When may your dog need dog arthritis treatment?

What could be more devastating than knowing your dog is suffering from arthritis? Is there dog arthritis treatment that can help alleviate the pain? These are questions that go through the minds of dog owners when they see changes in their pet’s daily activities and suspect that it’s arthritis that’s slowing him down. But how can you be sure that your dog has arthritis?

Arthritis is really quite common in dogs especially among the older and heavier ones. One way to find out if your dog has arthritis, is to observe him carrying out his everyday activities. Some of the symptoms of dog arthritis to watch for are:

1. Your dog is usually very active and suddenly becomes lazy and would prefer to lie down most of the time rather than to take a stroll with you in the park.

2. Your dog is losing weight and has lost his appetite.

3. Your dog cannot stand properly on his two back feet. Although, some dogs typically have difficulty in doing this, it is still best to go to the veterinarian’s office especially if it is happening more and more often.

What’s the best dog arthritis treatment?

Now, if your dog is suffering from arthritis, you may need to ask help from his veterinarian in order to ensure proper dog arthritis treatment. There are a few different ways to treat canine arthritis and one way is through exercise.

You can help him by taking him for a light stroll in the park. So, why would you still encourage your dog to take a stroll even if you know he is having pain in his joints? Simply because walking your dog alleviates the pain by letting the joints discharge fluids that are essential to lubricate his joints and bones. Also exercising will strengthen the muscles supporting the joints. Thus, movement actually helps!

Weight management in an effective dog arthritis treatment, too. Yes, proper diet is essential in dogs, especially if your dog is of a susceptible breed that shouldn’t get too heavy. If your dog maintains an ideal weight, he will not have difficulty in standing up and his joints and bones will not have the stress of keeping his body upright.

Lastly, medication can always help, but, always ask advice from your veterinarian. Also, it is essential to monitor your dog’s progress so that adjustments can be made, whether your dog arthritis treatmentis in the form of exercise, diet or medication.