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Old Age – Itchy Dog Solutions

Category: Old Age

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Arthritis & Hip Dysplasia Old Age

Stopping Pain & Inflammation Before it Starts 

Under the table

90% of dogs get arthritis, and there’s no cure

September is Arthritis Awareness Month so now is the perfect time to talk about your dog’s joints (that and the fact that my dog just got diagnosed with severe arthritis in her knee so it’s top of mind. Just the diagnosis put me back about $800).

You may be thinking, my dog is fine, I don’t need to read this article but 20% of middle-aged dogs and 90% of senior dogs get arthritis. And because there’s no cure other than surgery, it has to be managed by medication that has side-effects.

How much better would it be if we could stop that pain and inflammation before it starts? 

Well, we can! With nutritional joint supplements.

There are four main advantages to using nutritional supplements to look after your dog’s joints:

1. THEY WORK A recent study in the Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics showed that collagen definitely improved the mobility and comfort level of dogs with arthritis.

2. SLOW IT DOWN Using a nutritional product to support your dog’s joints is proactive. If you give him the right supplement, you can help to slow the deterioration of his cartilage and improve the consistency and cushioning effect of the fluid in his joints. This can prevent joint degeneration before it occurs, rather than treating the damage after the event.

3. SAFETY FIRST! Nutritional supplements are safe. There is virtually no risk that your treatment will do more harm than good. If you can manage your dog’s joint health using supplements, it’s a better long term option for him.

4. THE PRICE IS RIGHT!  Nutritional supplements are MUCH less expensive. If only I had been proactive with my dog RiQui I would have an extra $800 in my bank account and wouldn’t be looking at the possibility of spending another $4000 more on surgery.

Choosing a Nutritional Supplement for Your Dog’s Joints

Whether you shop online or at the pet store, you’ll find quite a range of nutritional joint supplements to choose from. How do you know which one to buy? You need to read the label to check the  ingredient list, and make sure it includes ingredients that have been shown to be effective.

Some of the more common ingredients you’ll see are glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. These have both been proven safe and effective. However, these days there are so many other, even more effective all natural ingredients available. One that I like is Collagen Type II. It encourages the development of new cartilage in your dog’s joints and helps to reduce any further damage. Check out Collagen. It not only has the collagen but also contains two other extremely effective ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid and chondroitin which both promote tissue healing and improve the lubricant effect of his joint fluid as well as herbs like boswellia serrata and devils claw to help with inflammation.

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Anxiety & Nervousness Arthritis & Hip Dysplasia Old Age

Medical Marijuana for Dogs?

Medical Marijuana for Dogs

by Cate Burnettet, RVT

Please Note: This article is not an endorsement for medical marijuana use in pets, and is only intended to provide pet owners with information on a possible new veterinary therapy.

With 20 states enacting laws that allow humans to consume medical marijuana with a doctor’s prescription, the veterinary community is looking into the possible use of the plant in the treatment of various illnesses for pets.

Dr. Douglas Kramer, a small animal veterinarian in California, admits to using marijuana to help his cancer-stricken Siberian Husky. “Nikita was wasting away, and she’d stopped eating,” he recalls in the article. “I’d exhausted every available pharmaceutical pain option, even steroids. At that point, it was a quality of life issue, and I felt like I’d try anything to ease her suffering.”

Dr. Kramer started feeding Nikita a small amount of marijuana daily and he reports that her appetite returned and she seemed to be much less painful during her final months.

Because of his own experience, and the tales from a number of his clinic clients, Dr. Kramer is pushing to bring veterinary medicine into the debate regarding the use of medical marijuana. He believes the evidence is clear that marijuana can be successfully used as an alternative or adjunctive treatment for pain and palliative care in animals. “The veterinary community needs to address the issue, but we don’t want to talk about it, even though it’s clear our clients are giving marijuana to their pets, with good and bad effects,” he says in the JAVMA article.

A recent article in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association provides anecdotal evidence that marijuana may be proving to be effective as an analgesic (pain relieving drug), an appetite stimulant and an anti-nausea medication in dogs with cancer and osteoarthritis.

