ANIMAL CONNECTION

As the winter season settles in, the chill of the cold air often make us more aware of our joint health problems- the same goes for your pet.  Though commonly bothersome in the winter, joint discomfort can be a year round-pain that affects your pet’s quality of life.

Many of us will take aspirin, ibuprofen or Tylenol but you should NEVER GIVE THESE TO YOUR PETS.  Over-the-counter pain remedies are hard on animals stomach and intestines and can be fatal to cats and ferrets.  If you think the problem is serious enough for you to consider a pain reliever, it is serious enough to take your pet to your veterinarian.

Joints are areas where bones come together. They are a combination of bone, ligaments, cartilage, and the joint capsule and fluid. If anything damages the cartilage or another structure in the joint then arthritis or deterioration results.

There is no cure for arthritis. Symptoms can be treated, but arthritis is often progressive and gets worse with time.  There are ways to prevent or postpone the onset of your pet’s joint problems, as well as your own.

With weight control and proper diet you can possibly prevent or reduce joint issues.  It is very important that you consider the ingredients in the food you are giving to your animals because the food affects your pets’ joint growth and health.  Keeping your pet slim and trim is important in maintaining your pet’s health. Muscle mass can be controlled by moderate, low –impact exercise like swimming and walking.

Large dog breeds such as German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers and Irish setters are especially susceptible to joint health problems, like hip dysplasia.

Dietary supplements that you take, such as glucosamine and Omega 3 fatty acids, can also help ease your pet’s joint pain.  There is research to show that the dietary supplement glucosamine, which is an important dietary adjunct that supports joint health, increases mobility and decreases pain.  It is not a cure but seems to slow down progression of joint health problems.  Omega 3 fatty acids can also help ease joint pain by reducing inflammation, which happens when joints rub together.  Your veterinarian should be consulted to be sure you are giving the correct dose.

If your pet has more severe joint problems, and more drastic medical attention is needed, there are a variety of treatment options available.

Hip joints that have arthritis can be replaced surgically, like in humans.  There is also pain management with medications such as nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs, joint supplements, and physical rehabilitation.

Always consult your veterinarian regarding food, exercise, supplements and drugs.

Here are a few conditions you might see in your animal…..

Hip & Elbow Dysplasia:

Dysplasia is basically another word for arthritis.  It is a genetically inherited issue that affects mid to large breeds. There can be arthritis symptoms, bone chips and malformed joints.  Most dogs will limp.  Many cats get this as well, especially Maine Coon, Persians, and Chartreux.

Pain in pets that is associated with their elbows tends to be serious.  This is mostly seen in young dogs where there are fragments of bone in the elbow joint.  These are serious conditions that will become worse if they are left untreated.  They can be treated medically with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines for a number of years or immediate attempts can be made to repair the joints surgically. Surgery offers the only hope of slowing or stopping the slow destruction of the joint

These are not conditions that pet owners can diagnose or treat themselves. Specialized x-rays and knowledge are required to detect them.

Arthritis:

Nearly all pets, like nearly all people, develop some degree of arthritis as they age. It is common to see arthritis in dogs over 8, cats over 12 and ferrets over 7. Pets that are unusually large, and those that do not stand vertically on their legs (Bulldogs), are more at risk of developing problems earlier. Signs of arthritis are usually visible on x-rays long before you notice them in you pet. The severity of the damage your veterinarian sees on x-rays may not reflect the amount of pain your pet experiences. Some pets with horrible x-rays do not seem to be in pain and vice versa.

If your pet suffered an injury to a leg joint earlier in life, arthritis may develop in that limb years later. For example, in racing greyhounds, left legs suffer more than right because those legs take a lot of pounding as the dog runs counter-clockwise on the track.

There are things you can do to delay the onset off arthritic pain:

1. Do not allow your pet’s toenails to overgrow.

2. Do not over feed growing pets or allow them to get over weight – their body weight can increase faster than the strength of their bones. This can cause the bones to bow, placing the weight improperly on the joints and cause early arthritis.

3. A moderate amount of daily exercise, like taking walks with your pets will also delay arthritis.

4. Hot tubs, whirlpools and swimming are great for pets that already suffer from arthritis and all the suggestions that apply to people with arthritis, apply to pets as well.

Overgrown or overly short toenails:

These cause limping. Overly long nails are a particular problem in older, less active pets. When these nails break off, they expose the sensitive quick. They quickly become infected and very painful. These nails need to be cut off straight and cauterized in order for them to heal properly. This is a painful procedure. It should be done, professionally, under mild anesthesia.

Very active dogs and dogs housed on concrete will wear their toenails down to the quick. With time, the quick on these nails recede. Once the nails no longer bare weight, they will become pain free.

When your pet’s nails are allowed to overgrow, they twist the joints of the foot that lead to arthritis and pain. Severely overgrown nails need to be clipped off short and cauterized by your veterinarian under a mild anesthetic. Antibiotics are rarely required.

Pets with rear leg pain often carry those legs farther forward than normal. Pets with front leg pain are often reluctant to move. When pets favor a leg over time, the toenails on that limb tend to be longer than on the others.

Limping pets are some of the most frequent visitors to veterinary hospitals. Sometimes an initial physical examination by your veterinarian identifies the cause – but often the cause is not immediately evident.

As you can see, humans and animals have a lot of the same conditions.  If all of us ate better, took supplements and exercised regularly, we would live better, longer, healthier lives.

We look forward to your comments and stories.

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