Health care for pets can help them live longer, but the chances of arthritis affecting the health of older dogs are greater. This degenerative disease causes inflammation, pain, and changes in joint structure. Pain caused by inflammation of the joints will inhibit the movement of the dog, so he becomes less active. As a result, there is muscle contraction and increased stiffness of movement. There is no ideal treatment for arthritis. However, using a number of different methods, such as medications to relieve pain, nutraceuticals to nourish the joints, and physiotherapy to strengthen and condition the joints can be beneficial for a dog suffering from arthritis.
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Method 1 of 4: Controlling Your Dog's Weight
Step 1. Understand why weight control is important
One of the consequences of arthritis is the dog's difficulty to exercise, as a result he is easy to gain weight. However, obesity puts additional stress on the joints, resulting in more damage to the joint surfaces, and overweight dogs are also much less mobile.
At the onset of arthritic symptoms, weight loss can delay the use of pain medication, and weight control should be a major concern for dog owners with body stiffness
Step 2. Limit your dog's calorie intake
Weight loss can be achieved by calorie restriction or following a diet specifically designed for pet weight loss, such as the Hills metabolic diet. Most people know the diet process very well, so consider this first.
In order for a dog to lose weight, he must consume fewer calories than he burns in one day. One way to do this is to reduce his current diet until he begins to lose weight
Step 3. Decide how much food to give your dog
First, weigh your dog to determine its initial weight. Now, feed him 10% less food compared to his current portion. Do this consistently for 2 weeks and then re-weigh your dog.
- If your dog hasn't lost weight yet, reduce his food portion again by 10% and repeat the same process until he starts to lose weight. However, this can cause your dog to not feel full.
- Providing a prescription calorie diet such as Hills RD or Purina OM can also help. These foods do not contain large amounts of calories, but are loaded with fiber. Fiber will stay longer in the stomach so your dog will feel full.
Step 4. Give your dog a metabolic diet
Another option is to change your dog's diet to a Hills metabolic diet. In this diet, your dog must be given a specially made food -- which is said to increase the dog's metabolic rate. This way, your dog will burn calories faster, and strict food portion restrictions are no longer necessary.
Method 2 of 4: Giving Nutraceuticals
Step 1. Understand about nutraceuticals
Nutraceuticals are dietary supplements that have a drug-like effect. Nutraceuticals usually have no side effects, so they are safer than drugs; Nutraceuticals can also be purchased without a prescription.
Two nutraceuticals that are beneficial for joint health are chondroitin and glucosamine. These two compounds are "synergistic", meaning they can have a greater effect when given together, than when used alone
Step 2. Pay attention to the debate about the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin
The theory that supports the use of glucosamine and chondroitin is that they can provide compounds needed in cartilage repair and improve joint fluid quality.
- The goal is to nourish cartilage and optimize its health to protect it against damage. The two compounds also help to increase the viscosity (thickness) of joint fluid, so it can lubricate the joints better.
- However, there is much debate among veterinary scientists about whether glucosamine and chondroitin actually provide such benefits. Even so, many animals benefit, because this supplement does not show any bad effects, and if the costs are not an issue, then there is no harm in using this supplement.
Step 3. Consider giving your dog glucosamine and chondroitin
Glucosamine and chondroitin are marketed as delicious-tasting veterinary preparations, but supplements made for humans can also be given to dogs.
- The usual dose for dogs under 10 kg is 500 mg of glucosamine and 400 mg of chondroitin, daily. Cases of overdose are rare.
- In arthritic animals, this dietary supplement must be taken for life.
Method 3 of 4: Using Physiotherapy
Step 1. Understand what physiotherapy is
Physiotherapy is pain treatment achieved by physical manipulation without drugs. Massage, passive exercises, "transdermal electrical stimulation" (TNS), and heat therapy are physiotherapy techniques that can be done at home.
Step 2. Massage your dog to help relieve pain caused by arthritis
Massage therapy will stimulate the muscles around the arthritic joints, and increase the pressure within the tissues. So that the fluid will be expelled into the blood and lymph vessels, and remove interstitial fluid replacement.
- This will help get rid of the irritating toxins that have built up from injury and joint inflammation and irritate the nerve endings. As a result, new nutrients can enter the area and trigger the repair of inflamed joints and injured muscles.
- An animal with joint inflammation has muscles that are stiff and tense. The pressure within the muscle will put more pressure on the joint, as a result, the inflamed surfaces will touch each other, causing the pain to get worse. Massage can help your dog's muscles relax and trigger the release of endorphins - a natural pain reliever with a chemical composition similar to morphine.
Step 3. Learn some special massage techniques
If, for example, your dog's hip joint hurts, then you should massage it upwards (imagine bringing the fluid back toward the heart).
- Move your palms up and down, applying pressure from near your wrists to the dog's thigh muscles, moving them up toward the heart.
- Slow, gentle movements will soothe your dog, while quick movements will stimulate him, so to relieve pain, massage your dog once every 5 seconds.
- Give massage on the sore for 10 - 20 minutes, two to three times a day.
