Photo courtesy of Bev Lloyd-Roberts
In an arthritic joint, the protective cartilage has worn away and the bone ends come in contact with each other, causing pain. As the arthritis progresses, the bones that have been rubbing on each other become rougher, which causes more cartilage to be damaged, and thus begins a visious cycle of bony changes and damaged cartilage.
There is nothing you can do to modify the bony changes, however you can help manage your dog’s arthritis in three key ways. You can try to (1) decrease the speed at which the arthritis progresses, (2) support the dog’s other healthy joints that are now taking on a heavier workload to compensate for the weak joint, and (3) help your dog be more comfortable and hopefully in less pain.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, also known as NSAIDs, are prescribed to decrease the inflammation that contributes to the progression of the disease, and also to decrease pain. It depends on how severe your dog’s arthritis is as to whether he will need an NSAID everyday or on an as needed basis. NSAIDs do carry a risk of side effects so if your dog is taking an NSAID, such as Rimadyl or Deramaxx, monitoring by a veterinarian is crucial.
Exercise is an important part of maintaining the muscle mass around the affected joint to help stabilize it. The muscles of the healthy limbs also need to be strong, since those limbs will be taking on more of the dog’s weight. The ideal exercise would be a non-weight bearing one, such as swimming. If swimming is not a possibility then walking if fine. Just limit it to a reasonable distance and listen to your dog’s signs of becoming fatigued.
Weight control is absolutely critical to prolonging your dog’s lifespan when arthritis is a factor. If a dog is carrying extra weight, even a few pounds, it will put extra stress on the arthritic joints as well as the healthy joints. This will exacerbate the problem and will most likely lead to a faster progression of the arthritis.
You want your dog to enjoy life with you and remain as active as possible. There are several physical aids that can help, such as ramps, stairs and lifts, to aid your dog in making it in and out of his favorite places. Orthopedic beds are also a wonderful option for providing a comfortable place to recover from the day and be ready for the next.
Finally, we need to provide the joints with the building blocks that they need in order to stay healthy and/or recover. Daily supplements such as glucosamine, chondroitin, and fatty acids are recommended by veterinarians.
By using a multi-pronged approach, you will have better success at managing your dog’s arthritis and giving him or her many more enjoyable years with you.
My dog is about ten years of age and is starting to be stiff. Is exercising her outside alright at her age? I take her for a two mile run. Thanks for the information.
My dog has severe arthritis, found this out for a year and although she is on medication which is very expensive but we don’t mind paying this as we love her so much.
I was wondering if there is anything else I can do for her to improve the quality of her life.
I miss taking her for walks like we used to but now she just wants to rest, while I do respect her I know she would love a good walk along the beach like before.
Any advice would be helpful and I will be taking her to the vet again soon to discuss more options,
How effective is Flexicose in treating a dog’s arthritis?
I have not personally used Flexicose so I checked out the product.
It looks pretty promising. It is manufactured in a GMP facility which means quality assurance.
It has a whole host of ingredients, aside from a healthy dose of glucosamine, which are known to aid the joints.
I am a big fan of using glucosamine paired with other ingredients.
It looks like Flexicose is definitely worth a try.
Let me know how it works for you.