December 27, 2007

When Arthritis Attacks Your Dog

As a dog begins to age or suffers constant stiffness or has a disability, watching their arthritic decline is heart wrenching. This disease progresses at a slow pace, beginning with a discomfort that is hard to pinpoint. The worst cases turn into an animal not being able to stand, walk about, or even eat their meals. There are many forms that arthritis comes in with different underlying causes. When it comes to cats and dogs, arthritis can strike any breed or age.
While humans seem to commonly experience arthritis through autoimmune rheumatism, dogs too suffer from this condition. Lyme disease and primary cartilage degeneration in young dogs are other common causes, joined by one of the most striking - degenerative osteoarthritis. As animals get older, their bony joints don0t move as smoothly, causing bony spurs to emerge, which work towards alleviating affected joints. It is the unstable joints and bony proliferations that cause pain in an animal as they attempt to move.
When arthritis attacks, your pet is usually unable to express this pain. Older dogs and cats do not moan and groan about achy joints. Sometimes, displaying difficulty getting up and down is a sign. If they have problems climbing stairs, […]