How Long Can a Dog Live with Arthritis?
Arthritis can affect both young and senior dogs. A dog whose arthritis is well-managed can live a long and healthy life. The length of time a dog can live with arthritis is largely determined by the quality of care it receives. The following measures can help extend the life of an arthritic dog; weight and diet management, lifestyle and comfort, exercise, and supplements. You should always consult a veterinarian before proceeding to exercise these measures since some of them will need an experienced person.
What is Arthritis and How Does It Affect Your Dog’s Life?
Arthritis is a degenerative disease that causes the inflammation of your dog’s joints. It affects the joints of the dog and makes it hard for the dog to perform some otherwise simple activities such as playing, walking, running, or jumping.
In a healthy dog, at the point where bones connect they are covered with a thin layer of cartilage. This thin layer is lubricated by a fluid that eliminates friction and makes it easy for them to glide.
In dogs suffering from arthritis this cartilage is damaged, meaning that the joints produce friction when there is a movement.
Consequently, the dog will experience pain and discomfort every time it tries to move, due to friction new bone will form to replace ones that are worn out by friction. This results in stiffer joints that limit mobility.
Arthritis is most common among senior dogs especially due to wear and tear of the bones around the joints.
However, arthritis can also affect younger dogs as well. In younger dogs arthritis is caused by bone or joint development problems.
In younger dogs arthritis is normally as a result of
In young dogs arthritis can also develop after an infection such as lyme disease or tick-borne disease. However, arthritis resulting from this cause is rare as compared to the above name causes.
Either way whether your dog has suffered from arthritis from a young or old age, following these measures discussed below will help prolong its life.
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Symptoms of arthritis often develop slowly which means it can be difficult to know when to seek help. Get in touch with your vet if you notice any of the symptoms listed above.
Older dogs benefit from regular check-ups so your vet can pick up any early signs of arthritis.
You know your dog best. If you are still concerned, contact your vet.
Arthritis is a long-term condition that needs life-long management. Arthritis slowly worsens over time, but if well managed, most dogs can live happily for many years after diagnosis.
Let your vet know if you think your dog’s pain isn’t well controlled or you see symptoms returning. There are lots of different pain relief and anti-inflammatory medicines. If one isn’t working your vet may suggest swapping to a different medication or adding a new one.
Later in life, severe arthritis might stop responding to treatment. If your dog is in pain or very uncomfortable even with medication, you may need to consider making the very difficult decision to put them to sleep. The right time will vary for everyone but the important thing is to think about whether your dog still has a good quality of life.
There are several things you can do to help reduce the chance of your dog developing arthritis:
Treatment for arthritis can become expensive. Think about insuring your dog as soon as you get them, before any signs of illness start, so you have all the support you need to care for them.
It’s also very important to speak openly to your vet about your finances, the cost of treatment, as well as what you think is right for your dog. There are often several treatment options so if one doesn’t work for you and your pet then your vet may be able to offer another.
How to tell if your dog has arthritis
There are numerous treatment options available for arthritis in dogs, including joint supplements and anti-inflammatories. In this article, we’ll discuss:
Our pets are our best friends, and seeing them struggle can make us feel helpless. If you suspect that your dog or cat is suffering from arthritis, there are certain things you can do to improve their quality of life.
It’s important to understand exactly what arthritis is. The condition is caused by the cartilage between your dog’s joints breaking down.
This material serves to protect the ends of the bones, so its deterioration may cause the joints to swell and become stiff and painful.
Arthritis is the most common in older dogs – 65% of dogs over 7 years old will develop it – but it can affect much younger dogs too.
Animal health and wellbeing is the biggest motivation of the team at Physio-Vet. For this reason, we’ve created this guide to arthritis in dogs to help improve the health and happiness of all furry friends affected by this condition.