According to the article, a senior Labrador Retriever-type dog named Miles was diagnosed with advanced splenic cancer and given 2 months to live. His veterinarian prescribed Tramadol to relieve his pain. But, Denise, Miles’ owner, did not like the residual effects of the Tramadol on her dog.

“Every time we gave it to him, he would just sleep; he wouldn’t even move. He’d just lay there like he was dead,” said Denise, who asked that her real name not be used in the article.

When a friend suggested that she give Miles a tincture of marijuana sold as a pet medicine in legal marijuana dispensaries throughout southern California, Denise tried it, thinking it could not be any worse than the drugs he was already taking.

Within an hour of ingesting the medical marijuana, Miles’ appetite was back, he was no longer vomiting and within a couple of wees he was running at the beach and back to his old self. “It couldn’t have been a coincidence,” Denise says in the article.

In the same article, other pet owners have reported similar results when giving their pets medical marijuana for chronic pain. Ernest Misko, who noticed the palliative effects marijuana had for his own back pain, used the same tincture as Denise on his 24-year-old arthritic cat, Borzo. Within a few days, Borzo was walking better and appeared to be pain-free, reports Misko.

Becky Flowers’ 20-year-old Paso Fino horse Phoenix was diagnosed with a degenerative ligament disease that was so painful she eventually could no longer walk and had stopped eating and drinking. None of the conventional veterinary pain medications helped for very long. In desperation, Flowers gave her horse a small amount of marijuana to eat, and, according to Flowers, within an hour Phoenix was up walking, eating and drinking. She continues to feed Phoenix a marijuana-laced butter once a day and says the horse is “doing incredible.”

At this point, however, the AVMA has not come out in support – or rejection – of the medical benefits of marijuana in animals citing a lack of statistical research. Dr. Dawn Boothe, director of the Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology notes that veterinarians shouldn’t discount marijuana’s potential therapeutic effects simply because it is a plant or a controlled substance. Morphine is both, and its effect on humans and animals has been thoroughly studied. Dr. Boothe says that has not happened as yet for marijuana, and owners who give the drug to their pets may be unintentionally putting their animals at risk.

In Colorado, where recreational marijuana use is now legal, veterinarians are seeing a definite increase in the number of pets being brought in to clinics and emergency hospitals suffering from marijuana poisoning after ingesting pot-laced edibles.

An ABC News Report quotes Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald of the VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver as saying that since 2010, the number of poisoning cases seen at the hospital have grown from “roughly two cases a month to one every other day.”

Dilated eyes, drooling, and appearing drunk are all symptoms that your pet might show with an overdose of marijuana. Eaten in high levels, it can lead to seizures. In even higher levels, death has been known to occur.

“There’s no antidote for marijuana,” says Fitzgerald in the report. “The only way we treat is just be supportive, we watch for seizure and measure body temp and then put them on fluids to try and expel it quicker.”

After noticing that some of her animal patients were overdosing on their owners’ attempts to use medical marijuana for pain and nausea, Seattle veterinarian Sarah Brandon has spent the last five years developing a hemp-based product that has many of the same beneficial compounds as pot, but without the THC that causes the problems. Called “Canna-Pet” and sold at $1 a pill, the compounds feature all the natural components of marijuana, without the high.

According to Brandon, the results have been dramatic. “We’ve had a 100 percent positive reaction. We’re seeing cats and dogs experiencing discomfort walking or even moving around significantly improve.”

For dog ownerswho don’t live in areas where medical marijuana is legal, or who are averse to giving pets an unfamiliar drug, you can try an all-natural herbal tonic developed to relax and calm anxious, nervous dogs. With just a few drops of tonic in your dog’s mouth daily, the compound begins to work in about 20 minutes. Used in conjunction with veterinary analgesics, you can help your painful dog unwind enough to allow pain meds to work quickly and more effectively.

