In almost all cases, as a canine gets older, he or she will experience the pain and discomfort of dog arthritis to some extent. One of the first indications pet owners may encounter when their dogs develop symptoms will be slight limping and trouble negotiating steps and stairs.
As a pet owner, if you believe your pet may be showing signs of canine osteoarthritis, you should take him to the veterinarian right away for a complete diagnosis. Although there is no cure for this painful and often times debilitating joint disease, there are treatment options using supplements, prescribed medications, and changes in lifestyle that can improve your dog's quality of life in his later years.
In the past, many veterinarians often suggested using prescribed drugs to combat the disease. Although these medicines often worked very well in relieving the pain and soreness the dog was experiencing, they also oftentimes had severe side effects associated with their use. In fact, many of these drugs have caused the death in some animals due to complications following their use.
Today however, more and more vets are suggesting that pet owners began a supplementation process with their animal suffering from joint arthritis which includes the all-natural liquid glucosamine. This product is completely natural and entirely safe for your pet and has virtually no side effects associated with it use. It's created using all-natural resources and many times has no added ingredients that may harm the pet.
Of course the downside for using glucosamine for treating dog arthritis is the fact that it is far slower acting than the prescription medications. However, instead of simply hiding and getting rid of the pain temporarily, the glucosamine MSM actually acts to assist the dog in rebuilding and regenerating the damaged tissues within the joints themselves. The pain experienced by arthritis is caused by the degeneration of those cartilage tissues in the joint which thus allow the bones to rub together and cause pain.
Glucosamine is a necessary building block of this cartilage tissue that the body uses naturally to rebuild and repair damage. The supplementation process with glucosamine simply supplies the animal with more of the product he or she needs to repair the damaged areas caused by osteoarthritis.
It's important for pet owners to understand that glucosamine supplementation will show no immediate signs of benefit to the animal. In fact, it might take several weeks or even several months before any benefits whatsoever are experienced by the arthritic dog. It's vital the dog owner does not give up on the process and continue the supplementation process for at least several months to determine if in fact the glucosamine is a viable option for treating the joint disease.
Besides supplements and medications, a pet owner must also realize that the dogs lifestyle can play an important part in how much he suffers from the arthritis disease. The main area of concern is the fact that overweight animals are adding more stress and strain to their already diseased joints. It's important for a dog to get enough exercise and/or have a balanced and minimal diet to ensure there is no extra weight being carried. It may be difficult to put your older dog on a diet in order to have him or her lose weight, but it's very important for their overall health and well-being.
