After my pet had a long, drawn-out battle with cancer, I realized that I needed to do a better job with understanding my pet's needs. I wanted to be there for them no matter what, so I started focusing on my other animals. They needed more love, attention, and medical care, so I focused on those things. I started taking them in for regular checkups and working on their physical appearance. I was able to spot a few other potentially catastrophic health conditions with my animals because of my actions. This blog is all about understanding your pet's needs.
Understanding Your Pet's Needs
Helping Your Dog To Cope With Arthritis
Gisele Pereira
Arthritis can strike your dog once they get to middle age. Arthritis is a disease that causes the cartilage between the joints to degenerate. There are several signs that you should look out for in order to know if your pet is developing arthritis. These will be looked at below along with some methods that you can use to ease you pet's pain.
What are the signs that your pet has arthritis?
Spotting the signs that your pet has arthritis is not that difficult. Here are four major signs you should look out for.
- Slow movements are common among dogs that have developed arthritis. Your dog may also have difficulty getting up when they are lying down and may groan in pain when they attempt to get up.
- If your dog suddenly starts limping and you can see no visible signs of injury then your dog may be suffering from arthritis.
- If you notice that your dog suddenly begins dragging their back legs, then you should become concerned.
- If your once active dog suddenly begins to avoid getting up or moving altogether then your pet may be suffering from arthritis.
Is there a cure for arthritis in dogs?
At this time there is no cure for arthritis in dogs, so the best thing you can do for your pet is to help them to be as comfortable as possible and to work along with your vet to make sure that your dog gets the best treatment possible.
How can you make your dog more comfortable if they are suffering from arthritis?
- Adding extra blankets and making bedding extra soft will help your dog feel more comfortable.
- If your dog sleeps outside you may have to make provisions for them to start sleeping indoors in order to eliminate the possibility that they may be exposed to cold and drafty temperatures which can aggravate arthritis.
- You can purchase a pet ramp so that it will be easier for your pet to get upstairs and downstairs. These types of ramps will also make it easier for your pet to get onto the couch or a bed.
- If you can't use ramps outside, you may want to consider carpeting or padding your steps, so that your dog has a more cushioned landing whenever they use these steps.
Learning as much as you can about arthritis in dogs and taking measures to make your pet more comfortable once they have been diagnosed with arthritis is the best way to help you and your pet cope with this disease.
To learn more, contact an animal hospital like Howard County Animal Hospital.
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