Older dogs can become arthritic just as humans can, and canine arthritis can put a real damper on the quality of your dog's life. This condition is a degenerative joint disease for which there is no cure, but there are things that you can do to ease the pain for your pet.
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Identification
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As your dog's arthritic pain increases, which it will over time and especially when the weather is cold and damp, he will be stiffer in the morning and not as ambulatory as he once was, according to Swiftwaterfarms.com. He may start to sleep more and his appetite may decrease. Your dog may have trouble running and climbing stairs, and he may be reluctant to get up from a lying position or lie down because it hurts him to do so. You may hear a clicking sound when he is walking, and your dog might limp and have visible swelling of the joints.
Weather
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Just like humans, dogs with arthritis will suffer more when the barometric pressure rises or falls due to atmospheric changes. Baroreceptors contained in the nerve endings in joints sense when pressure changes, which is what makes your arthritic dog, or you, hurt. If the weather goes from dry to wet and the barometric pressure is low, this can prompt especially painful joints, notes Science Daily.
Canine Arthritis
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Dogs also can suffer from osteoarthritis, which manifests itself in bone spurs and the loss of cartilage within the joints, which causes bone to rub again bone. The vet can give your pooch pain medication for this condition. Rheumatoid arthritis can afflict your pet as well. This results in pits in the cartilage and is treated with steroids and cancer drugs. Septic arthritis, which is an infection in the joint, can also occur. This type of arthritis is treated with antibiotics.
Pain Medication
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Giving your canine pain medication will allow him to get around better because he won't hurt as much. Glucosamine and chondroitin may help relieve inflammation and the degenerative process that is occurring in your dog's joints. They also attract fluid to the joints, which keeps the enzymes that destroy cartilage under control and helps repair joints that are already damaged.
Recommendations
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You can help ease your dog's arthritic pain somewhat by not allowing him to become overweight; not subjecting him to strenuous exercise, although regular walking is beneficial because it will help him maintain flexibility and mobility; and figuring out how to get him in and out of a car or up or down stairs, possibly using a portable dog ramp. Massaging your pet will help, as will providing him with a comfortable place to sleep. Arthritic dogs prefer sleeping on hard, cold surfaces. There are dog orthopedic beds available for elderly and afflicted canines.
When It's Really Wet and Cold
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In extremely wet and cold weather, keep your elderly and arthritic dog inside. If this isn't possible, outfit his dog house so that he is warm and comfortable and keeps dry.
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