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Posts Tagged ‘glucosamine for dogs’

The most common cause of arthritis in dogs is hip dysplasia.  Let’s take a look at the condition of hip dysplasia and the process that leads to arthritis.

The hip joint is the same as the shoulder joint, a ball-and-socket joint.  In a normally developed hip joint the ball on the top of the femur (thigh bone) fits very snuggly and smoothly in the socket of the hip bone.  When a dog has hip dysplasia there are typically two different problems present.First, the ball and socket do not fit together snugly and second the ball or the socket are not shaped properly and smoothly. 

So why does this lead to arthritis?  Hip dysplasia brings on a vicious cycle.Cartilage wears away as the abnormally shaped bones rub together and cause inflammation.  Inflammation further degrades the cartilage.  Cartilage regrowth is a slow process, often times too slow to keep up with the loss of cartilage.The rate of loss is faster than the rate of gain.   The more damaged the joint becomes the less able it is to protect itself so even more damage occurs.

There are two possibilities as to how your dog developed hip dysplasia.The dog is born with the condition, it is genetic.  There is also evidence that environmental conditions can play a role.In developing joints of a puppy, an injury or overexertion.You wouldn’t want to take your three monthh old great dane on your daily jogs with you.That repetitive force on a sensitive, developing joint is damaging.

The symptoms of hip dysplasia all point to the reluctance to use the hip joint properly.Have you noticed that your dog is bunnyhopping instead of running or is reluctant to go up stairs or has even stopped jumping up to greet you.  Over time the muscles in the hip and thigh area may atrophy or shrink causing the bones to appear to be sticking out.

Hip dysplasia cannot be cured.  The condition is controlled with weight control, proper exercise and arthritis medicine for dogs.  Medication can come in the form of nutritional supplements such as glucosamine for dogs or anti-inflammatory drugs obtained from your veterinarian.In severe cases you may be asked to consider hip replacement surgery.

If you suspect a problem talk with your veterinarian about the possibility of having x-rays done to diagnose the condition and begin treatment as soon as possible.  With the proper management it is possible to slow down the arthritis and control the pain.Don’t forget arthritis can be caused by other factors.Even if the symptoms of arthritis fit your dog hip dysplasia is not necessarily the cause of your dogs arthritis.Old age and injuries also play a part in the development of arthritis.  In any event, your arthritic dog may benefit greatly from supplementation to support the joints.

Dog Arthritis and its causes can be broken down into two main categories and two subcategories:

1.  Degenerative Joint Disease:

              Degenerative Joint Disease develops from acute or chronic trauma to a joint.

                                Acute Traumatic Arthritis – marked by a sudden injury or accident of some sort.An injury that disrupts the joints will cause inflammation that will then have the potential to lead to dog arthritis.Depending on the severity of the injury the inflammation may be stopped before deterioration begins.  

                                 Repeat trauma-induced arthritis – brought on by any repetitive stress on unstable joints.Poor conformation or hip dysplasia will create unstable joints or the activity itself, such as extreme sport, will lead to instability.A puppy with young, developing joints will sustain trauma to those joints if subjected to repetitive activity such as long jogs.Being overweight will subject the joints to excessive stress.In most cases you will not notice any signs of pain until it is too late, the damage is extensive.It is because cartilage does not have any nerves that this scenario occurs.Pain sets in only after extensive damage has occurred to the cartilage. 

                Stress or trauma, whether it be acute or chronic, causes the joints to release large amounts of an enzyme that breaks down cartilage.Normally, this enzyme would be used to create a healthy balance of cartilage buildup and breakdown, however when arthritis sets in the breakdown occurs too fast.

                Degenerative Joint Disease cannot be entirely reversed but it can be managed with weight control, exercise, and arthritis medicine for dogs.Dog arthritis medicine can include nutritional supplements and homeopathic remedies.  Glucosamine for dogs is a particularly popular and effective way to help manage the pain of dog arthritis.  The safety of glucosamine for dogs is also an important factor.

      2.   Inflammatory Joint Disease:

            Inflammatory Joint Disease is less common than degenerative joint disease and develops from either an infection or an autoimmune disorder causing inflammation in a joint.

                     Infective Arthritis – can occur if a joint becomes infected as a result of a wound, such as a bite or penetrating object.It is also possible that an infection originated in the bloodstream.Your veterinarian will aggressively treat this with antibiotics and maybe even cleaning directly into the joint.

                     Autoimmune Arthritis – normally affects multiple joints.Autoimmune arthritis may be more familiar to you as rheumatoid arthritis.  An auto immune disorder means that the body does not recognize a certain tissue as its own and attacks it as if it were a foreign substance.In dogs, the cause of autoimmune arthritis remains unknown. 

             Inflammatory joint disease requires immediate attention from a veterinarian and medications available only from a veterinarian.