Caring for Dogs are like Caring for Humans

Technological advancements have gone a long way. Notwithstanding the fact that in all facets of our daily lives, it has greatly affected us. This includes even owning pets—from rearing to grooming even they reach their golden ages. Along with this, dogs are prone to much of the same diseases as humans. Studying modern canine illnesses and disorders, along with medications and remedies has been studied and developed throughout the years. Technology made it possible for these things.

Treatment for Arthritis

As we know, dogs are runners. Their knees endure wear and tear as years go by. From the playful puppies that are chasing for balls and to sturdy studs that are falling off the back wall. Throughout the years, it becomes more challenging as they age. Similar with active human athletes, more usage implies more fractures that may contribute to joint-related complications such as ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tears and osteoarthritis. Having them assessed medically is similar to hearing results being done for the elderly. The two main types of joint disorders are developmental and degenerative problems. For developmental disorders, you have stuff like hip or elbow dysplasia, where the joint does not grow properly in a variety of different forms. Degenerative problems cover a variety of fields. But the most prominent, and the most common source of arthritis in dogs, is cruciate ligament complications, where the ligament is degenerating with time and causes instability and secondary osteoarthritis. Much of the time, people find that their pets are performing little or have some trouble with common tasks. The dog now has trouble jumping up on the sofa, or moving up the steps, or getting in the back of the SUV. For more competitive dogs, maybe they can’t run as long for their trainer, or they don’t want to play too much at the dog park. From there it leads to blatant lameness — keeping the limb up, or holding the limb weird. Those are the most famous items we observe. Rarely should we have visible suffering as the first complaint. Typically, it’s a slower process that one may be able to observe from their pets.

As for treatments, specialists advised that treatment may be divided into surgical and non-operative procedures. Surgical procedures can vary from arthroscopic cleaning of a joint all the way up to complete joint replacement. On the non-surgical line, we look at many items. First and foremost, and the one that has the greatest impact on the non-surgical aspect, is weight control and body condition. We’re working to bring the dogs to an optimum weight while we decrease the pressures on the knees. We also actually decrease the inflammation since fat is a type of inflammation in the joints. With body condition, we’re working to have the dogs’ power built up. That’s how the muscle density and muscle activity can help strengthen the joints and help the overall function as well. Then there are different types of drugs, meats, and nutritional additives. With medications, they are anti-inflammatories, analgesics, and pain relievers. In foods, we already have businesses producing premium foods that are formulated for joint wellbeing. They also have some of the ingredients in there, including fish oils, which help decrease inflammation, and glucosamine/chondroitin.