Over a couple months, he dropped those extra pounds and he’s nice and slim again.Ī healthy diet with natural ingredients can also help the body deal with the inflammation of arthritis. To get Buster back to a healthy weight, we reduced how much he was eating to correspond to his lower level of activity. Of course, carrying extra weight is also hard on the joints, which are already painful when arthritis sets in.
And for now, Buster’s doing well with short walks. It’s too hard to locate and schedule treatment sessions given our nomadic lifestyle. Swimming is another excellent exercise for dogs with arthritis, but we haven’t tried it with Buster. But going too far can cause additional pain and stiffness. Moderate exercise helps reduce joint pain and keep muscles toned to support the joints. Once Buster had a confirmed diagnosis of arthritis, our first step was to walk him more frequently, but for shorter distances. And without as much exercise, he started getting a little chunky. One of the things that tipped us off to Buster’s arthritis was that he wanted to walk less. READ MORE ⇒ Could A Wheelchair Help Your Dog?ĭiet and exercise are key in maintaining a good quality of life for a dog with arthritis. Other treatment plans might include acupuncture, laser therapy, magnetic therapy, stem cell therapy, and ultrasound therapy.Įach veterinarian will have a preferred course of treatment and will advise you on which will be the most effective for your dog. And once you leave the vet, there are a number of things you can do at home to help your dog deal with arthritis. Drugs for pain, anti-inflammatories, or steroids can be prescribed. There are a number of medications your vet can recommend for a dog with arthritis. We had x-rays and blood work done to rule out other possible causes, and then we got busy figuring out how we could help our boy. In a 10-year-old German Shepherd, it wasn’t surprising to see some indications of arthritis developing. Squatting to urinate or urinating indoors.Lameness and/or stiffness (especially after rest).The signs of arthritis can be subtle, and many dogs are excellent at hiding their discomfort. It can strike dogs of any age, and about a year and a half ago, we started noticing some of the symptoms in Buster.
Studies show that as many as one in five dogs suffers with arthritis.
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