Arthritis and Joint Supplements and related Pet Supplies

Finding out if your dog has arthritis is a difficult task to accomplish. If dogs could talk, being their best friend would be a lot easier. They are unable to tell you if their knees stiffen up after they play too long – or that their hips hurt when they go up or down stairs. They’re counting on you to recognize signs of pain and decreased mobility and to have you diagnose and treat the condition. In order to provide the best care for your dog, take a few minutes to learn the facts, the symptoms and how your dog can find relief from painful arthritis. Your dog will surely thank you for that!

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is a painful, degenerative joint disease that affects one in five adult dogs 1 – or more than 8 million dogs in the United States. Arthritis is more common among older dogs but younger and middle aged dogs have also been known to exhibit the symptoms of arthritis. Unfortunately, many of the cases go undiagnosed because owners attribute the subtle changes in their dogs to be signs of old age, or merely a case of slowing down.

There are several types of arthritis that can affect your dog, which include Osteoarthritis, Degenerative Joint Disease, and Hip Dysplasia. Other joint diseases that occur in dogs are Elbow Dysplasia, Knee Dysplasia, Knee Stifle, Osteochondrosis, Hypertrophic Arthritis, Shoulder Degeneration, Wrist Arthritis, and Kneecap Dislocation.

Osteoarthritis is a disease caused by the breakdown and destruction of your dog’s cartilage. It is a chronic condition that progresses slowly. As the condition prolongs, the bony structures rub against one another, therefore causing discomfort to your pet.

Degenerative Joint Disease is caused by the breakdown or destruction in portions of the joint. This usually takes place in the cartilage. This condition does not necessarily mean that your dog is suffering from any kind of inflammation.

Hip Dysplasia is a disease that affects the ball and socket joint in your dog. This condition causes numerous complications and discomfort to your dog. In this case, inflammation is common, calcium build-ups take place, your dog experiences muscle pain, and the tissues in the surrounding areas begin to break down.

These joint diseases occur mainly in large dogs such as German Shepherds, Rottweilers, or medium sized dogs such as Labradors. However, this does not necessarily mean that other breed of dogs would not experience joint diseases. Arthritis can occur to any breed, of any age.

Symptoms

The first step towards treating your dog to relief from arthritis is to actually learn the symptoms that occur in arthritis. Veterinarians have developed a list of signs that might indicate that your dog has arthritis. Any dog can develop arthritis, and knowing the signs and symptoms of pain will help you determine when your dog may need immediate attention.

Could your dog have arthritis? Ask yourself these simple questions:

1. Does your dog tire easily or lag behind?

2. Does your dog limp or appear stiff after activity?

3. Is your dog reluctant to climb steps or jump up?

4. Is your dog slow to rise from a resting position?

If you answered "yes" to even one of these questions, it's possible that your dog is suffering from painful arthritis. We recommend that you seek treatment as soon as possible using the products we recommend. If you answered "no" to all the questions, you might still want to prevent your dog from getting arthritis by treating him with vitamins and nutritional supplements. The sooner your dog is properly diagnosed and treated, the sooner he or she can overcome the pain and become an active member of your family again.

Treatment

There are many ways to help treat your pet from arthritis conditions. However, as the saying goes, prevention is better than a cure. Regular exercise such as walking and swimming can help prevent or slow the development or arthritis. Nevertheless, weight management is also an important factor which determines your dog’s health. Excess weight tends to cause more stress on the joints, and this causes additional pain to your dog already experiencing arthritis. It is crucial to manage your dog’s weight, through exercise or weight loss supplements. In addition, there are always non-traditional treatment methods such as massage therapy, acupuncture and hydrotherapy that can contribute to your dog’s well being.

Subsequently, if all prevention fails, and your dog is suffering from arthritis, there are various nutritional and joint supplements that can reduce the pain your dog goes through daily. Ingredients such as Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate will help reduce your pet's arthritis pain within a few weeks. In extremely severe cases, it may take as long as thirty days.

If your dog has arthritis, pain relief is possible with several different products such as EtoGesic and Restor-A-Flex by Fort Dodge, Rimadyl® (carprofen), Joint Max, Glycoflex, and Cosequin. All of these products have been used to treat or prevent arthritis effectively.

EtoGesic by Fort Dodge is an anti-inflammatory medication that can be given once daily to manage the pain associated with arthritis. EtoGesic has been proven to treat arthritis without many side effects. With this product, dogs are able to move around more freely, and live a more active life.

Joint Max is the newest generation joint supplement which contains Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and Vitamin C, in one tasty tablet. This product is used to treat arthritis and other joint conditions. People who have switched their dogs to Joint Max, have seen significant improvement in their dogs' mobility and comfort.

Restor-A-Flex by Fort Dodge is a joint supplement which contains Glucosamine Sulfate & Chrondroitin Sulfate with Manganese, that works well as a complement to Etogesic or any other arthritis medication.

Rimadyl for dogs has been proven clinically effective for the relief of signs of pain associated with arthritis. And without pain, your pet can move freely and happily again. Rimadyl is a prescription medication.

Glycoflex is a supplement for dogs which is composed of naturally chelated minerals, vitamins, and amino acids. This product is proven to have treated arthritis, and some have called it the "joint lubricant".

Cosequin, as with many of the products mentioned above, helps reduce the pain and also helps prevent arthritis and the pain that is caused by it. This product consists of ingredients such as Glucosamine, which is the main ingredient in aiding with the arthritis treatment.

1. Proprietary market research, 1996. Veterinary sample size: 200. Data on file, Pfizer Animal Health.

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