For dogs experiencing painful arthritis, hip dysplasia and luxating patellas, you might try an all natural herbal tonic also containing collagen. This mixture can help patients in as little as a couple of weeks.

What do you think? Should veterinarians be allowed to provide medical marijuana to their patients or is it too risky?

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Arthritis & Hip Dysplasia Old Age

Massage Your Canine Senior Citizen

In simple terms, massage is the rubbing and kneading of muscles and soft tissues to relieve tension and pain. It is a well known treatment for people and it’s no surprise to learn that your dog benefits from it too.

There are two main techniques you can use to massage your dog, both of which have French names.

  • The first technique is known as effleurage. This is a long light gliding stroke along the length of a muscle. It encourages blood flow in the area, and helps your dog to relax. It also gives you the opportunity to feel for any areas of muscle tightness that will need more attention.
  • The second technique is called petrissage. This is the firm kneading and rolling that is more typical of a relaxing massage. It has the same effect on your dog’s muscles as it does on yours – improved blood flow and reduced muscle stiffness.
  • Another method of massage that is less commonly used in dogs is tapotement, where you use the sides of your hands or even your cupped hands to tap lightly on his body. This technique is also known as percussion.

What Does Massage Do?

Research has shown that like us, dogs respond to touch in a positive way. Stroking and massaging your own dog will reduce stress, decrease pain and increase flexibility. It increases dopamine and serotonin levels in his brain which makes him feel relaxed and help him sleep.

Massage benefits all dogs, but it is particularly good for elderly animals with arthritis.

When NOT to Massage

There are some circumstances in which you should definitely not massage your dog. If there is an area of active inflammation or even a fracture in a bone, massage will be painful and make his condition worse.

Dogs with bleeding problems should also not be massaged because the firm pressure on his muscles can cause further hemorrhage.

Caring for Elderly Dogs

Massage is a useful way of improving your canine senior citizen’s well being. It will make him physically more comfortable and mentally more relaxed. However it’s not the only thing you can do to care for him.

Other ways you can improve your dog’s quality of life are:

  • Provide a soft warm bed that keeps him off the hard floor. Make sure it is low enough for him to easily get in and out.
  • Keep his weight in check. His joints are more likely to be sore if they have to carry around a few extra pounds.
  • Give him Joint Resolution on a regular basis. It contains collagen, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin to improve joint health and mobility. A carefully selected blend of herbs reduce pain and inflammation, so he’ll feel better very quickly.

Apart from the obvious physical and emotional benefits of massage, don’t discount the positive effects on your relationship. What dog wouldn’t love some quality time with his much loved owner, while he is stroked firmly and his tired body rejuvenated with a massage. That is the absolute best part about spending an hour or so giving your dog a loving massage.

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Old Age

Grooming Your Convalescing Dog

by EcoWellDog– Natural Leaders in Grooming & Wellness

Dogs tend to be quite good at grooming themselves most of the time. But if they are feeling a little under the weather for any reason, or are recovering from surgery, they may not be quite as effective at self-grooming. So they may be relying on your help more than usual at this time.

The good news though, is that grooming doesn’t always have to involve boutique salons and fancy haircuts. On the contrary, most of the essential procedures can actually be done by you at home!

Seven Tips For Grooming Convalescing Dogs

Even if you are accustomed to grooming your dog at home, things need to be done a little differently during the hopefully short time that he is convalescing. Sick or uncomfortable dogs definitely need a little extra TLC:

