Dog Arthritis Treatment | Home Remedy

Image credit © to Nick Ridley/OSF

If your dog experience inflammation in the joints, your pet may has a health condition what we call as arthritis. This disease doesn’t discriminate, and therefore it also occurs in pet. What are the current dog arthritis treatments and home remedies? What are the causes and symptoms of this disease? And what else you need to know?!

Well, arthritis is one of the most common chronic pains in pet that veterinarians treat. And did you know that about 1 in 5 dogs in the US may have this degenerative joint inflammation disease (according to the Arthritis Foundation)?! You may also like to read home remedies and treatment for arthritis in human, and Lyme disease in dog!

The inflammation of joints in dog can be severe (debilitating), mild, or even sometimes can be unnoticeable to pet owner. Furthermore, arthritis is more common in dogs than in cats. Since overweight is linked to higher risk of arthritis, the smaller dog breeds are less vulnerable than the larger breeds because the less strain placed on joint & ligaments.

Dog arthritis symptoms

If you have a dog, and you think there is something wrong with your pet - the big question is how do you get to know that your dog has arthritis?! On the other hand, your pet cannot explain about what’s wrong with his body! Therefore, it is important to closely monitor and watch any non-verbal clues.

Some common symptoms of arthritis in dogs may include:

1. They are more likely to need more time to sleep.
2. Lack of balance (difficulty standing) and difficult sitting. They may also be less confident to climb, jump, or run. These can lead to lack of interest in play and lack of physical activity.
3. Favoring a limb!
4. They may also experience weight gain.
5. Dogs with arthritis usually have sore /stiff joints.
6. Changes in behavior /attitude.
7. Noticeable pain, especially pain in the joints.
8. They also tend to be less alert.

If you notice some of these signs that last more than 2 weeks, don’t choose ‘watchful waiting’ to take your dog to see a veterinarian! For this case, the best thing you can do is to find a clearly diagnosis, and if your pet is diagnosed with arthritis, the treatment plan should be started as soon as possible!

What causes arthritis in dog?

There are some types of arthritis that can occur in dog, and osteoarthritis is one of the most common types. In dog, osteoarthritis or OA can occur due to a lot of causes, which may include joint trauma, ruptured cruciate ligaments, patella luxation, hip dysplasia, and other conditions associated with joint. 

There is also a chance for arthritis to occur in young dogs. But in general, this degenerative condition is relatively more common in older dogs than in young dogs. 

Diagnosis of arthritis in dog

Like in human, arthritis in pet can be progressive disease, and over time can make the pet’s life miserable! It’s important to find the exact cause of the joint inflammation in your pet, so thus your pet can get the right treatment that is actually needed to improve the symptoms.

Arthritis is not single answer for the cause of joint inflammation in pet. Other health conditions that also can cause joint inflammation in dog may include; 

1. Cauda equina syndrome, intervertebral disc disease, or other degenerative diseases in the spinal joint.
2. Lyme disease (another disease of inflammatory joint).
3. Cancer.
4. Hemophilia (a kind of metabolic disorder).
5. Luxated patella (a kind of congenital disorder).
6. Osteochondritis dissecans, elbow dysplasia, or other developmental disorders.
7. Hyperparathyroidism (a kind of hormonal disease).
8. Etc.

X-rays test is one of common choices to make a diagnosis of arthritis in dog. This test is needed to learn and analyze the joints that are suspected of being affected. It can help a veterinarian to analyze the bone spurs at several points where the joint capsule & ligaments attack to the bone. 

Moreover, sometimes more specific laboratory tests may be required to make a clearly diagnosis!

Dog arthritis treatment and home remedy

The treatment is not intended to completely cure the disease because most cases of arthritis are incurable. But it is more intended to significantly improve the pet’s life.

To get the better result to improve the symptoms, the treatment for this degenerative joint disease in dog is usually the combination of different approaches which may consist of; 

1. The use of corticosteroids & analgesics to improve function and to ease pain.
2. Dietary chances to maintain the ideal weight of pet or for weight loss if your pet is overweight.
3. Physical therapy and exercise.
4. And certain prescribed medicines (like chondroprotective agents) to eliminate the further damage and to repair the affected joint cartilage (cartilage is one of the most essential components in a joint).

In severe cases, surgery may be needed! The elbow or hock is one of the most common areas where the procedure of surgery is needed to restore the limb movement and relieve pain some dogs with arthritis.

Pain medications for arthritis dogs

Another choice of the most common prescribed pharmaceutical treatment for arthritis dog is NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). These drugs are usually prescribed to control pain & inflammation in dogs. 

However, unfortunately there are also some side effects that may occur when using these drugs for your pet. These side effects are usually mild, but sometimes (particularly if used improperly) NSAIDs can result serious side effects (that’s why don’t forget to completely follow all instructions from your veterinarian)!

According to a published article on About.Com -- some serious side effects from NSAIDs may include: problems associated with the liver of your pet, perforations, gastrointestinal bleeding, kidney damage, and ulcers. And for the most common side effects (mild side effects) that may occur include; diarrhea, lethargy, lack of appetite, depression, and vomiting.

**For more in-depth information about medications for dogs with arthritis, discuss more with a veterinarian!

Exercise (physical therapy)

Physical therapy and exercise is important to maintain joint flexibility and mass of the muscle. However, it’s also important to do this exercise properly. In many cases, moderate exercise is much more recommended than heavy or excessive exercise. 

Swimming is one of great options for physical therapy. It can improve the strength and mass of the muscle without having worry about overstress in the joint during exercise.

Excessively physical therapy can be counterproductive. Arthritis pets should not be allowed to stand up on the back legs and should not be encouraged to jump up & down! For better result, pets with lameness and pain should also be exercised or trained on a harness /a leash. 

Furthermore, if your dog is overweight, your veterinary physical therapy should also consider designing exercise for weight loss. Because overweight can significantly complicate the treatment!

What else you need to concern?

1. Don’t use medication for arthritis in human for dogs with arthritis, because there are some medications for human (particularly such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen) that can be harmful /toxic to your pet! 
2. Ask to your veterinarian about what are foods that you should give to your pet to help the treatment?! In general, foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids and glucosamine are usually good choice to relieve the symptoms.
3. With the other treatments (particularly such as the structural physical therapy), acupuncture is another alternative therapy that may be effective to help relieve the arthritis symptoms in your dog. 

You may also be interested to know about congestive heart failure in dogs!

________

Reference: WebMD and About.Com