What Causes Dog Arthritis?

Dogs are not immune to arthritis problems. They have almost the same muscular and tissue structure in their joint areas as humans do, so dog arthritis can rear its ugly head for them as well.

Dog Arthritis Symptoms 

So, how do you know if your dog may have arthritis, well some dog arthritis symptoms could be as follows:

• You dog has developed a limp or is in pain
• They don't want to go for walks
• They may be withdrawn
• They may become aggressive if you touch their sore joint
• They may lick the sore joint, to try to relieve the pain.

What Causes Dog Arthritis?

One of the main causes of dog arthritis is if your dog is over weight. Excess weight can cause stress on your dogs joints and if it continues, can lead to arthritis. If you keep your dog at a healthy weight, you can decrease their chances of developing dog arthritis later in their life.

Injuries to their limbs are another cause of arthritis in dogs. When an injury occurs to your dogs limbs, the muscles and tissues around their joints can be damaged which will cause undue stress on their joints.

It's also possible that some joint misplacement can happen if your dog is injured - which causes stress and rubbing of bone on tissues, increasing the chances of your dog developing arthritis.

Poor nutrition can be another cause to their arthritic problems. Dogs need a well-balanced diet with the proper amounts of nutrients to keep their bones, muscles and tissues strong and healthy.

Prolonged poor nutrition can cause your dogs bones and muscles to get weak and they can start to degenerate, causing inflammation in their joints. Too much physical activity without a balance of rest is another cause of dog arthritis.

A dog is an active animal and activity is healthy for them, but they still need proper rest for their muscles, just like humans do. Overworking of the muscles can cause strain on the joints and if they don't receive proper rest, can eventually lead to dog arthritis.

Sometimes arthritis can be caused by diseases or tumors. There are some diseases that come without warning and wreak havoc with a dog's body, causing many ailments - including arthritis.

As your dog gets older you will notice that they slow down and will not be as active as they once were. Older dogs tend to rest more often, but too much rest can cause their muscles to stiffen a little. You should try to keep your dog a little active to lessen the effects that dog arthritis  can have on them.

How to treat Dog Arthritis

• Give your dog a balanced diet and make sure they are not over weight
• Give your dog light exercises, this helps to keep their joints from stiffening
• Consult your vet as they may prescribe anti inflammatory medicines.

As your dog gets older, Arthritis may set in, but if you keep them comfortable, feed them a balanced diet and give them the proper treatments prescribed by the veterinarian, they can live out their last years in happiness.