  • Groom him wherever he feels like laying down – now isn’t the time to try and drag him off to the bathroom.
  • Having a bath may be out of the question until your veterinarian gives the go-ahead. So if his coat needs freshening-up in the meantime, opt for a spray cleanser. Dry Dog Instant Clean is a bath replacement spray is a quick and easy way to bathe convalescing dogs, and its key ingredient binds with, and gets rid of odors. This all-natural product works perfectly on dry skin too – no rinsing necessary.
  • If he has a long coat, pick out some tangles with the edge of a comb first. Then continue with a wide-toothed comb or a soft brush to avoid irritating the skin. Comb out the fur gradually, moving from the outside toward the skin region.
  • If tangles are tough and lie close to the skin, avoid cutting with scissors because you risk cutting the skin itself. Instead, as you comb, use the HappyTails Ruff To Smooth leave-in conditioner as a spot-detangler on dry coats to relax matted, tangled regions.
  • Your dog may be more uncomfortable or tired than usual, so just work in short sessions if he seems low on patience.
  • If he has a surgical skin wound with stitches, be sure to keep the surrounding skin clean and free from stray hair. For these areas, simply use warm water if any daily cleaning is necessary. Avoid using soaps or detergents that may irritate and inflame the wound further, and delay healing. And this is one area that you absolutely want to stop him from grooming himself! Make sure he doesn’t lick at his wound, or this will also delay healing.
  • If you dog has had surgery that affects his walking on one or more leg, his paw pads may start to get rough as your dog is putting pressure on different legs than he is used to. Try some Paw Rub to keep those paw pads moisturized and free from cracks.

So if your dog is convalescing, he will likely need some special care in various areas of his life for a while. In addition to keeping his coat clean and healthy, grooming him is also an important way to maintain the owner-pet relationship bond. And even though making him feel special is probably not something new for you, this is just one of those ways that you can pamper him and remind that you are there for him.

Categories
Itchy Skin & Allergies Old Age Paws Skin Disease

Will a Paw Rub help my dog’s dry cracked paws?

Dogs paws and paw rub With summer drawing to a close and cooler weather coming in you can look forward to taking your best friend for walks in crisper temperatures and even (heaven forbid) a little frost and (gasp) snow!.

The colder weather emerges and so do dry cracked paw pads. Luckily this year you can be armed with information that will help you combat this affliction.

Before we go any further let’s start by saying if you have a dog with pads that are so dry they’re bleeding and raw stop reading right now and get your dog to the vet. You can stop to bandage them, add a little antibiotic cream to prevent infection and use (clean) socks to cover the bandaging. Do not mess around with this! Your dog’s feet come in contact with some pretty nasty items and infection is a distinct possibility.

It goes without saying that you do not want to let things get this bad. This is the best time of the year to nip this in the bud; before the weather gets cold and icy.

Is your dog’s paw licking driving you insane? Get our FREE 13 Page guide: 18 Ways to Stop Paw Licking for Good!

If your dog is starting to exhibit greyness on the paws your first thought may be “how about some hand cream or even better petroleum jelly, that always works for me”. What’s wrong with that?

Well this may be a good time for a pop quiz;

You slather healing cream on your dogs cracked paws, making sure to get between the toes…ah relief…Question; what happens next?

I know you all got the right answer… you are dog owners after all, yes…He licks it off!

Not your dogs fault, he likes to be clean! And licking is his only option (the wet naps need opposable thumbs to operate).

So considering this fact it’s probably better if the creme you use exhibits two key properties.1. It absorbs (and moisturizes) quickly, and 2. it’s perfectly safe to ingest. Both Cain and Able Paw Rub and Happytails BowWow Butter Balm were created with these two properties in mind and it turns out that a single ingredient is perfect in this situation; All natural shea butter. few things absorb as quickly and moisturize as deeply as shea butter, all while being perfectly safe to ingest.

Obviously it’s a good idea to prevent your dog from licking it off (it will heal the pad faster). here’s where a little distraction or a treat will come in handy, or you can always use that pair of socks or even better, booties to make it harder for him to get at his paws.

As winter approaches be careful of salted sidewalks. it’s a good idea to keep a bottle of Dry Dog Instant Clean and a rag by the door. When you return from your walk spry a little on the pads and wipe off all that dry dirty salt before it’s licked off. Not only will this help with dryness and cracking but also many of the chemicals used to melt ice and snow are poisonous to your dog.

With a little forethought and planning the winter months will come and go without incident and both you and your best friend will be ready for the thaw with painless pads and a spring in his step.

Is your Dog’s Paw Licking Driving you insane? Get our Free ebook, click on the book below to download.

