The Top Causes of Joint Pain in Dogs and What You Can Do About It
Did you know that small dogs age more slowly than large dogs? Small dogs can live thirteen years or longer as pets. Large dogs tend to live only about eight years or so.
Dogs are by far the most common choice for a pet in the United States! That means that a huge number of Americans need to know at least a little bit about joint pain in dogs.
When you understand where joint pain comes from, you can know whether or not there is anything you can do to prevent it. And when you know how to manage joint pain in your dog, you can make sure that they do not suffer unnecessarily.
This can help you enjoy many more good times together for years to come. So, where exactly does dog joint pain come from? How can you help provide relief for the pain your dog is in?
Read on to learn all about the most important things to understand about joint pain in dogs!
Causes of Joint Pain in Dogs
When you first start noticing your dog experiencing joint pain, you may not be able to immediately know what is causing it.
You can often tell that your dog is experiencing joint pain when they start to walk differently or start walking less. But what is causing their pain?
Canine Joint Pain Comes From Aging
If your dog is getting older, far and away, the most likely cause of their joint pain is simply aging. Many people do not appreciate just how similar human and dog biology really is.
Just like people, dogs start to develop arthritis and similar joint issues as they get older. That is one reason why you can detect joint pain in dogs the same way you can detect it in people. They start to move more slowly or move less.
So when are dogs affected by joint pain caused by aging? The answer varies greatly according to the breed of your dog. However, if your dog has started to show other signs of aging, it is reasonable to think that their joint pain might also be the cause of aging.
Dog Joint Pain Can Result From Developmental Disorders
If your dog is not very old, you will have to consider alternative explanations for their joint pain. In some cases, this is the result of developmental disorders. In that case, it is unlikely that you will be able to cure the disorder.
Instead, you will have to focus on managing the symptoms. Developmental disorders keep parts of your dog's body from developing correctly. They can also mean that they have trouble maintaining themselves or repairing normal wear and tear.
The end result can be weak and fragile joints that send pain shooting up the limbs of your dog, just like can happen with humans.
Dog Joint Pain Can Come From Injuries
Joint pain resulting from aging and developmental disorders will generally get worse the longer it goes on. On the other hand, dog joint pain that comes from injuries will generally get better with the passage of time.
Of course, that is only true if your dog gets enough time and rest to let its body recover. Your dog will also need correct nutrition to provide its body with the resources it needs to repair any damaged tissue in their body.
If you have suddenly noticed that your dog has joint pain, think back through their recent activities. If possible, try to remember the very first time you noticed that your dog had joint pain. If you can identify what your dog was doing when the joint pain started, you may be able to diagnose an injury as the cause of your dog's pain.
In that case, you can probably just help your dog take it easy for a while to help them recover. Otherwise, you may need to go see a veterinarian to help you figure out exactly what is going wrong with your dog's joints.
How to Provide Dog Joint Pain Relief
There are many things you can do to help manage your dog's joint pain. Properly cared for, your dog will be able to enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle even while they handle joint pain.
One of the most important things to do is to make sure that your dog's body has access to the resources it needs to strengthen its joints. That can mean medication that you get from a veterinarian.
It can also mean providing your dogs with regular supplements that help strengthen their joints. Just like people, dog joints benefit from having plenty of collagen and omega-3 fatty acids in their diet.
You can also help by putting down padding on your floor so that your dog does not have to walk on hard surfaces. It is also best if your dog can get a good grip on the floor, so yoga mats and other services that provide grip can make it easier for your dog to walk.
Making sure that your dog gets plenty of exercise can also help them manage joint pain. However, make sure that they only exercise as much as they really want to. It is also best if your dog can exercise on soft surfaces like grass rather than on hard surfaces like concrete.
Understand the Most Common Causes of and Treatment for Joint Pain in Dogs
We hope learning about joint pain in dogs has been helpful for you. The more you know about where your dog's joint pain is coming from, the better a grasp on the situation you will have. The more you know about how to manage their joint pain, the more you can look after your dog's health and happiness.
To learn more about the causes of and treatment for dog joint pain and how you can improve the joint health of your dog, feel free to reach out and get in touch with us here at any time!