Canine Arthritis Treatment
Has your dog been moving slower lately? Does it take your dog longer to get up after a nap? Your dog could have arthritis in their joints. Arthritis affects over 20 percent of the adult dogs in America and is a very common source of pain in dogs.
Canine Arthritis is a degenerative disease of the joints. It is a progressive disease that can affect the quality of your dog’s life. Arthritis can occur in any joint in your dog’s body. It is most often seen in the dog’s hip joints. It can permanently affect the dog’s quality of life.
Certain breeds of dogs are more prone to arthritis. The large and giant breeds tend to suffer from arthritis more than smaller breeds do. Arthritis usually affected dog that are middle aged or older. Dogs that suffer from hip dysplasia may exhibit arthritis in the hip joints at a younger age. Arthritis may also occur in joints that have suffered an injury.
Our dogs can’t tell us what is wrong, so it’s important to observe them carefully.  Some signs that could indicate arthritis are limping, not wanting to sit, not wanting to jump up or play and gaining weight.
Arthritis Treatments
•Diet is a very important component of an arthritis management program. It is very important to feed your dog a high quality food. The dog food should be high in protein to help maintain your dog’s muscle mass. Many people have had success at reducing the symptoms of arthritis by feeding their dogs a raw diet. Wheat can cause inflammation in certain dogs, so it is usually best to avoid foods that contain wheat and wheat by products. Corn and soy can also cause arthritis symptoms to worsen and should also be avoided in the dog’s diet. Also make sure the dog’s treats do not contain wheat, corn or soy. Many dogs with arthritis show marked improvement in symptoms when they are switched to a grain free diet. Mangos, pineapples, celery, ginger and alfalfa can be added to your dog’s food and may help with arthritis symptoms.  Don’t over feed your dog. It is very important to keep your dog at a healthy weight. Any extra weight will add more stress to the dog’s already painful joints.
•Bromelain is an enzyme that is found in pineapples. It is available in a supplement form that can be added to your dog’s diet. It works to help reduce inflammation in your dog’s joints. It works best if given an hour or two before meals.
•Vitamin C will help to prevent further joint damage and deterioration and help to keep the dogs muscles healthy. Vitamin C is available as a powder and can be added to your dog’s food every day. Start slowly with a small dose and build up to 1,000mg to 2,000 mg per day. If the dog gets loose stools, cut back on the Vitamin C for a few days and then gradually increase it once the dog’s stools return to normal
•Hyaluronic acid is another supplement that can provide relief from arthritis pain. Hyaluronic acid is normally present in healthy joints and supplementation with it may help restore levels of the acid in the joints. It can be injected or given as an oral supplement.
•Herbs can help to reduce inflammation in the dog. The best herbs to use are turmeric, curcumin, hawthorn, yucca root, boswellia and nettle leaf. These herbs can be given in a supplement or tincture form.
•Glucosamine and Chondroiton Sulfate along with MSM can help to lubricated and protect your dog’s joints. Numerous studies have been performed on the effects of glucosamine and it has been proven to be effective in relieving the symptoms of arthritis in dogs. Glucosamine can help to relieve symptoms as well as actually protect the joints. Glucosamine may be more effective if it is given on an empty stomach, but your dog will still benefit from it even if it is given with meals. Maganese nay help the glucosamine to be better absorbed by the dog.  Glucosamine is not a fast acting solution and it may take a few weeks before the beneficial effects are noticed.
•Omega fatty acids can work as an anti-inflammatory in the dog’s arthritic joints. The Omega fatty acids also help to lubricate the joints. These fatty acids can also help the dog to lose weight, which will take stress off the arthritic, painful joints.
•Exercise is very important to help control the symptoms of arthritis. Gently exercise helps to maintain muscle mass and does not stress the joints. The exercise should be low impact to avoid further damage to the joints. Walking is a good form of exercise for a dog with arthritis. Dogs should be exercised on a regular basis. Physical therapy can help dogs with arthritis. The therapist will be able to exercise the arthritic joints through a full range of motion. They will also be able to design an exercise program for the owner to follow at home. Your physical therapist may also offer hydrotherapy for your dog.
