Arthritis

While it’s true that some herbs recommended for use with canine arthritis have drug-like actions, including contraindications and potentially adverse side effects, the plants mentioned here are easily acquired from reputable sources, widely used, and safe for most dogs. The descriptions that follow include safety notes as applicable.

There are a number of types of arthritis that affect dogs: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, septic or infective arthritis, spinal stenosis, spondylitis and spondylosis. Conventional medicine considers arthritis in dogs and humans a chronic disease that progresses and has no cure but which can be managed with symptom-suppressing drugs and other therapies. Holistic veterinarians manage arthritis in dogs with diet, nutritional supplements, medicinal herbs, and a variety of noninvasive treatments, many of which dog lovers can provide at home.

One of the best and easiest ways that you can help your arthritic dog is to apply cold and/or hot packs to alleviate pain and provide comfort.

To compensate for arthritis pain, a dog may alter his posture and gaits, causing tight muscles and further pain; here's how to help him.

There are many wonderful complementary treatments for dogs with Osteoarthritis (OA). None will cure or heal the arthritic joint, but a combination of treatments can very well restore vitality and decrease discomfort, making a happy walk in the park a reality once again. Omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine and chondroitin, and avocado and soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) can all work to slow joint degeneration. The combination of these over several months can improve function and decrease pain. Can also be used as preventive.

In our March 2011 issue, we introduced you to a very small sampling of some of the neat “assistive equipment” options that are available to help our canine companions who have limited mobility or other physical issues. We received such a great response that we thought we’d share with you a few more finds that can help make life easier for you and your dog, particularly if he or she is aging or has orthopedic or neurologic issues. Remember: the products mentioned here are only the tip of the iceberg. There are numerous companies making innovative assistive products; what we’re hoping to do here is to get you thinking about some of the possibilities!

Do you have a dog recovering from orthopedic or neurologic surgery, one who has mobility issues, or a senior dog who has arthritis? If so, at some point, you have probably wished you could do something – anything! – to help make your dog's life (and your own) a little easier. I asked two veterinarians who specialize in canine rehabilitation to share some of their top picks for canine assistive/rehabilitative equipment. Laurie McCauley, DVM, CCRT, is founder and medical director of TOPS Veterinary Rehabilitation in Grayslake, Illinois, and is considered one of the pioneers in the field of veterinary rehabilitation. Evelyn Orenbuch, DVM, CAVCA, CCRT, recently opened Georgia Veterinary Rehabilitation, Fitness and Pain Management in Marietta, Georgia, and has focused on veterinary rehab medicine since 2003.

but after only one eSWT treatment

Osteoarthritis is the number one cause of chronic pain in dogs, affecting one in five adult dogs, with the incidence more than doubling in dogs seven years and older. It is a degenerative disease that causes pain, loss of mobility, and a decreased quality of life. Signs of arthritis include stiffness when getting up or lying down, limping, slowing down on walks, pain after exercise, or reluctance to jump or climb steps.

holistic

As the sole practitioner of a small animal practice encompassing massage, acupressure, homeopathy, and custom-blended flower essences, I'm always looking for products that may be effective for my clients' animals. The most obvious, positive, long-lasting results I have seen have come from the use of acupressure, massage, and homeopathy. Yet when I heard from a third client about a product called DGP" (short for "Dog Gone Pain")

Western medicine’s mechanistic theory regards the body’s joints simply as the anatomic sites where the lever action of bones enables body movement. However, joints are much more complex than this, anatomically, mechanistically, and functionally. And when disease exists within any joint, the result can be completely disabling – not only to the local area but also to the entire body.