Dog
Arthritis Symptoms Painful For Pet And Owner
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When my best canine friend, a beautiful yellow lab I'd had since she was a pup,
started showing dog arthritis symptoms, I was in denial of what was happening.
Being considered an elderly dog, I certainly expected her to slow down a bit,
as naturally occur during the aging process. But I wasn't prepared to accept
the fact that perhaps she was suffering from arthritic pain that wasn't going
to go away.
Dogs have a wonderful way of hiding discomfort, so when she started showing the
tell-tale symptoms, I knew she must have been extremely uncomfortable all
along, as I denied the signs of arthritis. Always one to jump in the water,
even puddles, she now showed little interest in any movement that allowed a lot
of effort. In fact, she lay on her bed more often than usual. She used to be
the type to jump up at the first sound of the treat jar opening, but now she
preferred having her snack hand delivered to her on her doggie bed.
Before dog arthritis symptoms set in and I began giving her
liquid glucosamine, she was so energetic I often complained, because she was
notorious for knocking things over, running to the door within seconds of the
doorbell ringing - even the sound of the UPS truck, whether stopping at our
home or not, was cause for a high speed dash across the living room. But then I
began noticing that these events took place and, if she got up at all, it was
at a much slower speed.
Taking her for daily walks was another sign that dog
arthritis symptoms were setting in. I used to joke that I felt she was walking
me, when I'd hook up her leash and take her around the neighborhood. But now
the leash had slack, because it was evident she was slowing down her pace. Our
walks no longer involved my being dragged down the street after using the
glucosamine supplement. Instead, we walked more side-by-side than we'd ever
done before.
The event that showed me it was time for a trip to the vet
was when my little nephew came to visit. As toddler's often do, he was
mesmerized by my dog, wanting to crawl on top of her and share her bed with
her. Suddenly, she snapped at my nephew, when he was lying on her hips. Of
course, she is a gentle girl and just gave him a warning scare, but it was
unusual behavior for her. The only explanation, given her gentle demeanor, was
that she was experiencing pain and my nephew leaned on a tender spot. Aggressive
tendencies in usually passive dogs, I learned, was a common sign of dog
arthritis symptoms.
Though arthritic joints are painful for pets as well as
humans, with tender and inflamed joints resulting in stiffness and soreness, my
dog responded very well to glucosamine, which has shown to have a wonderful
effect on lessening arthritis symptoms. The vet said there are prescriptions
available, too, but we haven't needed those to date. I've learned a lot through
this painful process, and at times I feel bad that I didn't notice the dog
arthritis symptoms sooner. There are remedies to ease their pain, which makes
them more mobile and increases their quality of life.
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