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bad breath Dental Hygeine gas & poop Odor/Smell Old Age

A brief introduction to Probiotics

Probiots found in milk

By Candace Leak

Yesterday when I was walking through the grocery store, I noticed that a lot of food manufacturers are touting probiotics and prebiotics, especially in the yogurt section. If you are like me, you probably find it hard to keep up with all of the nutritional information – What’s good? What’s bad? What’s all the hype about? Below is a brief introduction to probiotics.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are live, beneficial bacteria. Everyone has good bacteria living in their body. The idea behind consuming probiotics as part of your diet (or giving to your pet) is based on the theory of competitive exclusion. This theory is that there are not enough resources for both the good and bad bacteria to thrive in your body. So, if you replenish the good bacteria, they will flourish and will out-compete and eventually displace/kill off the bad bacteria. (Learn more about this theory here )

What is the difference between PRObiotics and PREbiotics?

Probiotics are the live organisms. Prebiotics are nutrient fibers that probiotics live on. So, when you take probiotics, you are ingesting live organisms. When you take prebiotics, you are taking nutrients to feed and help the probiotics already in your system to thrive.

What ailments are probiotics supposed to help?

You will most often see probiotics used to optimize digestive health. My vet recommended probiotics when Able had chronic diarrhea. I noticed a HUGE difference. You may also see products that help with wounds as many infections are caused by an over-abundance of bad bacteria.

At Cain & Able Collection, we have a wonderful Oral Hygiene Probiotic designed specifically for your dog. Plaque is bad/non-beneficial bacteria that builds up in the mouth from the foods consumed. The Oral Hygiene pray replenishes the good bacteria in the pet’s mouth, which reduces plaque and prevents tarter. (Tarter is simply dead, calcified bacteria.) An added benefit of reducing plaque and preventing tarter is the prevention of bad breath and neutralization of odors.

Something else to consider…

If you decide that probiotics are going to be part of yours or your pet’s diet, make sure to find probiotics that are produced through a natural fermentation process that utilizes organic and natural ingredients. Look for the words Non-GMO, meaning that the product does NOT contain any genetically modified organisms.

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Old Age

How Long Does a Dog Live?

by EcoWellDog– Natural Leaders of Canine Grooming & Wellness

It goes without saying that we want our dogs to live a long time. And thankfully there are things that we can do to help them live lives that are as long, healthy and happy as possible; however, genetic factors influence lifespan too.

Bruce Fogle, DVM, in his book Caring for Your Dog: The Complete Canine Home Reference, says the median life expectancy of dogs is 12.8 years. But dog life expectancies vary widely by breed.

How Does Genetics Affect A Dog’s Lifespan?

Different breeds have different life expectancies, and as a general guide, the smaller the dog, the longer his lifespan. This is because the bodies of larger dogs  work harder than the bodies of smaller dogs. As a rule of thumb dogs weighing less than 30 lbs tend to live the longest, on average living into their early to mid teenage years  (the rare Mexican breed, the Xoloitzcuintle, has a life span of 15-20 years.) Larger dogs weighing more than 50 lbs live on average 10-12 years, while the giant breeds of dog, such as Irish wolfhounds, tend to live only 6-8 years.

Purebred dogs tend to be more inbred, just as a natural result of the genetics of maintaining purebred lines. And even though reputable breeders strive to only breed the fittest of their dogs, purebred animals still have characteristic health problems that can affect lifespan. Certain breeds suffer high incidences of certain conditions: larger breed dogs, for instance, like German Shepherd Dogs, commonly seem to develop orthopedic problems such as hip dysplasia. Read more about hip dysplasia. And heart problems are not uncommon in certain breeds, such as Great Danes. Cancer is also very common. In fact, about 42% of dogs die of some form of cancer, so before choosing a dog you may want to check out what diseases are most prevalent in each breed.

Mixed breed dogs, on the other hand, don’t suffer all this inbreeding, so tend to be healthier in general and typically live longer. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, and most of us will know of small terrier dogs whose lives were cut short at a young age, while a neighbor’s German Shepherd Dog may have lived to 15 years old.

