Arthritis cannot be cured; however, many day to day things can be done to help reduce your pets risk of developing and suffering from arthritis.
1. Food: Offering a proper well balanced diet with supplements early on is key, but also remember that it’s never too late to improve your pet’s diet.
2. Weight: Keep your pet lean. Obesity is the number one cause of arthritis. Even as little as an excess of 2-5lbs overtime can lead to your pet developing arthritis.
3. Exercise: Limit repetitive high stress exercises such as fetch and, instead, provide regular lower impact exercises like hiking, a walk on a trail, paddle boarding, walking in water or swimming, and be sure to change it up regularly to keep your pet engaged and to stimulate different muscles. Keep in mind that a bit of exercise a couple times per day is better for dogs than the “weekend warrior” lifestyle.
4. Grooming: Keep your pet’s nails nice and trimmed to ensure a proper stance and gait.
5. Environment: Reduce slippery surfaces in high traffic areas to prevent your dog from slipping when going up stairs, running to the door or getting off the sofa.
6. Bedding: provide a good orthopaedic bed to help support your pet’s joints.
7. Warm up: before letting your dog go off leash, be sure to warm him/her up. Start with a short walk and a few exercises such as sit to stands, walking over obstacles, high five, etc., just to name a few. We all know the importance of a good warm up for ourselves and the same applies to your dog.
8. Massage and stretching: After a busy active day, give yourself time to sit down with your dog and do a bit of massaging and stretching. Even 5min a couple times/week can go a long way.