Step 4. Try passive movement exercises (mobilization)
Mobilization is a treatment to move body parts passively which aims to maintain the condition of muscles and joints. The underlying goal of this therapy is to stop the pain cycle that impedes joint movement -- which results in more restricted movement of the dog, as well as preventing the onset of pain cycles in the body part being used.
- Again, for example in arthritic hips, passive mobilization that can be done is to gently stretch the dog's hind legs backwards away from the head. Dog owners can do this in a standing or lying position. If both hips are very sore, it is better to lay the dog down as he will not feel comfortable carrying the greater weight of the body when one leg is lifted.
- To passively stretch your left hip, lay your dog on his right side, with his left leg on top. Place the dog's left hand in front of his thigh right in the middle of the femur, and grasp the cranial muscles with the palm of your left hand. Apply gentle pressure but hard enough to push the dog's thighs back so the paws move back. Do not force this movement, and stop if the dog feels uncomfortable.
- Hold this stretched position for about 40 seconds, then release. Do this movement as much as two sessions for 10 minutes every day. This will help keep the dog's joints flexible and relieve the pain.
Step 5. Apply heat to the artistically affected part of the dog's body
Giving this heat can help dilate blood vessels and stimulate blood circulation. As a result, toxic compounds that irritate the dog's pain nerve receptors can be removed.
- A simple method is to use a bag of oats, which you usually heat in the microwave. Follow the instructions for heating this bag, and place it over the dog's sore joint in a reclining position.
- Leave it for 10-15 minutes, and then continue with doing passive movement exercises.
Step 6. Talk about "transcutaneous nerve stimulation" (TNS) with your veterinarian
"Transcutaneous nerve stimulation" (TNS) can be performed at home by dog owners, provided they have received training and have the necessary equipment.
- This treatment involves applying low-current electricity to the dog's skin to numb its sensory nerves, and cut off the transmission of pain. This can be done by stimulating the delta fibers that release enkephalins in the spinal cord, thereby reducing the dog's sensitivity to pain. One 20-minute TNS treatment session can reduce pain for up to 24 hours.
- The TNS machine is a box containing two battery-powered electrodes, which are placed into the dog's skin. The pain relief is at the bottom of the electrodes, so to treat hip pain, place one electrode on one side of the spine about 15 cm above the pelvis.
Method 4 of 4: Giving Pain Medicine to Your Dog
Step 1. Give NSAIDs to relieve the pain
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are prescription pain medications that can reduce inflammation. These drugs work by inhibiting the "bad" COX-2 enzyme that mediates inflammation, while allowing the "good" COX-1 enzyme that maintains normal blood flow to the kidneys and digestive tract.
- These drugs have a wide safety range when used properly, are less likely to cause severe side effects than other pain relievers such as peptic ulcers, and bleeding disorders. The NSAIDs commonly prescribed by veterinarians are meloxicam (Metacam), carprofen (Rimadyl), and robenacoxib (Onsior).
- The maintenance dose of Metacam is 0.05 mg/kg by mouth, taken with or after meals, once daily. The oral suspension has a concentration of 1.5 mg/ml so for a 30 kg Labrador dog, 1 ml of Metacam is required daily with food.
Step 2. Try to relieve your dog's pain with aspirin
Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) can relieve mild to moderate pain. However, long-term use of this drug is associated with gastric ulcers, especially if taken on an empty stomach. This happens because aspirin will block blood flow to the intestinal wall, stomach and kidneys.
- Aspirin should not be given at the same time as NSAIDs. When given together, these two drugs have an even greater chance of causing gastric ulcers, with serious consequences.
- If no other pain reliever is available, healthy dogs can be given aspirin at a dose of 10 mg/kg twice daily, with or after meals. Aspirin is generally available in 300 mg tablets, so for a 30 kg Labrador, you will need to take one tablet twice a day with the food.
Step 3. Talk about the appropriate dose of paracetamol with your veterinarian
Another option for moderate pain relief is Paracetamol (or Acetaminophen). However, be careful when using this drug, because taking above the recommended dose will cause the buildup of a toxic metabolite called N-acetyl-p-aminobenzoquinonimine in the liver, which can cause liver damage, and ultimately liver failure.
- Prescription drugs from a veterinarian are recommended. But if no other pain relief options are available, take Paracetamol with food and give the correct dose. The dose of paracetamol is 10 mg/kg by mouth, twice daily, with or after meals.
- Most paracetamol tablets contain 500 mg so for a 30 kg Labrador, give at most three-fifths of the tablet twice daily. If in doubt, always give a lower dose, and for small dogs, consider giving children paracetamol suspension.
Step 4. Talk about stem cell therapy with your veterinarian
A new option for treating arthritis is stem cell therapy. This therapy is different from previous generations of therapy, because the goal is to repair damaged tissue, not just relieve pain.
- In this therapy, the dog's fat tissue is taken under anesthesia, stem cells are extracted from the fat sample, activated in the laboratory, and then injected into the joint.
- Several veterinary clinics now offer this therapy. Many animals also experience improvement in their condition a few weeks after treatment so they don't need pain medication anymore.
