Having a dog is a fun companion to have as they sleep and play all day, making our household a fun environment, especially for the kids. But if they’re experiencing joint pains, they might not be in their natural self and would prefer to stay in one place rather than go and play outside. Many pet owners have many questions about pain relief, especially in the joints. Some veterinarians say that joint pain might be a result of a joyful dog who enjoys playing out and have an extremely active lifestyle. But, most of the time, it affects older and senior dogs as their bones might not be the strongest as time passes by. Along with this, joint pains can also come from injury, diabetes, and obesity. If your dog is experiencing signs of joint pain, listed below are the things that you can to do help your dog ease the pain.
Ask Your Vet
Before doing anything for your dog, it’s always a smart move to ask your vet. If they’re experiencing intense joint pains, it’s time to be open with joint meds for dogs to relieve them from pain. Joint supplements are developed to keep your dog’s joint problems away, most especially with arthritis, hip conditions, and general joint pain. This will help ease away their pain, allowing them to have a normal and pain-free life. While they can help prevent, they could also help reduce the pain your dog is experiencing.
Along with the correct dosage, you can ask your vet which joint supplements are best for your dog. In line with this, you should ask your vet if you could purchase over-the-counter joint supplements for your dog, just in case their prescription is not compatible with your dog. This will allow you to save money on vet visits.
Your vet might also prescribe you glucosamine for joint pain as it may help relieve any pains. When purchasing supplements on your own, make sure that you’ve read extensive reviews and purchase from a reputable store.
Control Their Diet
If your dog is obese or is just simply fat, you might want to consider helping them lose weight as their bones are not designed to carry their current weight.
What you can do is to limit their feedings to normal–dogs should only be eating twice a day. Doing so will help you avoid overfeeding your dog. You can search the internet on how many cups of dog food you should provide them based on their weight.
Along with this, you should provide them nutritious dog foods that meet their needs and not just foods that are high in sugar and carbohydrates. For an added nutritional value, you could also add fruits and vegetables to their dog food. If possible, you should give them premium dog food rather than generic dog foods since the latter provides minimum nutrition that’s helpful for your four-legged friends.
While you’re controlling their meals, you should also limit giving them treats, especially sugar-loaded treats. You could substitute their biscuits for a vegetable or vegetable crisps that can be found on the internet. This will allow you to give them treats that are healthy for them, helping them maintain their weight.
By controlling your dog’s weight, they’ll be able to move properly as there’s no longer any unnecessary pressure on their joints. While you’re managing their food intake, you could also supplement them with vitamins, helping them to be completely healthy.
Massage And Exercise
While you’re trying to help them lose unnecessary weight, you should accompany it with proper exercise. This will help them practice moving better with their bodies. When you let them stay unmoved when they still can, it’ll just spoil the body, hence it won’t be motivated to heal itself; it’ll only get worse when remained unused.
If your dog is suffering from joint pain due to injuries or illnesses, you could help by massaging their pain areas. Massaging their joint areas may increase their mobility, flexibility, blood circulation, and relaxation.
When you massage them, gently knead your dog’s stiff muscles and avoid putting direct pressure on their joints as it can be extremely painful for them.
Soft Bed
Have you ever imagined sleeping on the floor? Even with no joint pains, it’s extremely painful and uncomfortable. Hence, provide your dog’s bed to sleep in so that they’ll be comfortable and not wake up in pain.
If your pet sleeps on the bare floor, you might want to consider offering them a soft bed to sleep in so that there’ll be no pressure on their joints that might cause them more pain.
An orthopedic bed that’s made from memory foam will relieve their joint pains and provide adequate support as well. Some specialty stores provide beds for dogs that are designed for those who are suffering from arthritis. This will ensure that your dog is getting the support that they need.
Proper Grooming
With joint pain, they might be more uncomfortable with their extra-long hair and nails. They’ll be having difficulty cleaning their selves, especially with hard-to-reach areas.
You can support them by providing them proper grooming so that they could be more comfortable. If you can, groom them yourselves so you wouldn’t have to force them into moving (for senior and ill dogs). You can learn how to groom by cutting their hair and trimming their nails.
Conclusion
When your dog is in pain, you should do everything you can to help them relieve the pain. You should always consult with your vet to know the things that you could do to help them feel better.
While there might be medical solutions to your dog, nothing beats support and natural help. There are natural ways on how you can help your dog feel better without having to interfere with your vet’s medical approach. With proper diet and exercise, you can help your dog lose extra weight, allowing them to walk comfortably that they’re supposed to.
Above all things, always show your dog the love and support that they need to make them feel loved and not alone. It’s always nice to let them know that you’re with them even with their pain.
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