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. Aging Pets: Hip dysplasia and arthritis
3. Pet Arthritis Message Boards

 

1. What canine arthritis is, how it forms, and how you can ease the pain! Canine Arthritis (degenerative disk disease) is a disease in which joint cartilage deteriorates. The result is that surfaces that are supposed to glide over each other become rough, and lubrication within the joint is decreased. Movement is more difficult and often painful. The signs of arthritis in a canine are: difficulty in walking; such as limping or a stiff, slow, or ungainly gait; difficulty in getting up from a seated or lying position; difficulty climbing stairs; a creaking, crackling, or "ratcheting" sound in the joints; an overall decrease in mobility; an unwillingness to move; and dragging the back legs so that the tops of the nails scrape the floor. Canines who are experiencing the pain of arthritis also may become "snappish" if they are touched in the wrong place or made to move when they're not ready. They experience arthritis pain just as humans do. 2. Arthritis in Dogs X-rays can show up most (but not all) conditions affecting the bony structures of the joints, limbs and spine, and some soft tissue structures as well. I am often asked why vets need to heavily sedate or anaesthetise an animal for this. For the x-ray to provide as much useful information as possible, your pet must be still during the process. Modern anaesthetics are very safe, and most practices now have a nurse monitoring the animal under anaesthetic constantly. Trying to interpret a poor x-ray can sometimes be just as dangerous as guesswork. So, if your vet recommends anaesthetising your pet to x-ray him, there are good reasons why this is helpful in confirming a diagnosis. 3. Feline Hip Dysplasia Hip dysplasia is an inherited trait involving multiple gene pairs - it is not congenital (meaning an animal is not born with it). The condition develops over time from instability in the hip joint which results from an improper fit of the femoral head (ball-like structure) into the acetabalum (hip socket). This instability, called hip joint laxity, results in abnormal weight bearing within the hip joint. From this, secondary changes and remodeling occur in an effort to stabilize the joint or avoid bone-on-bone contact. When cartilage disintegrates from abnormal wear, the femoral head and acetabalum rub together with every step causing pain and eventual osteoarthritis.

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Aging Pets: Hip dysplasia and arthritis

By J. R. Rogers

The paradox of aging pets with hip dysplasia or other arthritis/joint pain problems has another (often overlooked) issue.  Pets suffering from these conditions need sound nutrition but at the same time, their muscles get weak with age and “digestion” is an issue.

Diet tips for aging and arthritic pets

As stated, pets suffering from hip dysplasia or other joint pain issues need a good diet to help them fight the disease(s). And, there is a simple step you can take that will give them a hand here. And, all it takes is a few minutes to read labels and/or talk to your vet.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants assist humans (and, pets) to rid their bodies of toxins that are normally related to liver problems. But, antioxidants do much more than detoxify the liver. They can also assist with digestion of nutrients found in food and with the “exercise component” that arthritic pets need.

Two ways to identify an ‘antioxidant’ for your arthritic pet

Recognizing a need for antioxidants in pet foods, many manufacturers have included them in their products. Take the time to ‘read labels’ or ask at your local pet store for some guidance on selecting a sound and nutritious food product that contains antioxidants. And, there are some products specifically made for “antioxidant use” for pets. Again, ask your local pet food store or a vet for some recommendations.

Your pet’s respiratory system

With aging pets, there is bound to be some respiratory failure as a result of many factors including pollution, cigarette smoke they are exposed to, etc. And, as you know by now getting some exercise for arthritic pets is essential. The dilemma is that they need to have a little help here with their respiratory system. Getting some antioxidants ‘on the job’ can help.

As you know, I am a strong advocate for using premium-quality liquid Glucosamine like Syn-flex®  to give an arthritic pet a “leg up” on fighting pain and rehabilitating damaged cartilage. But, the diet and exercise issue is also an important one. Let’s just understand that antioxidants can play a role here.

See you next time.

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

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

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This concludes the November Issue of The Pet Arthritis Chronicle. Look for the next issue in your inbox on December 15th, 2007!

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

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