Treatment for Dogs

Signs that something is wrong can be subtle, you may notice occasional reluctance to perform certain tasks that are usually no problem, changes in behaviour like becoming more noise or dog reactive, or not wanting to be fussed. You may notice things like their hind end tracking to one side when running, being slow to rise from resting, missing weaves/contacts or knocking jumps or not being able to hold stays, or they may be slower/tire easily on walks.

 

Your vet should always be your first point of contact should you notice a change in your dog. If there's no concerns from the vet of a serious problem and perhaps if their treatment hasn't solved the issue then complementary therapy is worth trying. 

There are many ways you can help your dog in order to promote well-being.

Changing to a raw/fresh/freeze dried/cold pressed food diet will reduce exposure to inflammatory compounds that are released in the production of standard dry dog food as well as reducing the carb content that is responsible for a multitude of health issues. Think of the quality of the nutrition as how it would be for us to eat processed fast food for every meal over recipes made with fresh ingredients from scratch.

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Dogs living with arthritis need additional support such as ramps for steps in and out the house and car, non slip mats over laminate and tiled floors, all of which will help reduce extra stress and strain on joints and muscles. 

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Bin the ball thrower! its not good for dog joint health or their mental health if they're ball obsessed.

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Be vigilant with weight gain, there should be a visible tuck up behind the ribcage. Extra weight will put extra strain on the body. 

There are plenty of supplements available that can be used to help active or struggling dogs.

Joint supplements such as Riaflex provide essential nutrients to protect and restore joint cartilage.

Natural anti-inflammatory and/or pain relief come in the form of turmeric, boswellia, devils claw, PEA, CBD.

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Core conditioning encourages your dog to use its body correctly and strengthen muscles to improve posture and correct movement/technique which should help reduce injury risk and joint overloading.

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Even if your dog doesn't have any issues, it will still benefit them to receive nutritional joint protection and training them to strengthen their whole body (think pilates).

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Don't forget the warm-up! try and make sure your dog has had some controlled exercise before they do anything more strenuous like an agility course or belting around an open space.