Your Dog’s Arthritis or Hip Dysplasia Can be Managed
Iâ??ve been very fortunate, even blessed, with my dogs because most of them have lived very long lives. Itâ??s wonderful to have a dog from the time heâ??s a puppy until he becomes an old dog. You feel like youâ??ve shared a long, wonderful life with him. But, as your dog becomes older he can often develop some common aches and pains. Older dogs often have a touch of arthritis. It may be a little harder for them to get up and down from a dog bed. They may need some help getting up on a sofa or your bed.
If your dog has a degenerative problem like hip dysplasia then it will usually worsen with age. Both hip dysplasia and luxating patellas, which can be common with some smaller breeds, can lead to arthritis as your dog ages.
I once had a dog that I found in a parking lot late at night. This poor old guy that I named Andy wasnâ??t a young dog when I found him. It wasnâ??t easy to coax him into my car at midnight in the rain but I finally got him in. My heart went out to him in particular because he seemed like he had been hit by a car at some point. I took him to the vet the next morning and the vet confirmed what I thought. At some time in the past Andy had been hit by a car and probably hobbled away without treatment. His hips were semi-crippled. He could walk with a definite limp but he had a lot of arthritis . The good news was that Andy was otherwise in pretty good health. I ran an ad trying to find Andyâ??s owners but no one answered. Andy became part of my family and lived out the next few years with us. Over that time we tried several different treatments for his arthritis. Here are some things that helped Andy:
Say No To Second Helpings
Dogs with arthritis and other joint problems typically do much better if you keep their weight down. Obesity and being overweight put unnecessary stress on joints that are already compromised and cause your dog pain. Carefully monitor how much food you give your dog to eat and watch his weight. Remember to count the calories in treats and table scraps, too.
No Marathons!
Watch your dogâ??s exercise. Arthritis is usually self-limiting but canine hip dysplasia and even luxating patellas are not always evident, particularly at a young age. If your dog has been diagnosed with hip dysplasia or luxating patellas, donâ??t let your dog overdo the exercise. Regular, moderate exercise is better than one all-out race in a blue moon. Your dog is less likely to injure himself if you pace his exercise. However, donâ??t cut out exercise altogether. Exercise is good for keeping muscle tone and that helps your dog in the long run.
Remember that one key to long term health and fitness is to start young. DO let your puppy play and have fun. DONâ??T make your puppy jog two miles with you or run races. Putting too much stress on a puppy is one way to develop joint problems later.
Live In The Lap of Luxury
As your dog gets older itâ??s okay to pamper him a little. Think about providing your dog with a comfy dog bed. Some pets with joint problems may appreciate an orthopedic dog bed or even a heated dog bed. If your pet sleeps on the sofa you may want to get him a heating pad. Applying heat to his aching joints can help them feel better.
Everybody In The Pool!
Hydrotherapy and swimming have proven beneficial for many dogs with aches and pains related to joint problems. Swimming is one of the best treatments for arthritis, hip dysplasia and even for post surgical rehabilitation of dogs. If your dog likes to swim he should find swimming easier than doing exercises like walking or running and you can swim with him. If your dog doesnâ??t know how to swim itâ??s not hard to teach most dogs. Just be sure that you carefully teach your dog where the steps are in any pool and show him how to get out of the pool. You can ask your vet for more information about hydrotherapy.
Medicate Me
If your dog is experiencing spikes in pain or ongoing pain then you should talk to your veterinarian about anti-inflammatory medications. There are a number of Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory (NSAID) medications that are being used to treat chronic arthritis and other pain in dogs. There are some side effects with some of these medications so be sure to thoroughly discuss them with your vet before using them for your dog.
You should not try to medicate your dog yourself without talking to your veterinarian. Many over-the-counter drugs are not safe for dogs. Drugs like ibuprofen and acetaminophen can be very bad for dogs.
These are all things that we tried with Andy. Many of them worked. Since we had him for several years before he finally passed away we were able to try different things depending on how he felt. We also tried glucosamine-chondroitin tablets which helped his joints.
Herbal Is The Way To Go
Thereâ??s one treatment today that we didnâ??t have when Andy lived with us and thatâ??s Joint Resolution . I wish weâ??d had it because I think it might have helped him a lot. Joint Resolution is an herbal blend that works synergistically with BioCell Collagen II. It includes Boswellia, devilâ??s claw and licorice to reduce inflammation and pain. It also has dandelion to eliminate toxins from the body. Just a few drops of Joint Resolution on a treat or in your dogâ??s mouth can bring relief and make him feel more comfortable.
The BioCell Collagen II in Joint Resolution also contains Hyaluronic Acid and chondroitin which have both been shown to promote healing and tissue rejuvenation. According to the Mayo Clinic, â??Expert opinions support the use of chondroitin for improving the symptoms and arresting (or possibly reversing) the degenerative process of osteoarthritis.â? So, Joint Resolution has exactly what your dog needs.
Joint Resolution promotes active joints and helps improve your dogâ??s mobility and flexibility. It promotes strong, healthy connective tissue. And, itâ??s easy to administer. Since itâ??s liquid the body absorbs it faster than tablets or pills. .
If your dog has arthritis or is suffering pain from canine hip dysplasia or luxating patellas, Joint Resolution can help.
