Arthritis in pets, and their pet parents for that matter, is a common condition. Pet parents may fail to take action for any one of a number of reasons such as not wanting to subject their pet to harsh veterinary medications, mistakenly believing it will improve on its own, or simply thinking it is not enough a problem to justify the cost.
I totally understand and have thought those same thoughts myself.
But the truth of the matter is that inactivity leads to a slate of serious health problems in pets and pet arthritis is one of the most common causes for reduced activity levels in pets.
What can go wrong?
*Debilitating arthritis leading to total immobility: This one is fairly obvious but worth mentioning anyway. Arthritis (degenerative joint disease) is the loss of cartilage and joint fluid which in turn leads to joint degeneration. As degeneration advances bone spurs may form causing movement to become so painful that pets keep their activity levels to a minimum. If the wear and tear on the bone and joint are too severe all of the sudden movement may become physically impossible leading to total immobility.
*Reduced immune system function: Research tells us that a healthy immune system and activity levels go hand in hand. Since most arthritic pets are older, and likely are already experiencing a decline in immune function, they become vulnerable to a laundry list of disease some of which attack the joint itself.
*Infections of the urinary tract: This one dovetails with immune system function. Urinary tract infections in pets are generally caused by bacteria entering through the urethra. When the immune system is strong bacteria is eliminated and flushed before it has a chance to set up shop in the bladder. But when a pet has any type of degenerative joint disease they move less, their immune defenses weaken, which in turn leads to an increased chance of urinary bacterial infection. Additionally older pets often have conditions that cause the bladder to retain urine after creating a fertile breeding ground for the invading bacteria.
*Depression: When a dog or cat can't do the things that make them happy, or are needed to maintain their dignity, they may slip into depression.
*Aggression: Pain associated with pet arthritis may trigger a change in personality. This can be a serious concern especially when children are involved leading to tough choices for pet parents.
Pet Arthritis - What can be done?
There are a couple of ways to go when treating pet arthritis. The first is to manage the main with one of the many pet pharmaceutical medication available from your veterinarian. While these tend to be effective, at least for a while, they only mask the pain and may in fact accelerate the damage to the arthritic joint over time.
The second is one of the natural pet arthritis formulas which contain multiple ingredients shown to be able to rebuild joint cartilage and increase joint fluid over time. These have been shown to be very effective and have gained an ever increasing amount of support for pet health experts in recent years.
From my perspective the second option is by far the best option due to the possibility of reversing the condition. That said, every pet parent should get the facts, weight the risk reward equation, and ultimately make the decision that suits them and their beloved pet the best.
What else? Other ideas that might help with arthritis in pets are weight management, keeping painful joints warm on cold days and nights, and considering alternative exercise options such as hydrotherapy; especially if regular exercise is no longer a realistic option.
No comments:
Post a Comment