You can help your dog's mobility by understanding how joint health can benefit them. Dogs in their adolescence are active. Their jumping, zooming, and zigzagging are not to be missed. Senior dogs often suffer from joint pain, inflammation, stiffness, difficulty moving, and genetic diseases such as osteoarthritis, which causes severe pain.

 

Canine Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that affects the synovial joint, synovial fluid, cartilage, and bone. One in five dogs will experience arthritis in their lifetime. It usually starts slowly, causing inflammation in the joints, then progressively causing the cartilage and joint fluid to break down. When this occurs, it causes bone-on-bone rubbing.

There are three different types of joints

Fibrous

Cartilaginous

Synovial

There are four stages of Osteoarthritis

Stage 1

Minor bone spurs start to develop

Cartilage breakdown begins

Cartilage lesions can occur, causing friction, inflammation, and pain

Stage 2 (Mild)

Erosion of the bone due to cartilage lesions

More bone spur growth

Natural proteoglycan loss of the articular cartilage

Stage 3 (Moderate)

Thinning of cartilage between the bones

Narrowing the space between the bones

Stage 4 (Severe)

Joint space dramatically reduced

Cartilage loss is almost gone

Reduced joint mobility 

 

Recognize The Symptoms Of Canine Arthritis.

 

Early detection can be the key to further damage and treatment of osteoarthritis.

Treatment of canine osteoarthritis
There are numerous treatments available for managing osteoarthritis.
Prescribed pharmaceutical drugs
Experimental treatment
Nutraceutical supplements (Canine Joint Plus)
Changes in lifestyle, such as weight loss and physical exercise, can also be beneficial.

Dogs that are overweight are at risk of:

Diabetes

Joint Conditions 

Heart Disease

Mobility Issues

Early Death

Overfeeding your dog can be harmful. Make sure your dog's weight is appropriate for its age and breed by talking to your vet. Try to implement a healthy diet and foods that can reduce arthritis. Always keep in mind that there are foods for everyday use and foods for special treats. Your dog's joints can become overloaded if it's overweight. Being overweight can negatively affect their general health and aggravate their pain.

Some foods may help reduce joint inflammation, and others may aggravate arthritis symptoms.

The consumption of carbohydrates such as grains, wheat, rice, and corn may contribute to weight gain. A flare-up of arthritis may be caused by eggplant, peppers, and white potatoes. It has been suggested that salmon and sardines contain omega-3, which may function as an anti-inflammatory.

Genetic factors contribute to hip dysplasia, but environmental factors may also influence it. Research involving fast running, repetitive activities, overexertion, injuries, and being overweight early may have contributed to hip dysplasia. Until a puppy reaches the age of 18-24 months, its bones and joints are still developing. In dogs, neutering too early in their development may increase their chances of developing hip dysplasia.

Neutering Dogs: Effects on Joint Disorders and Cancers in Golden Retrievers (nih.gov).

 

DISCLAIMER

All information on the Aussie Joint Health website is for educational purposes only. No diagnosis or treatment is intended for individual animals in the Aussie Joint Health content. You must address any questions or concerns you may have about your animal with your veterinarian. The information provided on Aussie Joint Health should not replace your relationship with your veterinarian. This blog post is intended to help you have a better conversation with your veterinarian about the appropriate treatments to use for your pet.