Just as with people, many pets suffer from arthritis. While most pet owners believe that arthritis in dogs only occurs in elderly animals, there are many other causes besides aging that can lead to the soreness and inflammation of a pet’s joints.
In more than half of the dogs over six years of age, there are some signs and symptoms of arthritis. Understanding the kind of arthritis that your animal is suffering from and what caused it can help you better understand how to treat the condition and prolong the happiness and quality of life for your pet.
Dog Joint Pain Resulting from Trauma
In some cases, young canines can have arthritis set up in joints that have experienced some type of trauma from injury. This can occur in working dogs or dogs that are overly active. There are several common types of conditions that are seen as a result of an injury. Traumatic Arthritis, which usually leads to osteoarthritis, is common after joint injuries.
Hip Dysplasia can result from injuries as well as be caused by infections. Shoulder Degeneration is usually caused from trauma but sometimes, too, can be caused by infections. Hypertrophic Arthritis is typically associated with bone spurs. Knee Stifle is a type of arthritis resulting from torn ligaments in the animal’s knee.
Acute Traumatic Arthritis is a condition caused from injury that often needs quick medical attention and possibly surgery. Unlike the arthritis that results from trauma in humans, the joint condition in dogs typically occurs very soon after the injury in pets.
Arthritis in Dogs Caused by Infections
While some types of arthritis are caused from injury, other types are caused from infectious elements in the joints. Infectious Arthritis is commonly caused by an infection in the area. This condition usually requires some type of antibiotic pet medicine. Shoulder Degeneration and Hip Dysplasia also both may occur from infections or from injuries.
Self Bodily Attacks Causing Dog Joint Pain
One common cause of some types of arthritis in cats and dogs alike is the body attacking itself. When Auto Immune Arthritis, better known as rheumatoid arthritis, occurs the animals own immune system is attacking and causing pain in the joints.
Pet Arthritis Due to Degeneration
Some pets have conditions that cause their cartilage to breakdown. Osteochondrosis is associated with the deterioration of the cartilage.  Osteoarthritis is also contributed to the breakdown of the animal’s cartilage. These are both typically progressive and chronic conditions. Near 90% of the cases of arthritis in dogs that are treated by vets are contributed to osteoarthritis.
The first step in helping your pet with painful and agonizing arthritis is to identify the type of condition. You should then discuss the symptoms with your vet. Once the problem has been discovered, you can begin carrying out treatments to help soothe your dog and make him more comfortable.
In some cases, you may need to distribute pet medicine while in other cases you may find that simple changes around the home make life more enjoyable for your canine. satellite navigation system

Arthritis is one of the most common ailments seen in aging dogs and cats. This article offers some treatment options for easing the discomfort of your dogs or cats suffering from arthritis.

Arthritis is an inclusive term for a number of degenerative joint diseases. Pain, swelling and/or stiffness occur in all of them.

In dogs, arthritis usually takes the form of hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, spondylosis, joint degeneration or dislocation of the knee. Osteoarthritis is caused by wear and tear and is seen mostly in older dogs. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disorder of the membrane surrounding the joints and can occur at any age.

Osteoarthritis is the form most often seen in cats. Although they don’t often show it, arthritis occurs more often in cats than previously believed. Cats will not show the same symptoms as dogs, and are much less likely to exhibit signs of pain. The most apparent symptom would be the unwillingness or inability to jump as high as they used to. You might see an overall reduction in activity (but with cats, how can you tell?).

The good news is that the disease can be managed and discomfort kept to a minimum. Nutrition is the core of any treatment plan. A natural diet is essential. Supplements such as vitamin C, alfalfa or kelp are helpful. Glucosamine is commonly recommended. Glucosamine is a substance which works to stimulate joint function and repair. It has been proven effective for relief of osteoarthritis pain, rehabilitation of cartilage, and repairing joints.

A key component of cartilage and a naturally occurring compound, glucosamine can be used before symptoms begin to protect the joints from aging. It is sometimes used in conjunction with chondriton, another natural substance that protects the joints, and or MSM, a form of sulfur that helps reduce inflammation.

Homeopathic remedies, such as Rhus Tox or Pulsatilla may work. There are many herbal anti-inflammatories; licorice and black cohosh are but two possibilities. Yucca and Devil’s Claw are commonly used for arthritis for inflammation and pain.

A good adjunct to remedies or supplements is acupuncture. It can be very helpful in easing pain and stiffness in many arthritic conditions.

Other forms of physical therapy are becoming available for dogs in many areas. Regular mild exercise also help to keep the dog mobile, but don’t push – let your dog tell you how much he can handle. Keeping the dog’s weight down will take some of the stress off the joints, making movement easier and less painful.

Digestive enzymes and probiotics may also ease the symptoms of arthritis, though there is little research to bear this out. Poor digestion can result in partially digested proteins and other particles being reabsorbed into the bloodstream. This can then result in immune dysfunction and inflammation.

When all else fails, there are pharmaceutical anti-inflammatories and pain medications. Two of the most common ones are Rimadyl and Etogesic. These medicines can have serious side effects and require careful monitoring of the dog’s health. Elyse Grau is an herbalist and a long-time pet owner, well-versed in pet nutrition and feeding. She is the author of Pet Health Resource, your web guide to a healthy, happy dog or cat. The website strives to answer your holistic pet health questions through a large collection of articles.http://www.pethealthresource.comhorde leveling guide