Arthritis and your pet
What is arthritis?
Arthritis is a degenerative disease that causes the cartilage in joints to wear away, which may result in pain and inflammation.
Signs of arthritis?
- Stiffness and/or limping after resting
- Trouble or reluctance to go up or down stairs
- Slowing down on walks
- Excessive licking or chewing at a joint
- Change in behaviour
Causes of arthritis
There are many different causes for arthritis including: injury, age, weight, breed and disease.
Treatment for arthritis
Arthritis isn’t always preventable but there are things you can do for your pet to help ease their pain and discomfort.
Keeping your pet at a healthy weight will help reduce pressure on their joints.
Regular gentle exercise will keep your pet moving eg, walking or swimming.
There are foods specifically aimed at providing your pet with additional vitamins and minerals to help reduce inflammation and ease pain.
Ensuring your pet has a warm, dry and comfortable place to live is important. A comfortable well padded bed will help protect sore joints.
There are a variety of medications to help your pet. Injections are available to help slow the progress of arthritis as well as anti-inflammatory and pain relieving treatments to help keep them comfortable.
