When your dog is a true member of the family you start to know her moods, her behaviors and even the nuances in her bark. Hopefully, you are also familiar with physical attributes such that you could quickly spot a change due to dog joint pain. While it's true that your older dog will not be as peppy as she was during those early puppy years, it is not the case that limping and avoidance are normal parts of aging. Here are some pretty clarion signs of abnormal dog joint pain.
* Your dog moves awkwardly
* She has trouble getting up from a lying down position
* Swollen joints
* She avoids climbing stairs
* She doesn't enjoy being petted
* She exhibits a sour change in mood
There are several possible explanations for why your dog may be experiencing pain in her joints.

1. Ligament problems
Ligaments are the connective tissues between bones at the joints. If your dog's ligaments are breaking down with age she will be experiencing joint pain and other symptoms of arthritis.

2. Dysplasia
Dysplasia can occur in the hip or the elbow joint. It is a genetic condition wherein the hip or elbow joints fail to form correctly. Because of this, the joints do not function properly and the dog experiences painful swelling and arthritic discomfort.

3. Von Willebrand's disease
This is a hemophilia disorder which produces significant bleeding inside the joints and leads to definite joint pain and swelling.

How You Can Help
If you notice symptoms of dog joint pain be sure to talk with your pet's veterinarian. You can't get away from genetically inherited problems like dysplasia, but you can minimize the potential discomfort of joint problems inherited or otherwise. Managing your dog's weight through regular exercise is one of the best ways to make sure your dog doesn't experience one unnecessary moment of joint pain. If dysplasia or arthritis makes exercise unpleasant, consider taking your dog for a swim. This is exercise with no stress placed on the joints.

Another help is to provide your dog with a quality joint supplement. Products like FLEX Rx?are supplements with proven results in helping dogs with painful joint conditions. They can give dogs even with treatment-resistant joint discomfort improved flexibility and pain relief.