| Is your dog suffering from canine arthritis? Just like in | | | | better if you can keep him indoors when the |
| humans, canine arthritis is a serious, degenerative | | | | weather is cold. |
| condition that must be treated immediately. If your | | | | 4. Massage. The friction and warmth caused by |
| dog's arthritis is not given the proper treatment that | | | | rubbing the muscles around the joint area does |
| it requires, your dog may become unable to move | | | | wonders in helping to alleviate the pain of canine |
| for the rest of his life. | | | | arthritis. |
| There are many ways by which we can treat and | | | | 5. Alternative therapies. Many dog owners swear that |
| manage our dogs' arthritis. Here are some methods | | | | treatments like acupressure, acupuncture, chiropractic |
| that we can practice in helping our dogs cope with | | | | and homeopathy also work on canine arthritis. |
| this ailment. | | | | Just as in humans, arthritis can be painful and |
| 1. Proper diet. Commercial dog food is usually made | | | | debilitating in our pet dogs. Dogs suffering from |
| from red meat and grains. Red meat has high uric | | | | canine arthritis should be diagnosed and given proper |
| acid content, which is bad for dogs with canine | | | | care. For certain joint diseases found in pets, more |
| arthritis. Grains, on the other hand, worsen | | | | and more veterinarians are recommending to pet |
| inflammation in the joints. If our dog is suffering from | | | | owners, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate |
| arthritis, he should be fed less dry foods and more | | | | supplements to manage their condition. |
| vegetables, except onion and mushrooms. | | | | These dietary supplements also help a great deal in |
| 2. Proper workout. Obesity adds strain to the joints, | | | | managing the pain associated with arthritis but not in |
| which makes the pain worse in case of canine | | | | the same way as pain killers. What glucosamine |
| arthritis. Thus, dogs should be walked for around ten | | | | basically does is to assist in rebuilding damaged |
| minutes every day. Swimming is also a good workout | | | | cartilage, resulting in a healthier, and pain free joint in |
| for dogs with this ailment. | | | | our pets. Glucosamine is one of the building blocks of |
| 3. Warmth. The cold and the damp can make canine | | | | cartilage; taking it in as a supplement stimulates the |
| arthritis more troublesome for dogs. So, they need | | | | growth of new cartilage cells and new cell lining to |
| to be kept warm on cold and damp days. Adding | | | | cushion the joints and reduce inflammation. |
| layers to the dogs bed will help keep him warm. If he | | | | Chondroitin sulfate, on the other hand, aids the work |
| stays in a dog house outside, insulating the dog | | | | of glucosamine by attracting liquids that will lubricate |
| house from the cold will do the work. It would be | | | | the joints and trap these liquids there. |