Arthritis Archives - Edie MacKenzie

How To Take Care Of A Pet Dog

August 7, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

In deciding to have dogs, you should be able to absorb the fact that having pets means being more responsible. Caring for one’s self is far more different from care for another. If you got a pet to care for, you would realize that you should double your sense of obligation to make sure that your pet will be healthy and safe. Also, being well informed about all the things that concerns your pet is a must. As with dogs, here are some areas and some information that you should know in order to let your dog grow with a healthy and good development:

Health

Health is one major part of living things’ life that is dealt with utmost importance. And this also applies to dogs. To bring your dog’s life to its full quality and extent, you should concentrate on his health above all. Under the health category, there are subcategories that need focus. Here they are:

Diagnosis of illnesses

Giving your dog a regular checkup will give him early diagnosis of any medical illness he is having. For older dogs, arthritis can be an issue. Popular arthritis med is Etodolac 400 mg. If you see any change in your dog’s behavior, bring him to a vet immediately to know what exactly he is experiencing.

Physical exercise

Dogs need physical exercise to make their bones and joints stronger. This can also stop arthritis and can help the dog enjoy a healthy and energetic physical body for the longest time. This is also something that dogs can consider as play time.

Food

Feed your dog healthy foods. Giving your dog junk foods or neglecting to feed him will result to an unhealthy and weak dog. Ask the vet for the best food that suits your dog particularly. Different dog foods taste differently. So try different ones to know which one your dog likes the most.

Training

For pups, coaching will need to start as early as possible. For older dogs, coaching would be tougher. This is why you will need to train your dog as soon as you get him. The program done by dogs on their first weeks will mold their future. So if you teach him obedience and home training as soon as possible, you would encounter fewer difficulties when it comes to his behavior in the future. Read Secrets to Dog Training review to support you in dog coaching.

Play

Fun time is the best time for your dog to have leisure. Give him toys or stroll him around your local community. You can also play with him to develop his believe in to you. Dogs can be a really tender pet as soon as they trust you. They can be protective and loyal. So give your dog ample time for fun and bonding to show him that you care for him as well.

First Aid

You should really be well informed of the first aid techniques in case of emergency circumstances. You should also secure yourself a first aid kit to be stored at home so you would have the things that you would need to have in occasions of emergencies. First aid kit will need to consist of ointments for injuries and common treatment medicines such as aspirin for dogs, etc.

Caring for dogs is not hard as long as you do it wholeheartedly. Just give your dog enough attention and the rest will just come along.

Arthritis Treatment For Canines

July 28, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Dog lovers are constantly skeptical when it arrives to the items they provide their pets. It is really advisable to be quite critical and skeptical in everything you put your dogs into. When it arrives to offering them medication and medicines, it is strongly recommended to bring your dog to a vet to get an advice. You would not want to put our dogs’ lives at threat. Also, performing individual analysis about specific medication you will give to your dogs will help you learn significant details about the probable effects they can provide to your pets. In this post, I will give a brief and uncomplicated discussion about the medicines that are used to deal with dog’s discomfort and inflammation. Hopefully this will help you understand these drugs more so you will be informed properly before giving anything to your dog.

The best pain medication for canine is the one given prescription by a vet. If the pain felt by your dog is associated to an injury, make sure to discuss pain management with your vet. If you suspect that your dog is attacked by arthritis, make sure that you bring him to a vet for a check up. You can get the proper prescription for your dog’s pain frrom there.

Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory-Drugs (NSAIDs). This medication blocks the body from producing inflammatory molecules that produce the swelling and pain. These are usually used for pain that are mild or moderate. NSAID usually work effectively, but they can have side effects that can damage the liver, kidney, and other internal organs. They can also cause interfere with regular blood clotting time. Common example of NSAID is aspirin for dogs.

