Top Tips to Relieve Your Dog of Arthritis - Don't Hand Your Hard Earned Cash to the Vet

What Is Arthritis?

The word 'Arthritis' means inflammation of a joint. Arthritis may develop after a joint has been injured or infected, or by 'wear and tear' in a normal joint due to old age. It may also develop in a joint that is not perfectly formed (dysplastic). If your dog has a dysplastic joint then it is likely to wear out faster than a normally formed joint. Chronic Arthritis is also known as 'Degenerative Joint Disease', this causes thickening of the tissues around the joint, caused by scar tissue forming. This eventually leads to your pet losing his full range of movement as the scar tissue that forms around the joint makes it less flexible. The bones around the joint will also develop irregular thickenings and the lining will become permanently inflamed. These changes are the body's attempt to heal the area but in fact will often make the pain, and therefore the arthritis, worse.

What Can I Do?

Lifestyle Changes are beneficial to maintaining the health and mobility of your dog. Overweight individuals should lose weight to take the extra strain off the joints.

You should also encourage your dog to swim as it also relives the pressure on the joints, acting as a form of physiotherapy. In fact, any form of gentle, controlled exercise should be encouraged to maintain and strengthen the muscles that support the affected joint.

Natural Remedies can provide pain relief and anti-inflammatory aid. Some will also help the joints with lubrication and repair the cartilage damage that is caused by the grinding of bone ends.
Homeopathic remedies such as Sulphur and Arnica work well, as do natural supplements like Cod Liver Oil, Glucosamine, Evening Primrose Oil and Green Lipped Mussel Extract.

Acupressure is another proven method of pain relief without medication. It also has the added benefit of stimulating the body,s natural healing system by unblocking any of the 26 'energy safety locks'. These are areas within the body's meridian systems where the usually free-flowing energy can stagnate. By releasing the points the body can get back to doing what it does best. Regenerating the cells and tissues to maintain a physical equilibrium.