Greetings,
Welcome to this month's issue of The Pet Arthritis Chronicle. Please pass this along to your friends!
Table of Contents:
- Featured Articles from The Pet Arthritis Resource Center
- Detecting Arthritis Early
- Pet Arthritis Message Boards
Featured Pet Arthritis Content
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Detecting Arthritis Early
By J.R. Rogers
Early detection of your pet’s arthritis can save both a lot of misery for your animal and save a great deal of money in treatment. As we have said, OA and cartilage degeneration can develop quickly as a result of stress or trauma. The sooner you recognize and treat, the easier life is for your pet.
Replacement Cartilage
It is likely that we could divide affected pets into two categories. Those that have existing arthritic conditions and others who are at risk. It is important to realize that pain is not always going to be your first indication of trouble.
A Quick Look at Symptoms
You don’t have to be a veterinarian to identify some of the symptoms that may indicate either arthritis or the onset of it. If you see any of these signs of trouble, it would be prudent to begin a regimen of high-quality glucosamine and see your vet as soon as possible.
Pain
We said that pain is not always going to be the first sign of trouble. Nonetheless, it is the leading indicator when your beloved pet is getting into arthritis problems. Unfortunately, pain can range from modest to extreme so that even in bad cases your pet may not be showing you strong symptoms.
Appetite
Both cats and dogs are usually eager to eat. When you start to see them make feeble stabs at eating or they have only a passing interest, it may mean arthritis is at play. Of course, there are many other conditions that can cause pain as well, so this guide does not really help much when you consider the host of problems that can be going on.
Sleep Patterns
If Fido or Fluffy suddenly wants to sleep all day instead of engaging in their usual playful behavior, this is a strong indication that there may be some arthritic difficulties. With cats, (who sleep a great deal anyway) watch for unusually long periods of sleep and less playtime.
Unusual Urination Patterns
A cat or dog who is feeling arthritis pain may begin to urinate inside the house rather than using a litter box or going outside. Although there can be other medical conditions at play, this is one more symptom that something arthritic may be going on.
Behavior Problems
If your pet is hurting from arthritis, they will usually feel defenseless. For those that you may pick up and handle, they may not be so willing if the affected joints feel exposed to injury. Usually, the pet will hide out or become tempermental.
Depression
There is nothing quite as sad as seeing a pet looking dejected. You can see it in their eyes and usually in their posture. Normally, a dog or cat that interacts a lot with their owner will become totally unresponsive. They won’t greet you when you come home or engage in even the slightest play. It’s a symptom that is usually easy to spot and one that can’t be ignored.
Stiffness, Lameness and Limping
These are almost a certain sign that arthritis is affecting your pet. When normal movements are no longer fluid and instead become stiff or out-of-sync, you can almost bet that Fido or Fluffy has arthritis.
The Diagnosis
As we have said, it only takes a simple x-ray to confirm a diagnosis. However, if you lack the financial resources to see a vet immediately and you are seeing these kinds of symptoms, take affirmative steps by using glucosamine until you are certain of the diagnosis. (It is not expensive and it causes no harm so even if your self-diagnosis is wrong, you have at least put a preventive measure and rehabilitating action into place.)
See you next time.
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Pet Arthritis Message Boards
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...
heather
Posted on 25 Feb 2003
I was just given the dreaded diagnosis yesterday by my vet. Ramey, my 8-yr-old rottie/shepard mix has hip dysplasia and arthritis in her right socket. The weird thing is my vet prescribed a weeks worth of antibiotics -has anyone else had this happen? After the week, he wants to put her on rimadyl (spelling?) which I've heard scary things about. He would really like to do surgery, but I would like to attempt to explore all other medical options first as I don't believe (at her age) that surgery is her best bet.
Sabine
Posted on 11 Mar 2003
There are a lot of frightening stories out there about anti-inflammatory drugs and it's true, they have potential devastating side effects, but they also work very well for the vast majority of dogs. In the end it will be your judgement call.
Your dog's arthritis seems to be pretty mild still and you can always help in restricting his jumping, the amount of exercise - it's a lot about common sense, e.g. swimming is really great for dogs with arthritis.
Post your own message on The Pet Arthritis Message Board now!
This concludes the March Issue of The Pet Arthritis Chronicle. Look for the next issue in your inbox on April 15th, 2003!
Please forward to any friends that have pets with arthritis and who would be interested.
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Have a great March from The Pet Arthritis Resource Center and The Pet Arthritis Chronicle. See you next month!
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