Signs Your Dog has Joint Problems
The signs that your dog is suffering from painful or weak joints are common across the board. Notice your dog movements will determine that your dog is suffering from joint issues.
- Having Difficulty Standing.
- On and Off limping
- Refusal to Jump
- Refusal to Run and Fetch
- Refusal to Play
- Joint Swellings
- Stiffness
- Awkward Movements
- Excessive Laying
Remember that you are no vet. So if your dog exhibits multiple signs from the list above, it could be any other underlining issue which your vet will properly diagnose.
- Hip Dysplasia and other developmental problems: Hip dysplasia and similar conditions like elbow dysplasia are developmental, genetically inherited conditions. They occur when the joints do not grow properly and become dysfunctional, causing arthritic pain and discomfort.
- Cruciate ligament problems: Cruciate ligament problems are among the most common dog arthritis problems. They involve the wear and degeneration of a dog’s ligaments as he gets older, leading to arthritis and joint pain.
- Metabolic disease: Von Willebrand’s disease, a type of hemophilia, can cause excess bleeding in the joints, which may lead to arthritis-like symptoms.
- Other diseases: Many other diseases can cause arthritis or similar joint pain in dogs. These include obesity, Lyme disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and hyperparathyroidism. Your veterinarian should be consulted if you suspect that your pet may have any of these diseases.
Once you ascertain that you dog is in need of medication for the joints you should begin looking t what are your best options. Remember, not all medicine has to come from the vet and there are many natural holistic joint medications available that can help with your dog's joints. The best joint medicine must contain the right natural formulas capable of targeting all joint areas and not just a specific dog joint which is experiencing ailment. The joint medicine must target all key moving areas of the dog:
- Shoulder
- Hock
- Elbow
- Knee
- Hip