Older dogs are susceptible to arthritis but of course that beauty wont be able to explain to you that they have arthritis and many dog owners fail to catch that their dogs have arthritis and typically go untreated and start to see their dogs sad or in pain. Best practice would be to know the symptoms and prevention.

Prevention and monitoring your families dog health in regards to arthritis can avoid the need for surgeries and meds for treating your dogs arthritis and we wouldn’t want to see our doggies sad now would we?

Management of Dog and Puppy Weight

Your first step in preventing arthritis in our dog’s is weight management. If your dog is overweight dog it is prone to developing the painful arthritis. Please ask your vet for the recommended weight for the dog breed you own. There are many things you can do as well as reduce the amount of doggie treats your give your dogs and as well as daily exercise.

Exercise

Vital to your dogs overall health is exercise and it will is also play a crucial part in preventing your dogs arthritis. Have your dog perform exercises that promote muscle building and a good range of motion. Some of the best exercises for your pet are slow jogging, walking on treadmills and swimming. Minimize jumping exercises such as playing Frisbee because these exercises are very hard on your dog’s joints and may cause him to develop joint pain. Make sure that your dog gets plenty of exercise daily.

Physical Therapy and Massage

Physical therapy and massage are good for preventing arthritis in dogs and they also help relieve the joint pain. Your veterinarian or other veterinary staff can teach you how to perform some massages and physical therapy on your dog. Physical therapy and massage help relax your dog’s stiff muscles and help promote a good range of motion for your dog’s joints. If your pet already has arthritis, then his joints are already painful so you should start your massage slowly in order to build trust. Begin by petting the affected area and then slowly start kneading the muscles around his joints using your fingertips.

Additional Reading: Dog Aspirin: Giving Aspirins To Dogs For Pain and Arthritis Relief