You Go Girl! Female dogs tend to live longer than males according to Steven N. Austad, PhD, a professor and researcher on aging at the department of cellular and structural biology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

Four Keys To Helping Your Dog To Live As Long As Possible

Optimal nutrition: Feeding him a balanced diet that is formulated specifically for dogs is key – and also one that is best suited for his specific stage of development, since dietary needs are different for puppies and adults. And maintaining him at a healthy weight for his build is also important. Just as in people, obesity is associated with a variety of chronic diseases, and a shorter lifespan. We recommend the food from The Honest Kitchen.

Preventative health care: Regular veterinary care is important, with health checks, vaccinations and dental checks. Vaccinations help to guard against common canine diseases that could be fatal, and regular health and dental checks enable problems to be caught early on, and treated appropriately.

Good quality home care: Believe it or not a good emotional connection with owners can play a role in helping dogs to enjoy a longer life. Dogs that live indoors develop strong, emotional bonds with people who care for him well. They become part of the family and are happier, and healthier overall. Keeping your dog clean is also key to your dog’s happiness and your happiness! A clean dog is not only a healthier dog because he doesn’t have toxins, dirt & debris in his coat, but you are going to be a lot more affectionate with a fresh-smelling dog!

  • Brush your dog regularly-A regular brushing will remove any loose and dead hair from his coat. Not only that, but the action of the brush will remove dander from the surface of his skin, and evenly distribute skin oils through his coat. This can prevent the accumulation of oil and dead cells on your dog’s skin which is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. These secondary infections can be extremely itchy.
  • Regular Dental Care- Getting your dog on a regular at home dental regimen can actually add three years to her life. Learn more.
  • Regular Bathing– You might not realize it, but your dog’s coat acts like a magnet for all kinds of dust, dander, toxins, yeast, bacteria and allergens. A weekly bath is essential for removing these potential hazards; especially if your dog has allergies. These substances can actually CAUSE the allergies.

Minimize the Stress– Stress can affect your dog’s immune system and can make him more likely to fall ill. It’s important that you make sure his life is as stress free as possible. Your dog can’t possibly be stressed, can he? He’s well fed, has a warm bed and someone who loves him. Stress in dogs can be very subtle. For example, a herding breed may be stressed if he can’t expend his energy, or use his brain. Dogs are intelligent animals. Regular exercise and mental stimulation is so important in keeping their stress levels down. Consider obedience training, agility or herding classes to give them something to do with their mind. If you’re concerned about your dog’s stress levels, place a few drops of Sleepytime Tonic on his tongue. It contains Skullcap and Passionflower, both of which reduce anxiety. Its Bach Flower Remedies, particularly Wild Oat, help ease fear and irritability, and reduce boredom-related depression.

Although you can’t help your four-legged friend to live as long as you do, your role as a responsible dog owner will help to ensuring that he lives as long as possible. Thankfully many dogs live longer than expected for their size, but even when we do have to say goodbye to them, at least they continue to live forever in our hearts.

Here is a list of the American Kennel Club’s 20 most popular dog breeds from 2008 and their average life span, according to The World Atlas of Dog Breeds.

  • Labrador retriever — 10 to 14 years
  • Yorkshire terrier — 12 to 15 years
  • German Shepherd dog — 10 to 14 years
  • Golden retriever — 10 to 12 years
  • Beagles — 12 to 14 years
  • Boxers — 11 to 14 years
  • Dachshunds — 12 to 14 years
  • Bulldogs — 10 to 12 years
  • Poodles — 10 to 15 years
  • Shih Tzu — 11 to 15 years
  • Miniature Schnauzers — 15 years or more
  • Chihuahuas — 15 years or more
  • Pomeranians — 13 to 15 years
  • Rottweilers — 10 to 12 years
  • Pugs — 12 to 15 years
  • German shorthaired pointers — 12 to 15 years
  • Boston terriers — about 15 years
  • Doberman Pinschers — 10 to 12 years
  • Shetland Sheepdogs — 12 to 14 years
  • Maltese — 15 years or more
Categories
Arthritis & Hip Dysplasia Old Age

