It is wintertime and now is the time that we see the symptoms of osteoarthritis joint disease in our pets the most often. Just as with humans, arthritis is more noticeable in the cold weather than in warmer weather. This is probably because the muscles become more tense in the wintertime due to the cold and this causes more strain and stress on the diseased joints of the animals.
We have been supplying our dogs with liquid glucosamine for quite a number of years now and are quite happy with the results. We usually begin offering doses of the supplement to our dogs even before they exhibit the symptoms of arthritis. Although there is no cure for osteoarthritis joint disease in canines, the glucosamine benefits can greatly reduce the symptoms and provide a better quality of life for the animals as they age.
Not all pets suffer from this disease in the same ways. Many smaller animals exhibit few if any symptoms of osteoarthritis in their later years of life. However, larger breed dogs often begin showing signs of the disease's onset during their middle years of life. As a pet owner, it is important that you recognize the symptoms for the beginning of this disease which may attack your four-legged friends.
One of the first things you may notice in a dog during the onset of canine arthritis is that he or she will have difficulty negotiating steps or stairs. They often become more tentative and reluctant especially while descending the steps. It may seem contrary to logic, but the animals with diseased joints have an easier time traveling up the steps compared to going down. This is probably because there is added stress due to gravity on the joints as the downward steps are taken.
Another sure sign the animal may be having difficulty with their joints is that they have problems arising from a lying position. Some dogs may even exhibit difficulty in lowering themselves to lie down. Although animals do not exhibit and express pain as humans do, you may hear them making some very low muffled grunting or whimpering sounds as they try to lie down or as they descend steps.
If you believe your animal may be suffering from dog arthritis, it is very important that you take him or her to the veterinarian for a complete diagnosis. If the vet determines that arthritis is present in the animal, they will offer several alternatives of treatment options. Unfortunately, many of them still today will propose giving the animal prescription medications. Although these medications can be highly effective in eliminating and masking the pain and offering the dog immediate comfort, many of them also can cause extreme side effects in the animals. In fact, there have been many reported deaths of animals due to these prescribed medications for dog osteoarthritis.
When the disease is first diagnosed, usually the symptoms are not that severe that would require more radical approaches such as using the prescription drugs. Hopefully, the veterinarian will suggest using an all-natural product like glucosamine for dogs which provides the animal a long-term and safe alternative for coping with the disease
Glucosamine for dogs is completely natural and virtually without side effects. Compared to the prescribed medications the veterinarian may suggest, glucosamine does not offer immediate relief from the pain and suffering of the joint disease. It may take several months of daily dosages of the supplement product before any noticeable benefits are observed in the animal. The reason for this is that glucosamine, although it is not immediately reduce the pain, offers the body the building blocks required to rebuild and regenerate the damaged joint tissues caused by the disease.
Although there is no cure for arthritis in either humans or pets, liquid glucosamine is one of the best alternatives for treating the disease without risking any severe side effects. It is important to remember that once arthritis is contracted by the animal, it will face the disease for the rest of its life and glucosamine supplementation will need to be an ongoing daily ritual for the dog.
