Dog Arthritis

Almost every dog will suffer from the effects of dog arthritis to some extent in its older age. We had first hand experience with dog arthritis in our old dog Storm. He passed away several years ago at the age of 15.

His last several years were hard now and then. He would have his good days, but he had plenty of hard ones too. It was getting to the point where we were thinking we may have to do something since there were times when he all but couldn’t get up on his own because of his dog arthritis. And then one spring night he died. I was glad he got to die peacefully like that. He died in the middle of the night sometime. We weren’t with him, but all his other buddies were.

I am happy that the day before he died was one of his good days. He followed me all around that evening as I worked in the yard, and he ate a really good meal. He had a “good” look in his eyes. We could tell by his eyes when his arthritis was really bothering him.

Older Dogs and Arthritis

Just like people, older dogs may suffer from arthritis. The human form is exactly the same thing as dog arthritis. As we age, the cartilage in the joints may wear and become thin. When this happens, the bones may touch. Since bones are living tissue with nerves, this causes pain. There is no cure for human or dog arthritis. All one can do is to try and delay its onset and treat it when it occurs.

Keep Your Dog Thin!

One of the best ways to delay the onset of arthritis is to make sure your dog stays thin. It is far better for your dog’s overall health if he or she is a little on the thin side versus too heavy. Besides other health problems, carrying extra weight may put added stress on the joints and cartilage; thus causing an earlier onset of dog arthritis than need be.
Dogs handle pain better than humans. Your dog could be suffering mild pain without you even knowing. Some of the signs of dog arthritis are:

• Problems in getting up
• Problems in climbing stairs or getting into the car
• Flinching when being touched
• Male dogs may not “hoist” their legs to relieve themselves
• Dogs may have trouble “squatting” to poop (Storm could not squat in his later years, he just pooped while walking)
• They may be more apprehensive about jumping off of the porch or bed.
• They may not want to play like they used to

If you suspect dog arthritis, take him or her to the vet for a diagnosis. If the dog is older, and has some of the above symptoms, chances are he or she has arthritis.
If they have dog arthritis, there are some things you can do to help:

• Make sure your dog is not over weight!
• Be sure he gets plenty of good sleep on a soft rug or doggie bed (old bones in both dogs and humans like soft places to sleep!)
• Some older dogs think they are still two. If your dog really plays hard, it may be time to slow her down. This is especially true if you see her limping after a hard play session. The fast stopping and starting of “fetch” is not a good idea for older dogs with arthritis problems. They simply do not know how to moderate themselves.
• You may need to raise the food and water bowls for larger dogs so they do not have to bend over so far.
• Dog arthritis requires regular exercise but not in excess.
• Start giving your older dog glucosamine. It is a good idea to add a glucosamine supplement to your dog’s diet after the age of 7 or 8. Even if he has no signs of arthritis yet, regular glucosamine can delay the onset!