Hip Dysplasia In Dogs

by Nicola Parry, DVM

Hip Dysplasia (HD) is a common, canine orthopedic condition that involves an abnormally formed hip joint. The hip joint is a “ball and socket” type joint, and in healthy animals the ball and socket should fit snugly against each other. In HD, however, the head of the femur (the ball) fits poorly in the acetabulum (the socket). This allows excessive movement to occur in the joint, resulting in inflammation, damage, and subsequent pain.

Although it can affect any dog breed, HD certainly occurs with a much higher frequency in larger breed dogs. Its exact cause is complex – it arises as a result of multiple factors, both hereditary and environmental. Contributing environmental influences are varied, but development of HD can be encouraged by factors such as repeated episodes of joint trauma, or rapid weight gain and growth rate due to excessive food intake.

5 Common Signs Of Hip Dysplasia

  • Lameness
  • Stiffness
  • Swaying hind limb gait
  • Reluctance to jump or climb stairs
  • Difficulty rising after lying down

5 Ways To Manage Hip Dysplasia

  • Weight Management

Your dog should be at an optimum weight to avoid excessive stress on the hip joint. If necessary, your veterinarian can help with a weight loss regime, as well as ensuring that your dog’s overall nutrition is properly balanced.

  • Exercise

Exercise is necessary, but should not be overdone. Lower impact forms, such as walking or swimming, are best. Running, however, should be avoided.

  • Pain Relief

Your veterinarian will help to effectively manage your dog’s pain by prescribing anti-inflammatory medication. However, you may want to try some all natural solutions before you start your dog on pharmaceuticals.

  • Arrest of Joint Damage

Various products, such as nutraceuticals, are available to help break the cycle of damaging changes in the hip joint, and thus slow disease progression. Collagen supplementation has also been shown to reduce pain and lameness in arthritic dogs, improving their overall activity. Joint Resolution is a non-pharmaceutical product that can help improve your dog’s mobility and flexibility. Its natural ingredients can be effective in reducing soreness and stiffness. One of its components is BioCell Collagen II which helps to rebuild new cartilage in damaged joints, and helps to reduce further joint damage.

  • Surgery

Specialized surgical procedures can help in severe cases. Various techniques are used, ranging from rearranging the pelvic bones or femoral head for more efficient joint function, to hip replacement.

If you should suspect that your dog has HD, have him checked immediately – an earlier diagnosis allows for more effective management of the condition. And although you can’t exactly prevent your dog from developing HD, or even cure it if it arises, there are certainly important ways in which you can contribute to effectively manage this complex condition. In this way you can help to keep him pain-free, and slow the progression of the disease and its associated osteoarthritis. Another important fact to remember is to avoid breeding your dog – given the genetic component of this disease, spaying or neutering of affected dogs can at least prevent the disease being passed on.

Nicola Parry is a veterinarian at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is ACVP board-certified and her career has taken her along various paths, including general practice and academia. She enjoys teaching veterinary pathology, as well as writing for the veterinary, medical and scientific worlds. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her oddball cat, Tiddles

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Grooming Old Age

5 Things To Think About When Grooming an Older Dog

Grooming is an important part of any dog’s routine.  But as your dog ages, your role as primary care giver and often time chief groomer becomes even more important than it was when Fido was a pup. Not only does your grooming help to maintain his general hair and coat health, but it gives you a great chance to keep an eye on any skin changes that might need veterinary attention.

5 Things To Think About When Grooming Older Dogs

  • Arthritis

As arthritis sets in, your dog may find it difficult to twist and turn to groom certain places – I know my little old dog had real trouble reaching his hip region as he got older. Some dogs aren’t as keen to stand for long periods of time to be groomed or for nail trimming. Joint stiffness really reduces their natural grooming efficiency, and affects their general wellbeing too. If this sounds like your dog, try using Joint Resolution Its natural ingredients have been shown to be very effective in reducing soreness and stiffness.

