Canine Arthritis: Signs and Symptoms

Our canine pets are not exempted from arthritis which is why glucosamine for dogs is pretty important. Ask a person that has experienced the ailment; he will then tell you that he has been experiencing extreme pain which has affected his movement and how he does his daily tasks. Since we humans are capable of letting our ailments known to our fellows, it is important to check if our canine pets are experiencing the same thing. The ailment comes with age, so if you have an older dog, make sure to check it out because unknowingly, it may be in extreme pain.

Limping and favoring a limb

Once a canine is experiencing arthritis it may be limping or favoring a couple of his legs whose joints may be arthritic, which is why it is imperative that you give it glucosamine for dogs. This is one of the most common symptoms and is pretty much easy to detect. The symptoms may seem to get worse especially if your pet takes a lot of time to get up and may even try to warm up when he attempts to do so.

Difficulty in moving around

Once the symptoms take into effect, a dog may be reluctant to do things that he used to. If it found it easy to climb up the coach and on the stairs back then, it may be unable to do the same thing now, due to the ailment. In other cases, it might even show signs of pain and distress if it is doing a particular task or just moving around the area.

Reluctance in doing activities

A dog may actually refuse to go out for walks and trips to the dog park when it is arthritic. We all know that our canine friends are overly enthusiastic when they see a leash in the arms of their human counterparts. This is usually met with a vigorously wagging tail and a passionate series of licks. But once a pet is experiencing arthritis and other forms of joint problems, he may just look at you and rest. This symptom is pretty alarming since they no longer want to do things they usually want to. Also remember that a dog that sleeps and rests more may also be experiencing the same thing given that they no longer move around that much.

Irritability

Dogs are very tolerant pets; they rarely bite or fight back when you scold or act like a jerk to them. They will love you unconditionally and may even take a bullet for you. But sometimes, accidents or wrong things happen, especially when it is a reflexive sort of action. When we pet or touch a pet on a certain area but is met with a bite or a squeal – something he does not normally do – we may have touched an area that is experiencing a bout with arthritis. In order to avoid such situations, it is essential to have them checked and to go under an X-ray to be able to detect and somehow repair the damage.