Volume 4 - Issue 6

Greetings,
Welcome to this month's issue of The Pet Arthritis Chronicle. Please pass this along to your friends!

Table of Contents:

  1. Content from The Pet Arthritis Resource Center
  2. Bad Joints: What can you do?
  3. Pet Arthritis Message Boards


More Issues with Food and Family Pets
Recently, I went back to discussing food issues in some detail. It is important to understand that we do have ways of helping out pets not only with their diets, but with preventing things from happening long term.

An Amazing Statistic
I was reading a book the other day about hip dysplasia in dogs. Before going further, I should add that this applies to cats as well. The article was written by a veterinarian and it had something very important to say about this painful condition.

Real Food Treats Improve Your Pet's Health
We love to give our dogs treats, and they love to get them. The healthiest treats we can give our dogs and cats are made from real, fresh food. Since we like to give them variety and tasty tidbits as well, we'll review briefly each category of treat.

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Bad Joints: What can you do?

By J.R. Rogers

We all suffer when our pets are hurting. It probably makes it worse when we see them "nursing" a bum joint. It helps to know what you can and cannot expect when you are facing an issue like this.

How far and fast?
The joint structure in our pets is complex. Basically, they have (as we do) joints that are cushioned and floating inside soft tissue mass. If the fundamental joint is bad, you have to understand that you are unlikely to change that. What you can do is improve the odds and make your pet more comfortable.

Hip Dysplasia and More
When a joint in a pet is poorly formed, it can be caused by many factors. In some cases it is an inherited situation. In others, diet has played a role. There are other factors at work as well.

It's a Complicated System
Pets have a system of pain signals much like we do. Pain comes from the joint that is "out of whack" and your pet begins to show signs of pain. Unfortunately, their bodies are sending out pain messages to their brains and even those get "confused." In other words, the signals from their brains which work with the injured part of the body also get mixed up.

The Vet Steps In
As these bad joints get progressively worse, limping begins. Just as humans do, a pet is going to respond to a painful joint much like we do. They limp. It is natural for us to run to the vet who has a big arsenal at their disposal. It may mean surgery, the use of steroids or typically, NSAID's.

For those who read this column regularly, it is basically the same old story. I do not agree with using NSAID's and make no secret of that fact. Plus, steroids can be dangerous. It goes without saying that I consider surgery to be the "court of last resort."

The Better Approach
Most of us begin to see problems developing before they get out of control. It is often useful to begin a regimen of using a high-quality liquid Glucosamine as a preventive step. It is inexpensive and can save a lot of expense later. More importantly, the price is very low when compared to putting your pet at risk of increasing pain issues.

When you take early preventative steps it saves in the long run. Normally, this regimen of prevention combined with a good diet and moderate exercise goes a long way to preventing the larger issue. When joint structural problems get out of control, inflammation begins. When that happens, it only gets progressively worse. And, that is when the pain signal system in their bodies can begin the process of mixed signals.

All I can do is suggest that this is a smart move and it helps pets to avoid what can be called major problems down the road.

See you next time.

For information on arthritis in pets visit our site at http://www.arthritis-cats-dogs.com

For information on glucosamine and the leading products read The Guide to Glucosamine Products. Or you can learn more about glucosamine formula Syn-flex®, our recommended glucosamine product.


A feature to our Pet Arthritis Resource Center is the Pet Arthritis Message Board. You can post messages, ask questions, learn more, and meet friends. You can post messages in any of the following sections.

Dogs

  • Canine Hip Dysplasia
  • Arthritis in Dogs
  • Glucosamine for Dogs

Cats

  • Feline Hip Dysplasia
  • Glucosamine for Cats
  • Arthritis in Cats

Other Animals

  • Arthritis in Other Animals

Here's a few sample posts from the Forum...

KylieilyK
Posted on 14 Jun 2005

I have recently found out that my dog has arthritis and have purchased some glucosamine, chondroitin + MSM powder, (normal one for ppl), and was trying to find a recommended dosage for cats also. I have three cats, one that I am SURE has arthritis, one that is about 8 yrs old and another one that broke its back leg a couple years ago - so I figured I can give them all it!

But cannot find a dosage on here - only in mL for liquid. Can anyone help??

dawnelle
Posted on 09 May 2005

Hi everyone,

I'm glad Ii have found this forum while searching the web. I have a shih tzu who just turned 10 last april. She's around 15 lbs. I know the life span of a shih tzu is around 14-15 yrs so I'll be happy if she lasts till her 13th year. She's pretty healthy except for her arthritis. I have never had a dog who suffered with this condition in the past. I have had dozens of dogs in the past who have come and gone and not one of them had arthritis. So this is new to me. I have gone to the vet a couple of weeks ago for consultation and he recommended Rimadyl. It's a good thing I still haven't started her on that! I'm jotting down all those dangerous drugs and I will consult with this doctor again. He has actually been a very good doctor to my dog for the past 5 yrs.

Anyway I feel miserable looking at her because she couldn't stand up for long to drink water! I have to hold her up. She walks for a while then sits or lays down. I think her problem is her front leg. She's always laying down or sitting. She's not barking anymore. She doesn't greet me and shake my hand when I come home. She just sits there. I feel bad.

She eats very well though.

Please advice as to what I should give her to alleviate her pain

Post your own message on The Pet Arthritis Message Board now!

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This concludes the June Issue of The Pet Arthritis Chronicle. Look for the next issue in your inbox on July 15th, 2005!

Please forward to any friends that have pets with arthritis and who would be interested.

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Have a great May from The Pet Arthritis Resource Center and The Pet Arthritis Chronicle. See you next month!

 

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