | |
04-01-2013, 05:23 AM | #8 |
Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator | Placed copy in the Library - great article and thanks so much for taking the time to write this Jeanie! Btw, have I missed any of your other threads lately that should be in the Library?
__________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann | Pfeiffer | Marcel Verdel Purcell | Wylie | Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° |
04-01-2013, 08:38 AM | #9 | |
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
| Quote:
Here is a link to their homepage - a neat, neat site: i Love Dogs is the source for important, up-to-the-minute dog news on dog breeds, dog care, dog training and expert vet advice. | ilovedogs.com - ...because we know how much you love your dog. I haven't found any other good articles except this one lately but when I do, I usually like to share here with our members and readers as we can never get enough information to help our pooches!
__________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis | |
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