We know our dogs are not just like family – the are family. In caring for our family, we need to look for signs of pain. A common condition suffered is Osteoarthritis (OA). It is a joint disease that affects people as well as dogs and can be just as painful for dogs as it is for us.
In healthy joints, a slippery tissue called cartilage cushions the ends of the bones in the joints. With OA, cartilage breaks down, causing pain and swelling. As OA gets worse, bone spurs can form, causing more pain and joint damage. When this happens, your dog may become less active or show signs of stiffness when getting up.
There may be visible signs of arthritis in your dog’s legs. The earlier you start supporting this condition the more longevity your animal will have by relieving some of this pain.
Unfortunately, dogs cannot tell us they are in pain. As owners, we need to pay attention to visible signs of slow movement and arthritis in legs, knees and especially in the back or hind legs. We can learn a lot by our animal’s behaviour as to if they are suffering any medical conditions. To combat the signs of OA an oral chew is available to promote joint health and cartilage development to help keep dogs active and youthful. This product called Glyde, gives better results with regular dosing.
The bottom line is – what makes you more comfortable if your joints are aching? Most likely you would be taking some sort of supplement and trying to stay active with a good diet and exercise. You can do the same for your dog, give them a Glyde chew daily to help combat osteoarthritis pain.
Many of our clients use professional maintenance foods to give their animals the best quality foods in the right balance. You may not be aware that there are foods that also target joint and mobility support. By being proactive about animal’s mobility issues from an early age can help prolong the need for prescription medications. By using a joint support professional diet to support their mobility can help your animal walk, run and jump more easily in as little as 21 days, when it is fed as the sole nutritional intake. Hills J/D is a completely balanced, nutritional food targeting joints.
There are many options when discussing Osteoarthritis in dogs. Our staff are always available to discuss which options are best for your individual case.