I know that none of us want to see our dogs with any aches or pain but sometimes they go along with getting older. We do want our dogs to get older so we just have to find ways to help our dogs cope with the little aches and pains that go along with age. Many dogs live for years after they begin experiencing some arthritis or having a few problems from hip dysplasia or luxating patellas. Thereâ??s no reason why your dog canâ??t lead a fairly normal life, especially if you follow some of the tips offered here.
Happytails.com provides you Wholesale Dog Supplies , wholesale shampoo, and spa products, dog’s dry skin care, tear remover, odor remover, arthritis remedies and natural dog products for treatment of Arthritis In Dogs at wholesale prices.
Hip Dysplasia in Golden Retrievers – Symptoms, Effects And Surgical Options!
Hip dysplasia refers to the poor formation of hip joints, this might be very common growing disease for some younger dogs of almost every other breed. In larger breeds, these unsteady hip joints become very common, even though hip dysplasia can become a serious problem which will limit most of the physical activity of your Retriever. Although most Golden Retriever owners might not realize this, but hip dysplasia is one disease which dogs get from the parents, and it only gets increasingly bad with age.
Some of the symptoms and even some signs of this hip dysplasia is almost not at all possible to detect with the Golden puppies, even though it starts to show once these pups have reached age of around nine months. Even if you may take the Golden Retriever to the vet in order to have him checked, the vet will tell that you must wait to see if these symptoms are still there once these Golden Retrievers have reached a specific age.
Some signs and symptoms of this hip dysplasia may vary, the most common ones include crippling or called as the disorder to walk correctly. This may get better once your dog gets older though, owing to joints stabilizing, hence the inflammation goes down, and also the muscles near the hips get stronger and also mature. Do keep in mind that the Golden’s who get hip dysplasia when they are young will most likely develop some form of arthritis as they grow older.
These Golden Retrievers which suffer from the hip dysplasia are not fit for breeding, although they may still live a very long and certainly healthy life. There maybe certain drugs which the vet can prescribe for your dog, which can help him control the weight and hence help control this disease. Also these drugs cut down on some of the pain as well, hence helping the Retriever enjoy as much as possible.
Many Golden Retrievers which have hip this dysplasia will not start to show the signs till they are old enough, like once all the muscles tend to tire down and then damage to hip muscles will start to be very noticeable. Even though the dog may be very active and also healthy for almost all of the puppy years, hip dysplasia will slow everything and tend to make the dog look like he has become old and also is suffering from some physical attributes belonging to arthritis.
In order to eliminate pain from hip dysplasia, some surgery options available nowadays. These Golden Retrievers tend to have a very high threshold for bearing pain, and won’t generally show signs of being in any pain, although you realize they are. Some X-rays will not show signs of this pain, although all the limping or even slow walking will let you know that your dog is in pain. Dogs who have this won’t know it – that is why you must. If you tend to do your parts well and hence help the dog seek relief – she or he will feel much better than ever – although he might not let you know that he was hurt at all.
Abhishek is an avid dog lover and he has got some great Dog Health Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 80 Pages Ebook, “How To Take Care Of Your Dog’s Health” from his website http://www.Dog-Tale.com/192/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.
Hip Dysplasia And Golden Retrievers
Hip Dysplasia is simply an abnormal formation of the hip joint. It is similar to looseness in a joint, which should normally fit tightly into its socket. Consequent problems that can occur would happen as a result of this looseness.
Genetics plays an important role in the expression of Hip Dysplasia and it has been observed that there is a 25 to 85% chance of a dog inheriting this problem from its parents. The dog’s environment also plays an important role in observing signs of Hip Dysplasia.
In fact, a good environment can suppress onset of Hip Dysplasia, even in those dogs whose parentage had it earlier. These are some of the things you should take care of. Symptoms include sudden lameness, or the inability to walk properly in Hip Dysplasia and Golden retrievers having it are also likely to get arthritis when they grow older.
Nutrition plays a vital role in Hip Dysplasia and Golden retrievers with proper nutrition have been able to arrest growth rate and reduce the potential to develop Hip Dysplasia. You need to make sure that your dog is not overweight and is eating the right amount of fat and protein. The idea is not to starve the animal, but to give it the right nutrition and watch its weight.
It has also been observed that dogs, which live in homes with slippery surfaces, are also going to be prone to get hip difficulties. For example, if you have marble flooring at home, make sure your golden beauty moves around in an environment where they can get a good grip on the surface they are walking on. Sometimes, you will not know that your dog has Hip Dysplasia until there is a lot of wear and tear with age in his muscles, and it begins to become noticeable.
You can operate and have surgery to remove Hip Dysplasia. If it can be done, you should seriously consider this option as it is the only way your dog will be able to lead a normal life. Of course, surgery can be taxing both mentally and physically, and is not a matter to be taken lightly. Golden retrievers can withstand a good amount of pain, and will not show any sign of complaint.
Even though they may be in pain, you will not know it. This is why you need to come forward, take the right decision, and give relief to your dog in the best manner possible with the options open to you.
Don’t get ripped off. If you are looking for information on golden retrievers? or advice on buying a golden retriever or house breaking your golden retriever, visit us now. GoldenRetrieverAdvice.org is a goldmine for information on everything related to golden retrievers.