MANAGING ARTHRITIS IN DOGS & PEOPLE
The most common type of arthritis in dogs and people is osteoarthritis (OA), which is also known as degenerative joint disease (DJD). Some common causes of this arthritis include hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament rupture, and obesity. Other causes include joint infection, often as the result of bites or following joint trauma and damage. Analgesics such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen for people and Rimadyl and Metacam for dogs are the most common form of treatment for osteoarthritis, but they have side effects. That’s why I’m sharing alternatives here that are safe and effective. As per usual, I’ll be focusing on dogs, but will address OA in humans, too.
The most common side effects of NSAIDs are reduced appetite, vomiting and diarrhea, but what about long-term damage from drugs? Studies of older adults show that chronic NSAID use increases the risk of renal failure, ulcers, and cardiovascular complications. So with dogs, just imagine. You don’t have to. Even the FDA’s own website acknowledges the risks of long-term use in dogs: ulcers in the stomach and intestines, perforations (holes) in the stomach and intestines, kidney failure, liver failure, and even death in some cases. Sure, we can mitigate some damage with blood tests to make sure that the pet can safely metabolize and eliminate the medication and we can monitor with additional tests. But I’d rather share what else you can do to make your dogs feel better – things that are safer. Lots of these tips apply to you, too, if you’ve got OA.
An anti-inflammatory diet and weight management both apply to us as well as our dogs. The excess weight we carry hurts our knees and backs, for instance. As for diet, avoiding nightshade vegetables like potatoes can help and feeding your dog whole foods versus pro-inflammatory kibble or canned food is a start. We tend to eat too much dairy, meat and sugar and drink too much coffee and alcohol – all pro-inflammatory. Reducing these amounts will help us manage arthritic pain.
How about supplements? Some may work better than others. I’d try one at a time and introduce any new one at least 3 days later. Glucosamine and chondroitin are said to relieve pain and slow down cartilage deterioration. Know that shellfish is the source and that diabetics may need something different. Collagen is said to help. Bone broth is popular for this reason among many. Aim for grass-fed, organic broth since heavy metals stay in bones. Curcumin is a wonder drug of nature often suggested for OA. Fish oil from small fish like anchovies or green lipped mussels packs a powerful punch of omega 3 fatty acids needed to manage OA. Try for omega 6:omega 3 ratio of 1:1 (at least for dogs). Even 4:1 would be better than the standard, which is much higher because omega 6 is just more prevalent in the standard diet that has lots of grains, some nuts and seeds. The ratio matters. Eggshell membrane is another healing food for OA. You’ll find it in many dog supplements along with the other ingredients mentioned. Probiotics can help partly because they help with absorption of nutrients, including nutrients in supplements like these. CBD is anti-inflammatory and helps manage pain. The list goes on.
How about physical therapy and various healing modalities? Yes. Try one at a time unless your rehab vet suggests some combo like laser with acupuncture, but do try something. Pet health insurance often covers things like hydrotherapy, chiropractic and massage. They may even cover PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic frequency) therapies like Assisi loop or a PEMF mat for home use. (Btw there’s a big sale now, so reach out if you want more info,) My dog gets a number of treatments in rotation. It used to be rehab vet workouts with acupuncture, laser and the Assisi loop at home. Then chiropractic with laser and home rehab exercises. Now massage, ozone, home rehab, and we just ordered a PEMF mat. I also throw energy healing into the mix since I’m certified, but he prefers if I do it remotely versus hands-on. You, too, can take online courses to save money while saving your animals from pain.
Home environment impacts arthritic pain. Huh? Yes. But the solutions are simple. Yoga mats and rugs for grip. Orthopedic beds. Steps to/from the couch and bed. Getting some home rehab exercises to do with a wobble board. My dog’s old rehab vet wrote an article about the benefit of backing up. If you can work on getting your dog to back up for a treat in a narrow space (versus turning around) like between the couch and coffee table, it works muscles and has protective value against tearing ACLs – that awful injury that keeps dogs from their friends at the dog park or from catching frisbees for months. Dogs can get depressed from the deprivation of their usual outlets and don’t understand the rest is for their own good. So, better to avoid injury for that and many other reasons.
