to go (or as long as you have time) is the
best option to start with. If they are fairly
active, then increasing the speed by taking
them on a jog or cycle (on lead) is also
great. Be careful with swimming - this can
help but also cause pain (they are forced
to make full leg motions beyond what they
are comfortable with to stay above water).
The rule of thumb is to exercise your dog
for as long as possible without him/her
pulling up sore the next day.
Polysulphated glycosaminoglycan
injections
This is a complex name for Synovan,
Pentosan, Cartrophen injections etc given
by your vet. There is evidence to support
the use of Pentosan injections in both cats
and dogs with arthritis. This is a semi-
synthetic product where the base molecule
is extracted from the bark of a beech tree.
There are different recommendations
as to how they can be administered, but
most commonly it is a weekly injection
for four weeks initially, then every one to
three months depending on the severity of
arthritis.
The main benefits are:
- mild anti-inflammatory action
- extract degrading enzymes within the
joint (hence slow the process of arthritis)- thickening the joint fluid to provide better
cushioning - chondroprotective – helps repair low
grade cartilage abrasions - Pentosan injections are more effective
earlier in the onset of arthritis. Once
there are significant changes to the joint,
it won’t have the same effectiveness.
- thickening the joint fluid to provide better
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There is strong evidence to support the
benefits of anti-inflammatory medications
(or NSAIDs) in controlling pain and
inflammation from arthritis in all mammals.
These are safe at the correct dose and
are the most effective medications on the
market. You will need to make an
appointment with your local vet to see if
your pet is at the stage where they require
these medications.Other options to consider:
Bedding
Pets with arthritis need good beds to
help cushion their joints and keep them
warm. There are good quality vegan
memory foam beds available online. Visit
http://www.snooza.com.au.
Heat pads
Heat pads are especially useful for older
cats. Animals that sleep on cold or hardsurfaces will pull up stiff and sore the
following day. Heat pads will help maintain
blood flow through the joints during the
colder months. Visit http://www.warmapet.com.au.
Turmeric
Turmeric has been rising in popularity
in recent years as an anti-inflammatory
supplement and is worthy of a mention.
The active ingredient, curcurmin, has
potential anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer
and antioxidant activities in in-vitro studies.
We need to remember that in-vitro is
evidence in a petri dish - very different to a
living body. For example, bleach will cure
cancer in a petri dish but isn’t great in our
blood stream. There are no major studies
to support that these findings are effective
in people or animals. People who choose
to administer this supplement need to
remember that it is very poorly absorbed in
the intestinal tract and has reported a high
rate of gastrointestinal side effects. If you
choose to administer this product to your
pet, please discuss dosages with your local
vet first.
For further reading, please refer to a
recent review published by the American
Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. It covers
a wide expanse of alternatives from
nutraceuticals, ultrasound therapy to
acupuncture.Animals won’t complain
about chronic pain.
They don’t understand
that we can help them so
they’re not going to pull
on our sleeve and point
to their sore hip.