One of the most common ailments in dogs is arthritis. In fact, studies have shown that one in five dogs will suffer from arthritis in their lifetime. Fortunately, as scientists get access to new substances, they are able to synthesize products to help prevent arthritis in dogs. If you are like me and get devastated at any sign of my dog feeling sick than this article is for you! We break down the reason dogs get arthritis as well as provide personal recommendations for the best treatment options. Let’s get started and dive into what causes arthritis in dogs
Causes of Arthritis In Dogs
Arthritis is most often caused from wear and tear on the joints. While it is more common in older dogs, it can be seen in younger dogs as well. There are a few types of arthritis but two are the most common, degenerative joint disease and inflammatory joint disease.
Degenerative join disease is also known as osteoarthrosis and occurs when there is friction between the joints that caused the degeneration of cartilage. This is more common in pure bread dogs like German Shepards that have notoriously bad hips.
The other most common arthritis in dogs is inflammatory joint disease which can be caused by an infection or immune system flaw. It can be in one or many joints.
While there are much more scientific details with each we are going to focus on the basics. The goal here is to give you a general overview of what arthritis is and a few of our first had tips on how to treat it. Your vet can give more details and will likely have recommendations of their own on treating it.
Treatment of Arthritis In Dogs
Just like with most illnesses the dreaded two words are going to dramatically help recovery, “diet & exercise”. Depending on what type of arthritis your dog has the vet may recommend medications to take in addition to rest and exercise.
Some of the new medical options for treating and prevention of arthritis in dogs is CBD oils. These oils are shown to dramatically reduce inflammation which is the primary cause of one of the major reasons for arthritis in dogs.
In addition to decreasing inflammation, it has high amounts of Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids that help the immune system of your dog. You can start giving your dog CBD oils at a young age to fend off inflammation and enhance their general health – this is my opinion that the oils enhance health and should not be relied on to treat or prevent disease.
There are more serious treatments for arthritis like injections into the joints with gel like substances to help lubricate them. Of course, these are only temporary fixes and you will have to continue to do these treatments. The vet bills will be expensive but your dog will find some relief. Starting them early on a CBD routine or another kind of joint supplement routine will help decrease your vet bills in the future and provide a better quality of life for your dog. Afterall, who wants to get injections in their joints a few times a year – not me!
Worst case, surgery could be required to treat your dog’s arthritis. This is usually a last case senecio and all other options should be explored prior to doing so. Not only is surgery expensive, it is only temporary and can cause your dog a lot of discomfort.
What You Can Do Today
Having a pure-bread dog I worry a lot about joint issues and stories of problems other French Bulldog owners have had. For this reason, I give my dog this CBD supplement and invest in high quality dog food. I also have pet insurance that covers 90% of the cost of any illness. I got the insurance when he was 4 months old so they gave us a really good rate.
We hope this article helps you and your dog better understand arthritis and how to prevent it.