Grooming matters. Keep your dogs’ nails short, cut or dremel nails little by little and regularly til they don’t actual reach the ground when standing. It’s best for posture, balance, stiffness and pain management. It’s important to only trim a tiny bit of nails at once to allow the nerve to recede. Otherwise, it’s so painful for them. Their nails have nerves extended well beyond ours. Imagine your entire nail ripping off – ouch. That’s probably similar to the pain they feel when we cut into the quick, the nerve. But we need to cut or dremel their nails so walking isn’t painful. Imagine walking on long fingernails. Ouch. I find it less traumatic to use a Dremel – basically, a sanding tool – for my dog’s nails. They sell them on Chewy, for instance.
Gear matters. If you’re doing all the things, but your dog is still jumping down stairs or out of the car onto concrete, then there’s still pain. Car ramps work. Padding stairs with carpet or grips can help. So do special harnesses like the Help ‘Em Up harness recommended by our rehab vet. We use it to get my dog in and out of the car while keeping his back level. We used to use it when we had concrete stairs to get down. It’s a 2-piece harness making it easy for you to safely lift your dog – easier with small to medium-sized dogs. The back part can then be unclipped after the lift so the dog is more comfortable for the walk or car ride.
Exercise type matters. If our dogs have arthritis, they often know their limits and will be reluctant to sit just because we ask them to. Please don’t get mad. They’re in pain. They need your help. If they’re walking slower than your preferred or usual pace, they may be in pain. So please don’t rush them. Then there are other dogs who don’t know their limits or just ignore them and race around til injury or pay for the high impact workout later with pain. There’s a lot of silent pain out there. Just because they’re not yelping doesn’t mean all’s well. If they want to trot or jog, have them do it on carpet, sand or bouncy mats and grass. Low impact exercise like walks and swimming are best. Maybe wrestling still feels good. Maybe tug of war. Observe what they want and how they feel after. Dog carts are a great way for you and your dog to go for longer walks or bike rides with the option of rest.
This multi-pronged approach is how we manage pain from arthritis and get my dog stronger.
His daily home exercises built his strength and are a great way we bond and keep him active, challenged and strong. Even after he lost his hearing and we switched the routine up, he figured out new hand signals. I also noticed that he seems to count. We do 3 sets of this one exercise with 4, 4 and then 2 repetitions. And when I try to get him to do 4 on that last round, he won’t budge til he gets a treat. He was counting. So smart. And manipulative! He also counts the 3 reps of a step exercise for his lower back. After the third rep, he knows it’s time to carry on and do a different exercise in another room…even when we switch the order. Smart.
He used to get acupuncture, laser and B12 shots during his PT appts.
And he also went on a diet to lose a couple pounds for pain mgmt. Not that he was visibly overweight in a dramatic way, but every bit truly counts for dogs and pain mgmt. Plus longevity btw. We weigh him regularly. I suggest you do the same. If it’s too stressful to take your dog into their own vet despite the treat you could be dangling and the quick in-and-out, maybe they’d be more relaxed walking into a different nearby vet or vet rehab center to get on the scale. Or you can get creative with use of the home scale – pick them up or have them stand on their hind legs with paws on your shoulders for a few seconds while weighing in. At least eyeball their weight from photo to photo week to week. If they look heavier after a few weeks, it may be time to cut calories or exercise more. There are a few ways to do this like less treats, less carby food, 10% reduction in existing food, replacing caloric treats with string beans/other veggies & blueberries or longer, faster walks if they can handle it. Reach out for more tips.
We moved in the Spring and found a wonderful new integrative vet practice. There, he has many therapy adoptions: chiropractic, laser, massage, ozone, and acupuncture. So we mix it up and still do his daily rehab routine at home plus supplements, weight control, low impact walks, helpful gear and mats, and keeping his nails fairly short.
Knowing what I know now about dog health, there are several things I’d do differently if I went back in time, but I can’t. Now I have a broader tool kit and eyes wide open. Now I also take advantage of the many modalities that are available and even covered by insurance in many cases that benefit him in numerous ways - not just for pain. And a lot of benefit just isn’t visible to the naked eye. Sometimes we get results …. like staving off infection or cancer…because we’ve employed an integrative approach to well-being from diet to stress management to ozone therapy. I sleep better knowing I’m doing a lot to make him feel better and be healthier.
I’d love to hear what you’re doing for your own or your dog’s arthritis, and to help you make a game plan if you don’t have one. You can reply below.
Wishing you and your dogs strength, ease and speedy recoveries where necessary.