Effective Alternative Treatments For Dog Arthritis

Published A Few Days Ago
ADVERTISEMENT

For those looking to take a non-traditional route, here are a few alternatives for treating dog arthritis

It can be heartbreaking when your once-active dog starts to develop sore and painful joints that keep him from doing the activities he once loved. Arthritis affects many adult dogs – as many as one in five – and it is especially common in dogs seven years or older. Treating dog arthritis doesn’t necessarily have to involve expensive prescription medicines or surgery. There are several natural alternatives that some pet parents swear by and that you may find to be beneficial.

Natural Supplements

If you’re reluctant to try out the expensive medicines prescribed by your vet, you can try giving your dog some natural supplements to help relieve his joint inflammation and pain. Two of the most common supplements used for arthritis in dogs are glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. These supplements help to protect the dog’s joints from damage and lubricates them as well to reduce pain. If you use chondroitin sulfate that also has MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) in it, your dog may receive additional anti-inflammatory benefits.

Related:All About Joint Supplements For Dogs

When using natural supplements to treat dog arthritis, it is important to realize that it could take up to six weeks for results to appear. Make sure you follow the correct dosage for your dog because the dosage instructions are typically given for a human weighing about 125 pounds. To calculate the dosage for your dog, then, you must divide your dog’s weight in pounds by 125. You will then need to multiply this number by the recommended dosage (example: 3 tablets twice per day) then round up to the nearest half or whole tablet.

Dietary Changes

Making changes to your dog’s diet can also have great benefits for his arthritis. Arthritis is an inflammatory disease so removing pro-inflammatory foods from your dog’s diet may help to reduce the inflammation and the pain. Wheat and wheat byproducts are some of the most common pro-inflammatory foods found in commercial dog food formulas – corn and soy may also cause problems. Consider switching your dog to an organic or at least an all-natural formula that has a high-quality source of whole protein as the first ingredient and does not contain wheat, corn, or soy.

Related:Top 10 Natural Supplements For Dogs

Alternative Treatments for Dog Arthritis

In addition to changing your dog’s diet and giving him natural supplements, there are a few other alternative treatments you might consider, one being acupuncture. Though acupuncture is still fairly uncommon for dogs, it has been shown to help reduce pain in cases of hip and elbow dysplasia as well as for injuries to the ligaments and tendons. Acupuncture may help to increase blood flow to the muscle and joints which will slow degeneration. If you do not feel that acupuncture is right for your dog, traditional physical therapy may be beneficial as well. Physical therapy for dogs involves low-impact exercise to strengthen the muscles to reduce pain and increase range of motion.

There are many different ways to treat dog arthritis, especially if you don’t want to use medical or surgical treatments. Before taking any action or medication, always talk to your vet for his or her opinion.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

You May Like

Best Dog Beds

Dog beds give your pet a place of their own where they can nap and snooze to their heart''s content. Here are the 10 best dog beds on the market!
Black Dog Syndrome: Belle’s Story Common Among Shelter Dogs

Have your ever heard of Black Dog Syndrome? It''s not a disease or a condition that dogs suffer from, it''s actually a problem with humans!
Best Bark Collars for Small Dogs

To help you stop your dog from barking, we handpicked the best bark collars for small dogs on the market. From vibration and sound-only bark collars to shock, and spray anti-bark collars, here are 10 bark collars that will help you get some peace and quiet – finally!
10 Best Belly Bands

We are bringing you our list of the 10 best belly bands on the market – they are specifically designed to contain urine in male dogs, and work as a unique form of dog diapers.
Northern Map Turtle

The Northern Map Turtle is also referred to as the Sawback Turtle. They are one of the most difficult turtle species to keep in captivity.
The P.E.T.S. Plan – Four Steps To Divorcing With Pets

Divorce isn’t easy – especially when pets are involved. If both parties want guardianship of the dog, what options do you have? Debra Vey Voda-Ha…
Make Sure Your Pet is Kung Fu Ready With Warrior Samurai Armor

With the constant threat of ninja attacks, what''s a concerned pet parent to do? There''s only one option - outfit your cat or dog in awesome samurai armor!
If Your Dog Eats Fast, Green Interactive Feeder Forces Him to Slow Dow

If your dog eats fast and then starts begging for more food, an innovative product that can help is the Green Interactive Feeder.
Adoptable Dog Of The Week – Chipper

Chipper is a chip off the old block – which makes him a perfect pooch to spotlight as our Adoptable Dog of the Week! He is an adult male Silky Terrier…
Could Music Ease Your Dog’s Separation Anxiety?

Music to soothe the anxious beast… for when your dog is home alone. Research has already shown that classical music is calming for dogs. Now, a Grammy…
5 Spooky Smart Safety Tips For Your Halloween Hound

Keep your dog safe, happy and calm during the spooky festivities this Halloween Halloween will soon be here, and while we know that it’s all in good fu…
5 Cat Hacks to Understand and Treat Cat Hairballs

The sound, the aftermath, the cleanup - cat hairballs are not fun. To minimize the mess, we''ve put together a few cat hacks that''ll help.
Peggy’s Easy Beef Dog Food Recipe

I love when our readers reach out and offer us their own recipes to share with the community. Peggy sent me this one that she makes for her yellow Lab, Samps…
Kickstarter’s PAWD Is The Prettiest Crate You’ll Ever See

This re-envisioned dog crate for pampered pooches is stylish, functional and cozy, and its sleek design ensures it fits right into any modern home.
Jardine’s Parrot

Thanks to their intelligence, fun personality and a great ability to talk and mimic sounds, Jardine''s Parrot is becoming a very popular pet bird breed.