•Acupuncture has produced noticeable improvements in dogs that suffer from arthritis. It can provide relief from hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, as well as arthritis. Acupuncture can help to bring increased circulation to inflamed arthritic joints. It can also help to relieve muscle spasms and can help to slow cell degeneration in joints.
•Warmth can provide temporary relief from arthritis pain for your dog. Provide a thick blanket or cushion so your dog does not have to lie on a cold hard floor. Heated pet beds or mats are available, but make sure they are placed so that the dog cannot chew the cord. You can also fill a tube sock with rice and microwave it until it is warm and place it on your dog’s sore, stiff joints.
Arthritis can be a painful, debilitating disease, but there are many natural remedies that can offer relief for your pet. Some remedies work better than other for certain pets. Try one thing and if your pet does not get relief from the pain, they move on to another remedy.
Canine Arthritis is a degenerative disease of the joints. It is a progressive disease that can affect the quality of your dog’s life. Arthritis can occur in any joint in your dog’s body. It is most often seen in the dog’s hip joints. It can permanently affect the dog’s quality of life.
Certain breeds of dogs are more prone to arthritis. The large and giant breeds tend to suffer from arthritis more than smaller breeds do. Arthritis usually affected dog that are middle aged or older. Dogs that suffer from hip dysplasia may exhibit arthritis in the hip joints at a younger age. Arthritis may also occur in joints that have suffered an injury.
Our dogs can’t tell us what is wrong, so it’s important to observe them carefully.  Some signs that could indicate arthritis are limping, not wanting to sit, not wanting to jump up or play and gaining weight.
Arthritis Treatments
•Diet is a very important component of an arthritis management program. It is very important to feed your dog a high quality food. The dog food should be high in protein to help maintain your dog’s muscle mass. Many people have had success at reducing the symptoms of arthritis by feeding their dogs a raw diet. Wheat can cause inflammation in certain dogs, so it is usually best to avoid foods that contain wheat and wheat by products. Corn and soy can also cause arthritis symptoms to worsen and should also be avoided in the dog’s diet. Also make sure the dog’s treats do not contain wheat, corn or soy. Many dogs with arthritis show marked improvement in symptoms when they are switched to a grain free diet. Mangos, pineapples, celery, ginger and alfalfa can be added to your dog’s food and may help with arthritis symptoms.  Don’t over feed your dog. It is very important to keep your dog at a healthy weight. Any extra weight will add more stress to the dog’s already painful joints.
•Bromelain is an enzyme that is found in pineapples. It is available in a supplement form that can be added to your dog’s diet. It works to help reduce inflammation in your dog’s joints. It works best if given an hour or two before meals.
•Vitamin C will help to prevent further joint damage and deterioration and help to keep the dogs muscles healthy. Vitamin C is available as a powder and can be added to your dog’s food every day. Start slowly with a small dose and build up to 1,000mg to 2,000 mg per day. If the dog gets loose stools, cut back on the Vitamin C for a few days and then gradually increase it once the dog’s stools return to normal
•Hyaluronic acid is another supplement that can provide relief from arthritis pain. Hyaluronic acid is normally present in healthy joints and supplementation with it may help restore levels of the acid in the joints. It can be injected or given as an oral supplement.
•Herbs can help to reduce inflammation in the dog. The best herbs to use are turmeric, curcumin, hawthorn, yucca root, boswellia and nettle leaf. These herbs can be given in a supplement or tincture form.
•Glucosamine and Chondroiton Sulfate along with MSM can help to lubricated and protect your dog’s joints. Numerous studies have been performed on the effects of glucosamine and it has been proven to be effective in relieving the symptoms of arthritis in dogs. Glucosamine can help to relieve symptoms as well as actually protect the joints. Glucosamine may be more effective if it is given on an empty stomach, but your dog will still benefit from it even if it is given with meals. Maganese nay help the glucosamine to be better absorbed by the dog.  Glucosamine is not a fast acting solution and it may take a few weeks before the beneficial effects are noticed.
•Omega fatty acids can work as an anti-inflammatory in the dog’s arthritic joints. The Omega fatty acids also help to lubricate the joints. These fatty acids can also help the dog to lose weight, which will take stress off the arthritic, painful joints.
