| When the dog
starts to limp, takes a lot of rests, and sometimes refuses to
move at all. One probable reason for such behavior is that the
dog has arthritis. That is, every time the dog moves, pain and
discomfort shoots up from his joint. Arthritis in dogs happens
in the same way as arthritis in humans. Arthritis
or inflammation of the joints happens in dogs when there are
considerable certain changes in the structure of the bone joints.
Some examples of such structural changes are:
· Abnormal build-up of calcium
· Occurrence of anomalous scar tissues
· Irregular dissolution of parts of the cartilage
· Painful shredding or rending of the cartilage
· Unusual changes in the shape or form of the bones at the joints
Such structural changes chafe at the nerve
fibers. Each time the joints are moved, the nerve cells are
in danger of being crushed and such predicament sends painful
signals to the brain.
Unfortunately, the above structural changes
cannot be fixed. That is, once a joint (perhaps the hip joint)
has been disfigured, it will remain that way. Once the dog has
arthritis in his joints, he will no longer regain his original
healthy non-arthritis days. But arthritis may be prevented if
the dog’s owner is aware of the possible causes.
Some identified causes of the canine arthritis
are:
· Sickness – Some diseases contracted by the dog may lead to
an infection or trauma on the surfaces of the joints. Before
this complication could happen, the dog must be brought to the
vet when he falls ill.
· Obesity – The dog, during his years of growing up, may have
been overweight and this placed a significant strain on his
young and vulnerable joints. If a puppy is prone to obesity,
his eating habits must be carefully watched.
· Auto-immune disorders – Such could have been caused by too
much vaccination. The owner must be cautious in allowing his
dog to be vaccinated from all kinds of diseases. Such could
lead to the degeneration of the bones.
· Inadequate nutrition – The food may have been fed all the
time but this does not mean that he is getting all the proteins
and vitamins that he needs. The food given to the dog must be
monitored so that these can supply all the needed nutrients.
· Accidents and fractures – The dog fell the wrong way and his
usually flexible ligaments and tendons are permanently left
in tatters. This may be alleviated by a surgery called ACL or
Anterior Cruciate Ligament surgery
· Heredity – The dog inherited faulty genes that led to the
formation of distorted structures of the bone. Not much can
be done by the owner about this.
Although there is no cure for arthritis, the
dog need not look forward to lonely and painful days ahead for
the rest of his life. There are supplements and formulations
that will help in bringing down the inflammation and reduce
the pain felt by the dog. Some of them are:
· Glucosamine Sulfate
· Chondroitin Sulfate
· Omega Fatty Acids
· Bromelain
· Vitamin E.
Some Great Vitamins can be found at DoggyVitamin.com |
