To help your arthritic dog better cope and remain healthy throughout the senior years, we’ve compiled some tips to improve quality of life and mobility.





5 Ways to Better Care for an Arthritic Dog

  1. Keep your pet at a healthy weight. Pets who struggle with obesity or weight gain are more prone to conditions that affect the joints. Extra pounds means extra pressure, so keeping your pet at a healthy weight increases mobility and diminishes pain. There are also great dietary options that can improve conditions such as arthritis. Please contact us for a nutritional consultation.
  2. Investigate therapeutic and alternative treatments. With a greater understanding of pain management, modalities such as laser therapy, stem cell therapy, massage, and acupuncture can be incredibly beneficial for arthritic dogs. These treatment options can strengthen the immune system, decrease inflammation, and slow the progression of arthritis.
  3. Don’t ignore signs of pain. Chronic pain takes a heavy toll on quality of life and emotional wellbeing. If your pet is acting off or appears in pain (favoring one side of the body, wincing or vocalization with touch/pressure, lethargy, depression, etc.), please contact us immediately.
  4. Accommodate your pet at home. Some simple adjustments may be necessary to ensure your pet’s comfort at home. This includes getting more supportive bedding, installing ramps to help your pet enter/exit areas, and laying down carpet or rugs to increase traction.
  5. Offer low-impact exercise. Gentle, low-impact exercise is essential to the health of all pets, even those with limiting conditions. Consider what forms of exercise are best suited to your arthritic dog. For example, slow, short walks and supervised swim sessions are great ways to keep your pet active and social. Learn more about which activities are right for your pet during his or her wellness exam.

Although arthritis can slow down your four-legged companion, it doesn’t need to be a source of chronic pain or discomfort. By learning about all of the available treatment options and resources, you can keep your arthritic dog feeling great and enjoying life.