As our pets age, they may suffer from arthritis. It can be a painful condition and is usually noticeable as a stiff gait first thing in the morning (often worse in cold weather), which improves with exercise or movement. Arthritis is generally a progressive condition, but we can do a great deal to slow the course of the disease and make your pet a lot more comfortable for the rest of his/her days.
It’s very important to keep your pet’s weight under control. Carrying around extra baggage is a huge burden on the joints and lightening their load will help them to function better and reduce their pain.
Ensuring your pet eats good quality food is an important part of supporting their general health and wellbeing. Supplementing their diet with optimal amounts of high-quality omega 3 fatty acids, which are natural anti-inflammatories, helps them to maintain a good weight and support joint function. Just making this change can make a noticeable difference for many animals.
Next on the list and clinically proven to help are chondroprotective (joint protecting) agents called polysulphated glucosaminoglycans (P-Gags) like glucosamine. These are naturally occurring substances found in green-lipped mussels (certain extracts also have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects) and other sources. There is also an injectable form of P-Gags that can be used alone or in conjunction with the above; it too can work wonders.
Proanthocyanidins and other herbs and plant extracts, such as ginger, celery, boswelia, garlic (one medium-sized clove per 25 kg), Epitalis, artemisia and turmeric, can also be valuable therapeutic aids.
Massage of the tight muscles trying to compensate for the pain is very helpful as these are frequently tired and sore. Gentle massage is loved by most animals and helps to stimulate circulation.
Gentle, low impact exercise, such as swimming (hydrotherapy) or walks on the beach, is important to help keep the supporting muscles strong and contribute to general well-being. Manage your pet’s environment to keep obstacles like dog/cat doors, stairs and heights to a minimum and provide warm and comfortable bedding.
In addition to all of these are options including homeopathy, herbal medicine, acupuncture, NIS, magnetic therapies, hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Stem Cell Therapy, as well as musculo-skeletal therapies, such as chiropractics, osteopathy and Bowen therapy, which can also be very valuable aids. For optimal results these are best used by an experienced practitioner working in conjunction with your vet to tailor a program to suit your animal’s needs.
When none of these changes are making enough of a difference, we make use of painkillers, such as Non-Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and others, which may occasionally have side effects, but can be invaluable to ease pain.
With a comprehensive treatment plan, a great deal of quality can be added to your pet’s life.
HOLISTIC VETS
Integrating conventional veterinary medicine and surgery with alternative therapies to regain and sustain long-term optimal health for our patients.
holisticvets.co.nz
Dr Liza Schneider is now on YouTube – Doctor Liza – Holistic Vet
