Pet Mobility Can Be a Serious Concern During Cold Weather Months

In the cold weather months many of us are busy with holiday preparations, traveling, and seeing family and friends once again. It is easy to lose sight of the fact that our dogs, cats, horses, birds as well as other animals may be troubled by painful arthritic joints. Pet mobility during cold weather should be taken seriously and adjustment made to both accommodate and heal ailing joints.

The most common joint condition affecting pet mobility in the cold weather months is osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease. Over time wear and tear deteriorates the articular cartilage to a point where there is no longer a cushion between bones, leading to painful bone on bone action. This condition is most often seen in pets and animals that are middle aged or older, and can have a negative impact not only in joint health and pet mobility issues but can spill over to other areas as well.

One area of pet mobility or lack of pet mobility can impact is that of urinary tract health. Bacterial infections of the urinary tract become much more likely when animals retain urine longer than they should and pets with degenerative joint disease simply can't (or don't have the will) move well enough to make the long trip to urinate when joint pain is severe.

Another area where pet mobility can play an role is in obesity. When pets don't have the desire to run and play due to constant pain they tend to gain weight. The weight gain not only is unhealthy but it places additional pressure on already troubled joints.

Bladder and Kidney Stones: Studies show that inactive pets are twice as likely to have bouts with bladder and kidney stones.

The three examples are just a few of the major problems lurking when pet mobility is compromised. Next let's move on to a few home help ideas that have proven helpful for my pets and I'm sure they will work for yours as well.

*Invest in a heating pad: Our pets have access to a heating pad in cold weather months. The heating pad should have a buffer between it and your pets skin to avoid heat rash or other heat related problems. Make sure they get plenty of water as well, since the heat will tend to have a dehydrating effect.

*Moderate exercise: Keeping the muscles that support problem joints strong is a very important part of improving and sustaining pet mobility. If your pets joints have deteriorated to a point where any form of exercise is painful you might consider asking your vet about hydrotherapy, also known as water therapy.

*Litter box smarts: If you have older or physically challenged pets that require a litter box make sure to put a few extra boxes out during the cold weather months. This makes it easy for them to make it there and back with little or no distress.

* Supplements for rebuilding joint cartilage: There are a number of excellent all natural products on the market that can do wonders to improve pet mobility. Some natural ingredients have been shown to actually rebuild long lost cartilage over time and are worth considering.

In summary, joint pain whether it is caused by osteoarthritis or something else can create serious concerns both for pets and pet owners. The above suggestions of heat, muscle conditioning, litter box smarts, and cartilage building supplementation are four steps that can be implemented at home, are affordable, and just might produce long lasting results.