Practice News
Winter aches and painsWednesday 23rd January, 2008
Winter aches and pains
We all feel a little slower and stiffer at this time of year but many pets that show signs of slowing up or are reluctant to exercise are thought to just be "getting on a bit". This assumption is a dnagerous one to make as the chances are your pet may be suffering from a chronic painfull condition that is very simple to manage and can greatly improve their quality of life and longevity.
does your pet appear stiff and slow to get going first thing in the morning or at the start of their walk which then improves as he warms up ? have you noticed a limp or them licking over a joint perhaps? If any of this sounds familiar they may well be showing signs of arthritis -a painful inflammatory condition affecting the joints.
healthy joints are smooth bone covered in cartilage with a lubricating "synovial" fluid helping them run smoothly. A lifetime of wear and tear, poor conformation or after an injury can lead to thinning and cracking of the catilage, erosion and proliferation of the smooth bone and thickenning of of the joint capsule. This results is a stiff ,swollen grating joint which will progressively deteriorate over time.
The earlier these signs are picked up the more can be done to slow the disease progression. Large breed dogs especially labradors and german shepherds suffer most but and breed of dog and indeed cats can develop the condition. Excess weight will speed up the degenerative process that bit quicker so the first step in management is always weight loss where appropriate -your vet practice can help you here through a free weight loss clinic usually run by the nurses.
Exercise regimes should be modified to encourage regular short walks rather than the 3hour hike at weekends and nothing inbetween. Most people will be familiar with joint supplements such as "glucosamine/chondroitin" or cod liver oils. Human forms of this can be used in pets but they tend not to be well absorbed or utilised so it is best to ask at you vet for an animal specific form of these supplements which can usually be supplied without prescription. "Hills" pet food company produce a prescription diet called "J/D" (joint-diet) which is a very well balanced food and has had marked success in easing aches in pains within a few weeks of commencing it. Hydrotherapy -swimming against jets is excellent at building up muscle without wear and tear on the joint and this improves mobility greatly -we are lucky to have many good facilities in our area. Some cases will also show a good response to acupuncture.
When arthritic pets become more advanced they will need antiinflammatory pain killers to keep them comfortable and pain free -the response to these medications is usually excellent and on the whole they are very well tolerated. Your vet will need to see your pet regularly whilst on these medications to ensure the drugs and dosage is appropriate and no adverse side effects are being experienced.
So dont just put your pets slowing up to the ageing process , chances are you could easily give them a new lease of life !
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