Monday, August 06, 2007

How To Help Your Dog's Painful Joints

Article Title: How To Help Your Dog's Painful Joints
Author: Jean Morgan

Dogs are a man's best friend because they simply make excellent
companions and remain constantly loyal. They share many of our
joys and can alleviate our sorrows. However, that is not all
they share with humans. Just like humans, dog's can have
arthritis too and it is just as painful and as debilitating for
dogs as it is for humans.

Dog arthritis is an ailment that greatly challenges a dog's
quality of life because the joint problems that they encounter
limits their mobility and disallows them to do certain
activities that they used to enjoy like taking walks and being
generally active. Dog arthritis is especially common in dogs of
a large breed.

Dog arthritis can set in with age, especially if your pet is
over weight, and dog arthritis can result from physical trauma.
The pain your pet experiences from dog arthritis is due to the
breakdown of cartilage surrounding his or her joints that cause
extreme discomfort during movement. The same thing happens to
humans who have arthritis.

You may begin to suspect that your pet has dog arthritis if he
or she begins to exhibit signs of difficulty in jumping or
climbing steps. Dog arthritis will also pose as a challenge for
your dog to get up from resting and will begin to make your pet
reluctant to walk or play. The pain that your pet experiences
from dog arthritis is comparable to those in humans because the
cause is pretty much the same. This is why medications for dog
arthritis can be similar to those for humans.

You will need to check with your vet and work with him on the
best medication for your pet's dog arthritis. Keep in mind
however that these medicines can be quite costly and some may
have side effects on your beloved pet. It is therefore very
important to understand and discuss these at length with your
vet so that together you can decide the best treatment for your
pet's dog arthritis.

Aside from medication, there are other ways that you can help
alleviate your pet's suffering from dog arthritis. You can start
by making sure that your pet has a very comfortable bed. The
hard floor or a stiff and rigid place of rest can further
aggravate the pain that your pet goes through because of dog
arthritis. It would also be advisable to raise your dog's bed
appropriately to prevent your pet from bending his or her joints
too much.

You should also watch your dog's diet and maintain a healthy
weight. The heavier your dog, the more impact his or her joints
have to endure which causes more pain in the case of dog
arthritis. You should discuss certain food products that are
good for your dog's diet and weight and also have ingredients
that help alleviate the symptoms of dog arthritis.

Once you find out that your pet has dog arthritis, you should
also begin to minimize his activities and provide for gentler
exercise rather than a rigorous routine. It is still advisable
that exercise be continued provided that you can observe that
your pet can tolerate the activity. If you stop his exercise and
activities altogether, your pet may gain weight and further
increase the gravity of his or her dog arthritis.

About The Author: Visit these web sites for more information
about Dog Arthritis Help and Dog Arthritis Medication
http://dog-arthritis-help.com/ and http://natureshealthypet.com

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