Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Aging Dogs - How to Make Them More Comfortable
By: Betsy Reinier
As dogs age you may notice at a certain point where the dog starts to "break down" in the rear, have more trouble walking and getting up. This could be caused from several different things. Arthritis, disk problems, previous accident or hip dysplasha. Also, the cold weather and hard surfaces does little to help the discomfort of the aging dog.
A trip to your Veterinarian can help you solve the question of "why." Now you need to know the "What." What can be done now to keep your dog more comfortable?
To start with:
Use extra rugs or blankets -- Lay down extra rugs and/or blankets your old guy to lay on. This will help his old bones and make him more comfortable.
Glucosamin sulphate / Chondoitin sulphate -- This helps lubricate joints. It can be found in some dog foods, but not a very high dosage, so you'll need to add more. Ask your Veterinarian on the amount you should be giving your dog. Obviously a small dog does not need as much as a larger dog.
Vitamin E along with Selenium -- These will help maintain both muscle tone and keep the elasticity in the tendons and ligaments.
Canine chiropractor-- You could also try a certified canine chiropractor or even acupuncture for your dog. Again, depending on what kind of problem the dog is suffering with. Talk to your Veterinarian about this. It's certainly an option.
Arthramine --I give this product to my old dog Jericho, who will be 13 on the 4th of July. You can buy this at some pet stores or with some mail order magazines for pets. (Note: I did run out of this and the pet store didn't have any more left, so Jericho went almost 2 weeks without until I could get more. I noticed that he had more trouble getting up and was a little unsteady on his feet as he walked. He is back on it and has improved once again. So it does work for him).
As with any treatment, it will take a little time to see improvements so don't give up. Once you find what works best for your dog, you need to give him that supplement/pill as directed by your Veterinarian.
Betsy Reinier has had dogs all her life. Her main goal is keeping dogs healthy, happy, safe and very spoiled! To learn more on how to keep your dog healthy, happy, safe and to keep him very spoiled, please check out http://www.dogspoiler.com and visit http://www.doggyknows.com for more helpful articles.
Labels: pets/dogs
Subscribe to Comments [Atom]

