Tips to Keep Your Arthritic Dog Happy and Healthy

Arthritis in dogs refers to any condition that causes inflammation of the joints between bones (arthritis literally means joint inflammation). This inflammation causes pain and stiffness around the joints, which can make normal activities more difficult for your dog. Arthritis affects millions of pets each year; if not managed properly, it can cause significant pain and dramatically reduce your pet's ability to live a happy, active life. With that said, there are plenty of ways you can help your arthritic dog live a happy, healthy lifestyle without allowing his condition to slow him down.

We’ve outlined some tips to consider to help your arthritic dog:

SLIPPERY FLOORS

• Place rugs, runners or yoga mats along routes used by your dog

• Limit access to problem areas of the house

• Keep nails trimmed short

• Utilize nail grips

• Keep foot fur trimmed

STAIRS

• Limit access to the stairs by installing a gate

• Ramps may be suitable for some steps

• Use carpet or anti-slip tape on slippery steps or stairs

• Carry your dog up and down the stairs (if it’s safe to do so)

• Use a suitable harness/sling to assist your dog up and down the stairs

SLEEPING

• Get a large enough bed to ensure your dog has enough space to position themselves comfortably.
  • Invest in a memory foam bed.
  • Place the bed on a non-slip floor or place a rug under the bed so your dog has something safe to step on to help with stability.
  • Provide ramp/stairs for your dog to access your bed/couch or lift them (if it’s safe to do so)

EATING & DRINKING

• Consider getting a raised food/water bowl; the height should be at the dog’s shoulder.

• Use a shallow bowl to prevent the dog having to over bend their neck when eating.

• Pace the water bowl on an absorbent material such as a towel to prevent wet and slippery floors becoming a slip hazard

• Consider having your dog stand on carpet or getting to eat

• If you have multiple dogs consider feeding separately so neither dogs are rushed and feed in a quiet area where they will not get disturbed

EXERCISING

• Review the length and difficulty of the route you walk and keep it more consistent

• Consider adding on-lead time to control the quantity of exercise and prevent your dog from excitedly over-doing it

• Encourage some calm exercise such as sniffing, scent work and enrichment activities

• Place your weekend walks looking at how long, far and difficult it will be and adjust to keep consistent with weekday walks

• Consider reducing the length of walks but increase the frequency

• Divide the walk into sections with short rest periods interspersed

• Monitor what terrains your dog struggles with (trips, slips, stumbles or slows) and adjust your route to suit, possibly drive to safer areas

• Consider a stroller or carrier training

• Try to vary the route you walk so your dog has new sights and smells, allowing them to enjoy it and stop for a sniff every now and then

• Consider using a harness while on walks because it disperses pressure over a larger area of the body, reducing strain on the neck and back

If your dog is affected by arthritis (degenerative joint disease) and you’re looking for conservative options to help their symptoms, limit the progression and prevent compensations in other parts of their body, we’d love to talk with you. Call 720.350.4353 to schedule a FREE CONSULTATION or Book online.

The Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Puppies

The most common comment I receive when parents bring their dog to receive chiropractic care is, "I wish I had known about animal chiropractic and brought my dog in sooner." While the majority of my patients come in with acute injuries or when arthritis starts to set in, I also think that puppies can benefit from chiropractic care. 

While you wouldn't immediately think of bringing your puppy to the chiropractor, periodic appointments to check their musculoskeletal health is just as important to their developing health as veterinarian appointments. As puppies tend to rough house a lot and have limited body awareness along with normal growth and development they can develop some minor problems (which can easily be fixed) that can have the potential to cause some long term effects. These potential problems include: 

Arthritis: Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is the most common type of arthritis and is a complex condition involving inflammation and degeneration of one or more joints. One of the main causes of joint degeneration is misalignment of the spine or extremities which causes chronic mechanical stress of the joint and causes joint cartilage to soften and degenerate. When your dog receives chiropractic care and their joints are aligned properly, this reduces the ‘wear and tear’ on the joint that the misalignment was causing therefore slowing down the degenerative process and inflammation.

Behavioral Issues Caused by Pain: Puppies, like most dogs, don’t typically express pain unless the injury has progressed into a significant injury. I've seen cases where parents think their dog has behavioral issues when in reality the pup was exhibiting signs from being hurt. This is why it’s a good idea to get periodic preventative musculoskeletal checkups to avoid minor issues progressing into something bigger causing them to react negatively in their day-to-day activities. 

Compensation: In order for your dog to function and move properly, all of their limbs/joints need to be applying the same amount of force while bearing weight. If your puppy rough houses, like the majority of them do, and fall, crash into things or come up lame they typically won’t put weight on the affected area. This causes extra strain on the other healthy parts of the body. Receiving chiropractic care will ensure that the affected area is moving properly and that your dog can distribute their weight evenly so that they won’t compensate and injure the healthy parts of their body. 

Congenital Abnormalities: While chiropractic care cannot reverse congenital abnormalities, it can help with compensation that it may create in the rest of the body (see the compensation paragraph above). Some breeds are prone to hemi-vertebrae, luxating patellas, hip dysplasia, etc. and getting regular chiropractic care can greatly help maintain regular biomechanics.

Nervous System: The benefits of chiropractic are not limited to muscles and joints, but also has a positive effect on the nervous system which controls all the systems of the body. Your puppy’s nervous system works best when the bones in their spine are properly aligned allowing for no nerve irritation. 

It's important not to wait until your puppy becomes injured or starts to express pain before addressing their physical needs. Early intervention will allow your puppy the best chance at being both physically active and pain free into their adult years.

If you have a puppy and are interested in learning more about how chiropractic can help with their musculoskeletal health as they age, I’d love to talk with you. Call 720.350.4353 to schedule a FREE CONSULTATION or book online.