Both the type and amount of the food you feed your arthritic dog can have a significant effect on its level of joint pain and stiffness. Good food for dogs with arthritis usually isn't found on your supermarket shelves, but it doesn't have to cost a lot either. Consider that good nutrition and some supplements or nutraceuticals can save you vet bills, in addition to making your dog happier and healthier.
-
Dog Food Ingredients
-
Excellent nutrition goes a long way toward easing the inflammation and pain of arthritis. Protein, fats and amino acids are building blocks in lubricating joints and effecting recovery on a cellular level. During processing, many nutrients are leached out of grain based, mediocre dry dog food and replaced by yet more processed, sometimes synthetic ingredients. Switching to a minimally processed grain-free kibble, or a cooked or raw diet, will better provide nutrients that maintain and repair healthy joints.
Better Commercial Foods
-
The pet food industry has been changing since the 1990s, and grain-based dried pellets are no longer the only option. Several companies have grain-free kibble, like Innova's EVO. Freeze-dried or dehydrated raw meat-based dry food is sold by Wysong and other companies. Some products, like Honest Kitchen, are formulated to have raw or cooked meats, fish and eggs added for complete nutrition.
Use Fresh Food
-
If you feed dry dog food, punch up the quality of your dog's diet by adding fresh foods that provide essential fatty acids and high quality protein. Canned salmon, herring or mackerel is high in omega-3 fatty acids, a natural anti-inflammatory. Raw or soft-boiled eggs are high in essential fatty acids and protein. Heat kills most amino acids, so if you are comfortable feeding some raw meat, this is the only way your arthritic dog will get amino acids in their natural form.
Good Food Keeps Dogs Lean
-
The single most important thing you can do for your arthritic dog is keep it lean and fit. You should be able to easily feel all of its ribs. Carbohydrates tend to put weight on dogs. They metabolize proteins and fats differently from humans, and the best food for your arthritic dog is high protein, high fat and low in carbohydrates.
Nutraceuticals
-
Nutraceuticals are foods that have medicinal qualities. Many are available as supplements. Glucosamine and chrondroitin are recognized arthritis pain-relievers and are found naturally in trachea and tendon dog chews, as well as in supplement pill form. Other nutraceuticals include turmeric, perna green-lipped mussels and the milk byproduct duralactin. Although research results are inconclusive for the use of some nutraceuticals in arthritis treatment, there are few, if any, side effects to them and they may well be worth trying.
-