  • Lumps and bumps

Skin tumors pop up more frequently as dogs get older, just like in people. Even though many are quite harmless and may not need removing, they can easily be nicked during grooming. My old dog was quite a skin tumor machine in his later years! Occasionally I’d accidentally nick his tumors as I groomed him, causing irritation to the skin and minor bleeding. So a little extra, careful attention might be needed, especially if new tumors tend to pop up occasionally.

  • Long claws

Older dogs tend to need to have their nails trimmed more frequently – as they age, they may not be as active anymore, so their nails likely do not naturally wear down as quickly as before.

  • Dry Skin

As we get older, our skin can change considerably, and the same can happen to our dog too. Some dogs may develop increasingly dry, flaky skin. Try Comfy Dog oatmeal shampoo to combat these changes, leaving your dog’s skin clean and soothed. Follow this up with “Fur Butter”, an ultra-rich deep conditioning treatment that will bring back the sparkle and shine to his coat. And bowWoW Butter Balm is just wonderful for those dry, cracked regions of skin on the nose and footpads.

  • Thin skin

Older skin tends to more fragile in general too, so using a softer brush can certainly help to reduce unnecessary skin irritation.

So don’t forget to pay a little extra grooming attention to your dog as he gets older and finds it tough to get to some of those hard-to-reach places. And let’s not forget that grooming isn’t only essential for its health benefits – just like their owners, many dogs love to be pampered too. So go ahead and spoil your dog!

Categories
Arthritis & Hip Dysplasia Old Age

Is Your Dog Lame?

 

 

by Audrey Harvey, DVM

 

Osteoarthritis is a painful condition of joints that is common in elderly dogs, and those that are overweight.

 

 

How to Diagnose Osteoarthritis

 

The main symptom of osteoarthritis in your dog is lameness. It may be worse in the morning, and after exercise. It may only affect one leg, or your dog may hurt in two or more of his limbs. You may also see behavioral changes; he may be crankier than usual, and he may struggle to jump into the car when you are going on a trip.

 

Your vet will be very suspicious that your dog has osteoarthritis based on the information you give him, and a thorough clinical examination. They will bend and flex each joint, and look for signs of pain and reduced movement. They may also suggest x-rays to get a more accurate idea of how severe your dog’s arthritis is.

 

Treating Osteoarthritis in Dogs

 

It makes sense that preventing dogs from becoming obese in the first place can reduce the occurrence of osteoarthritis. This means that you need to watch your dog’s waistline closely as he grows up, and keep him trim.

 

If your dog is already stiff and sore, it’s not too late to help him to feel better.

 

1. Put him on a diet. Other studies have proven that weight loss in dogs that have already developed osteoarthritis can be very beneficial. 

 

2.  Find a canine physical therapist. One program studied the effect of combining physical therapy with a calorie-controlled diet in dogs that were overweight and who also had osteoarthritis. The results were positive in both the amount of weight the dogs lost and their mobility. A key finding from this particular study was that the physical therapy appeared to result in better outcomes than just restricting the dogs’ diet.

 

3. Keep up your dog’s exercise. How much exercise he can do will depend on his level of pain and how easily he can move around. Take your dog on a gentle walk each day if possible and gradually build up to longer walks over time if he shows he can cope with it. An alternative for dogs that are very lame would be to take them swimming. With the lack of weight bearing down on their joints they could enjoy this form of exercise and be burning up those extra calories at the same time.

 

4. Always have a bottle of Joint Resolution handy, and give your dog a few drops every day. This all-natural treatment contains anti-inflammatory herbs to ease his pain and increase joint mobility. BioCell Collagen II will restore damaged cartilage and improve the consistency of the joint fluid. The result is that your dog will be more comfortable.

 

There’s no need for your dog to suffer from osteoarthritis. Weight management, physical therapy, gentle exercise and Joint Resolution will allow him to enjoy life to the fullest.