Other medical treatments for canine arthritis include:

Etodolac 400 mg tablet is a medicine that is also administered to dogs. It is normally used to relieve the discomfort caused by arthritis and any form of joint pains. It is a non-steroidal anti inflammatory drug which inhibits cellular production of substances that cause inflammation.

Deramaxx (deracoxib) are chewable tablets containing an NSAID. Don’t worry that your dog will not like the flavor as they come tasteful to make them alot more palatable. Deramaxx can relieve discomfort and inflammation immediately after surgical procedure or help deal with chronic discomfort caused by osteoarthritis. Dogs normally respond quickly to the medication.

Novox (carprofen) arrives in caplet format and is given following surgical procedure or to deal with osteoarthritis in dogs. This medication can cause stomach upset and may well even lead to an ulcer, so the maker suggests you give the medication with foods.

Rimadyl for dogs (carprofen) is another NSAID to deal with discomfort and inflammation in dogs, available in caplet or chewable tablet. Once again, try to give the medication with foods to decrease stomach upset. If you quit offering the medication, or do not follow dosing instructions, the dog’s discomfort and inflammation may well go back.

These medications cannot cure osteoarthritis, but they are great pain relievers to dogs’ inflammation. As a result, your dog may regain his mobility and joy in life. And when regained your pet’s happiness, you will as well be happy! These medications are usually effective, all that you have to make sure is that you get a vet’s prescription, make sure everything is stated to your vet regarding your dog’s current condition, and you take all necessary precautionary methods.

How To Care For A Senior Canine

July 23, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Taking care of an old dog is far way different when compared to taking care of a puppy or a younger dog. The major reason behind this is associated with the older dogs’ health, as they are more prone to catching diseases or get injured. Due to this fact, you should increase the attention you give your dog as he ages. It is pretty painful for pet owners seeing their dogs suffer from any form of pain triggered by getting old. Because of this, you should prioritize giving your dog the optimum convenience he can get. Here are some factors that needs consideration for senior-dog owners:

Is your dog getting enough physical activities?

If physical activities are important to humans, the same goes with dogs. Deprivation of such will lead to the dog’s body’s regression and poor health. Likewise, physical exercises such as walking and running will not just give the dog a healthier body, it will as well provide enjoyment and fun for dogs in their senior ages.. Try placing yourself in a canine’s feet, apart from walking, what else can you do to enjoy? Pretty much none right? So give your canine enough exercise, for his wellness and for his leisure.

Does your canine show signs of arthritis?

Arthritis is the most common culprit of the pain felt by older dogs. Because of arthritis, a dog could no longer enjoy his usual habits. Mere getting up or moving places can be very painful. If you see that your pet’s usual routine seems very hard for him to follow, or he suddenly became weak and lazy, then he might be attacked by arthritis. In cases like this, bring him to a vet. Remember, a pet owner’s best friend would always be the veterinarian. With the help of a vet, you would get to find out the appropriate medicines for your pet. Common arthritis medicines for dogs would be Etodolac 400 mg, Rimadyl, and many more. Avoid rushing to give your dog any med you discover online. A vet’s prescription is an important thing to give your dog safe medicines. Arthritis is a painful condition for dogs and negligence to deal with it can result to difficulty in curing.

Is your canine getting enough attention and affection?

If you own many dogs, aged and young, always deal with them all equally. Canines can be sensitive and when they get smaller attention, they feel bad. When dogs feel bad, their wellness might get affected. If they lack love and attention they could possibly result to having bad behaviors just to capture your focus. They could possibly likewise lose their appetite in eating, therefore resulting to poor wellness and lifestyle. So give your canine enough love and attention. For your younger canine, reading Secrets to dog training review can help. But with your senior canine, mere caring and continuous attention will be enough.

Having a senior canine is a challenge. In dogs’ senior years, more meds and different maintenance will come as well. This is the time that you say hello to a lot of issues like home treatment medicines such as aspirin for dogs and much more vet checkups due to a lot of random issues such as arthritis. But as a whole, attention and love will turn out to be the basis of your canine’s healthier and longer life.

