The weather is getting colder outside. Old dogs don't handle the cold weather as they did when they were young. Older canines have arthritis to some extent and the cold temperatures really can aggravate the painful joint disease. Temperatures in the forties and fifties are not so bad, but when the temps drop down into the thirties it's time to move the older dogs inside.
We have dogs of all ages. The very old dogs get to sleep in the house. The middle aged dogs usually sleep in a garage area we have where the temperatures never get below freezing. We have numerous blankets and dog beds in there for them. They seem to do very well and remain comfortable in there where it is cool, but with no wind.
The cold temperatures always remind me of when we took our dog Storm to the mountains one time in the summer. It was very hot here when we left but in the mountains it was quite cool. We got up the first morning from camping out. We heard a strange and quite loud noise. We turned around and saw Storm standing there shaking and his teeth were chattering together quite loudly; it was a site we will never forget.
That is just a reminder of how dogs, especially the older ones, do feel the cold and show the effects from it. Be sure to give your senior dogs a warm and cozy place for sleeping!
Many animal lovers will at some point have to deal with the disease called pet arthritis. For this article we will deal with the osteoarthritis version of this joint problem. Pet arthritis of this form is quite common in older dogs and cats as it is in humans. In fact, the arthritis found in pets is exactly the same type of disease as arthritis in humans is.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that attacks the joints. The problem occurs when the cartilage within the joints begins to degenerate. The purpose of the tissue is to lubricate the joint and prevent the ends of the ball and socket bones from rubbing together. When the bones are allowed to rub together, pain occurs. This is because the living bone tissue contains nerves.
Dog arthritis is a painful condition because of the bones rubbing together. The further the disease progresses, the more the joint tissue thins and allows more rubbing together of the bones. If the tissue could be rejuvenated, so to speak, the symptoms of pet arthritis could be eased; the animal will suffer less pain from the joint disease.
Veterinarians may suggest several courses of action to combat the painful and debilitating disease. One option is to begin the pet on a prescription medication that will ease the pain and stiffness caused by the disease. Although these arthritis medicines can in fact ease the symptoms of the disease, their can also be significant complications. There is even a significantly high rate of death occurring in pets taking these prescribed drugs.
Hopefully, the vet will discuss the usage of a natural supplement such as glucosamine. Research has shown that liquid glucosamine can dramatically ease the symptoms of pet arthritis. Although this natural supplement does not have immediate effects on the animal suffering from osteoarthritis, it can actually help rebuild the damaged tissue caused by the disease.
Since glucosamine does not mask the pain or symptoms, pet owners must understand that it can take several months of daily doses before any benefits can be experienced by the dog or cat. Although glucosamine does not benefit every pet who tries it, the success rate is high enough that it should be at least tried before other medicines are prescribed to treat the pet arthritis.
