Arthritis in dogs is one of the most easily overlooked hidden health killers. According to surveys, one in five adult dogs has arthritis, and it rises with age, with almost half of cases occurring in medium and large breeds. For example, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Labradors and Golden Retrievers are at particularly high risk, as well as smaller Pleasant Shepherds and Teddy’s. Arthritis is an inflammatory condition that can cause painful irritation of the joints, and older dogs can be very uncomfortable with this pain. What is arthritis Arthritis is the degeneration of joint cartilage, the growth of new bone, the formation of bony growths around the edges of joints, and the remodeling of subchondral bone. Arthritis in dogs can be classified as rheumatic, rheumatoid, traumatic, bony and septic arthritis. Etiology 1. Large dogs are prone to arthritis, mostly as a result of the rate of soft tissue development not keeping up with the rate of bone development. Of course, weight, type of exercise, and environmental factors may be causative factors. 2. Overweight dogs are more likely to develop degenerative arthritis. This is a progressive, extremely painful disease that can severely disrupt a dog’s quality of life. It is important to note that arthritis can also be the result of a nutritional imbalance. If your dog has arthritis, they may not be able to get up as quickly as they used to when they got up from the litter. They may get up very slowly, and some dogs may whine or cry because of joint pain. Dogs with lameness Arthritis can also cause dogs to limp, sometimes on one leg, sometimes on multiple legs or even on all legs. When more than one leg has a problem, it may be difficult to tell which leg has arthritis, so you can only go to the vet to ask the vet to help check. We sometimes let our dogs do small skills, such as “high-fives” and “handshakes”, which are a piece of cake when the dog is healthy; but if the dog has arthritis, in addition to its neck neck area, all other joints in its body may be affected. If the dog has arthritis, in addition to its neck neck area, other joints all over its body may be painful, you let it do a “handshake” or “high five” action, it is estimated to lift the front paws are very difficult. Dogs become reluctant to move or go up and down stairs When a dog has arthritis, because of joint pain, it begins to resist some of the behavior that requires lifting or standing up, because the diseased limbs have to support their body weight, is very hard and painful. We can roughly distinguish that if the dog does not want to climb the stairs or climb on the sofa, it may be a problem with the hind legs, because climbing up requires force from the hind legs; and if they do not want to get off the sofa or down the stairs, it may be more painful in the front legs, because the front legs have to land as a force point. If you have the above symptoms, you can basically determine that your dog has arthritis, and if you are not sure, you can take your dog to the vet for a diagnosis. Depending on the cause of the disease, generally speaking, the dog can be treated with medication, adjuvant therapy or surgery. 1. medication: can be divided into Chinese medicine and Western medicine, the treatment varies, for example, there is a hormone drugs, injected directly into the dog’s joints, dissolve the acid, help cartilage recovery, very effective. And Chinese medicine is concerned about the root cause, experienced veterinary practitioners will prescribe a series of prescriptions, you grasp and give it on time to take it is, although the effect is slow, but the recurrence rate is low. Small investigation learned that the treatment of dog arthritis reputation is better MAG arthritis raw, its main ingredients are ammonium gluconate, chondroitin, help anti-inflammatory pain, repair damaged tissue, restore the dog’s ability to take care of themselves. 2. Auxiliary treatment: In fact, we often refer to physical therapy and exercise therapy. For example, if you take your dog to a veterinary hospital, the physician will help it to carry out methods such as baking electricity, massage, or acupuncture to help it recover and reduce the pain of the affected dog. Although the arthritis of the dog, I suggest that you need to take it for a walk more often on weekdays. Proper exercise, as long as it is not strenuous and can wear away bone spurs and growths, is very helpful for recovery. In addition, the choice of food and nutritional supplements during the disease is also very important. Eat less food related to meat, because meat is acidic, you can buy some nutritional products that increase the balance of acid and alkali in the body. 3. Surgical treatment: including the removal of disease, prosthetics, etc., mostly used in arthritis is more serious, or older pet dogs, as a last resort do not try Oh, must be careful, installed prosthetic dogs can be very low self-confidence, prone to depression, in addition to the risks of surgery. Prevention 1. Regularly take the dog to the medical examination, so that many diseases will be quickly found. 2. usually for the dog to arrange the right amount of exercise, not too much, such as swimming and other such exercises for joint protection, it is best to let the dog climb the stairs and long-term exercise. 3. Usually give your dog a good calcium supplement, canine milk powder is a good choice, and soy products are also good, as well as some prescription joint cream, can repair the dog’s damaged joints, increase its joint protection. 4. Make sure the dog is warm, do not let it sleep on top of the cold ground, which is very bad for the joints. Note that for the sake of the dog’s happy life, owners should usually pay more attention to the dog’s habits, and if arthritis occurs, go to the veterinary hospital for treatment in a timely manner.
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