Hip Dysplasia And Golden Retrievers

October 19, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

The Golden Retrievers Major Health Issue

Hip dysplasia is a poor formation of the hip joints, which is a common growing disease with younger dogs of virtually every breed including Golden Retrievers . With larger breeds, unsteady hip joints are common, although hip dysplasia can be a serious problem that will limit the physical activity of your Golden. Although many Golden Retriever owners don’t realize it, hip dysplasia is something that dogs inherit from their parents, and gets worse with age.

The signs and symptoms of hip dysplasia is nearly impossible to detect with Golden puppies, although it will start to show once the pup has reached the age of nine months. Even though you may take your Golden to the vet to have him looked at, your vet will tell you that you need to wait to see if the symptoms are there, once the Golden Retriever has reached a certain age.

The symptoms and signs of hip dysplasia vary, although the most common include crippling or the inability to walk properly. This disease can get better once the dog gets older though, due to the joints stabilizing, the inflammation going down, and the muscles in the hips getting stronger and more mature. Keep in mind however, that Golden’s who have hip dysplasia when they are younger will more than likely develop arthritis when they get older.

Golden Retrievers that suffer from hip dysplasia aren’t fit for breeding, although they can still live a long and healthy life. There are certain drugs that your vet can prescribe to your dog, which will help him control his weight and help control the disease. These drugs can also cut down on the pain as well, helping your Golden enjoy himself as much as possible.

Some Golden Retrievers that have hip dysplasia won’t begin to show any signs at all until they get a few years old, once the muscles start to wear down and the damage to the hip muscles start to become more noticeable. Although your dog may be active and healthy for most of his puppy years, dysplasia can slow everything down and make your dog look as if he is old and is suffering from the physical attributes of arthritis.

To eliminate the pain of hip dysplasia, there are surgery options available. Golden Retrievers have a high threshold for pain, and won’t normally show any signs of being in pain, even though you know they are. X-rays won’t show any signs of pain, although the limping or slow walking will tell you that your dog is hurting. Golden Retriever’s who have this disease won’t know it – which is why you should help as much as possible.

If you do your part and help your dog seek relief – he will feel better than ever before – although like all Golden Retrievers, he won’t let you know he hurt any at all.

Degenerative Joint Disease

July 7, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Noninfectious osteoarthritis is the most common form of joint disease in senior dogs, a situation not too different from that in humans. The disease is progressive and causes few, if any, noticeable symptoms in the early stages. It is not uncommon for a veterinarian to discover the existence of degenerative joint disease or its predisposing causes during a routine checkup.

Primary arthritis develops from the normal wear and tear of a joint with time and age. While seen occasionally in very old dogs, it is not the commonly observed arthritis that it is in people. The bulk of arthritis in senior dogs are secondary to disorders which happened or started earlier in life.

The following are just a few of the many such disorders:

• Obesity in any breed but especially in the large and giant breeds.

• Mechanical trauma such as falls and jumping mishaps.

• Torn ligaments in any joint but especially the stifle joint in toy or miniature poodles.

• Chronic dislocating patella (slipped knee cap), most common in toy breeds.

• Osteochondritis dissecans, a disease of young dogs.

• Hip dysplasia.

Degenerative Joint Disease In An Aging Dog

June 15, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Noninfectious osteoarthritis is the commonest form of joint disease in the aging dog, a situation not too different from that in humans.

The disease is progressive and causes few, if any, noticeable symptoms in the early stages.

It is not uncommon for a veterinarian to discover the existence of degenerative joint disease or its predisposing causes during a routine checkup even if you don’t have an aging dog.

Primary arthritis develops from the normal wear and tear of a joint with time and age.

While seen occasionally in very old dogs, it is not the commonly observed arthritis that it is in people.

The bulk of aging dog arthritis cases are secondary to disorders which happened or started earlier in life.