•Exercise is very important to help control the symptoms of arthritis. Gently exercise helps to maintain muscle mass and does not stress the joints. The exercise should be low impact to avoid further damage to the joints. Walking is a good form of exercise for a dog with arthritis. Dogs should be exercised on a regular basis. Physical therapy can help dogs with arthritis. The therapist will be able to exercise the arthritic joints through a full range of motion. They will also be able to design an exercise program for the owner to follow at home. Your physical therapist may also offer hydrotherapy for your dog.
•Acupuncture has produced noticeable improvements in dogs that suffer from arthritis. It can provide relief from hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, as well as arthritis. Acupuncture can help to bring increased circulation to inflamed arthritic joints. It can also help to relieve muscle spasms and can help to slow cell degeneration in joints.
•Warmth can provide temporary relief from arthritis pain for your dog. Provide a thick blanket or cushion so your dog does not have to lie on a cold hard floor. Heated pet beds or mats are available, but make sure they are placed so that the dog cannot chew the cord. You can also fill a tube sock with rice and microwave it until it is warm and place it on your dog’s sore, stiff joints.
Arthritis can be a painful, debilitating disease, but there are many natural remedies that can offer relief for your pet. Some remedies work better than other for certain pets. Try one thing and if your pet does not get relief from the pain, they move on to another remedy.
Every dog is not a candidate for stem cell therapy. Stem cell therapy is currently indicated for osteoarthritis and is not considered applicable to other chronic medical or neurological conditions. Dogs with cancer are not good candidates for this treatment. If there is a surgically repairable disease (i.e., ligament tear), we recommend surgery and reserve the use of stem cells for the future. 
If the dog is found to be a good candidate for stem cell therapy, an outpatient “fat harvest†will be scheduled. During the harvest, a small incision is made in either the groin, behind the shoulder blade, or into the abdomen. The dog is discharged from the hospital the same evening and the harvested fat is shipped overnight for processing. Forty-eight hours later, when the stem cells arrive back at AMC, the stem cells are injected into the affected joints while the dog is under sedation. Multiple joints may be injected on the same day and we’ve seen good results in arthritis of the hips, knees and elbows. 
Arthritis is “doctor speak†for inflammation of one or more joints. It can be caused by infections such as Lyme disease or other tick borne organisms. Uncommonly, aberrant responses of the immune system to medications, or unknown factors also causes arthritis in multiple joints at the same time. By far the most common cause of arthritis in dogs is due to injury to the cranial cruciate ligament (the cause of football knee in humans) or as a result of the developmental abnormality known as hip dysplasia. These forms of arthritis are often referred to as osteoarthritis. Most dog owners are aware of the possibility of osteoarthritis in their pets; however, veterinarians are just now beginning to diagnose osteroarthritis in older cats.
Exercise has a dual purpose in the management of arthritis. First, it facilitates weight loss. Overweight pets suffer more from arthritis than pets of an ideal body weight. Second, exercise will strengthen muscles which have become weak due to the inactivity resulting from the pain of arthritis. Your veterinarian may recommend rehabilitation therapy to strengthen muscles around the affected joint to improve function. Never undertake an exercise program in your pet without first consulting with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can check the AMC website for posters which contain examples of exercises for both 
As recently as 10 years ago, there were very few medications on the market to control the pain of arthritis in dogs and cats. Today, there are multiple non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) available by prescription from your veterinarian. These medications are similar to drugs like ibuprofen and piroxicam for the treatment of arthritis in humans. These have been developed specifically for pets and overcome the toxicity problems with administering human arthritis medications to dogs and cats. These products are available as tablets, chewable pills, liquids and injections to meet the needs of every pet. Pet owners should never administer human arthritis medications to their pet as they can be toxic and result in serious life-threatening illness.
The newest treatment for arthritis in dogs is stem cell therapy. Your dog’s own stem cells are harvested from surgically collected fat. The tissue is specially processed to allow the stem cells to be injected back into your dog. Our next blog will feature information from Dr. Pamela Schwartz, AMC veterinary surgeon, who will discuss her experience with stem cell therapy for arthritis.