Arthritis In Dogs
Is your dog starting to age? Does your pup have a hard time getting around the house, walking, going up and down the stairs, jumping up onto the sofa? If so, there’s probably a good chance that your dog has arthritis. But, that doesn’t mean your pup has to keep having a hard time getting around!
As humans get older and start to slow down a bit, we are usually less inclined to get our bodies moving, especially if we weren’t very physically active to begin with. Our joints start to ache, we feel tired, and then we really don’t feel like moving at all, which is exactly what we should be doing to feel better! Did you know that a similar thing can happen with our favorite furry friends as they transition into their golden years? It is actually not uncommon at all for dogs to lose mobility as they age. In order to keep them as active, mobile, and happy as possible, it’s important to break the cycle. And physical therapy can help. Not sure how? Fill out the form below to speak with one of our doctors.
What If My Senior Dog With Arthritis Is Not Very Active?
Researchers have shown time and time again that regular physical activity in humans can help to prevent the development of chronic diseases and premature death. Dogs can also reap these same benefits! Whether they’ve never been given a chance to take regular walks or they’ve been playing rigorous games of fetch for most of their lives… When we see our precious pups slowing down, we may be tempted to start doing more things for them out of love and not wanting them to be in pain. But the result may actually be the opposite. What will likely happen is a snowball effect where we help them more and more, so they move less and less.
The good news is that your pup CAN move around better even if he/she already has arthritis! If you want to know what it costs, and what availability we have, then please just click the button below and complete the short form:
Has your Vet talked to you about Librela for Arthritis in your dog? Read our blog post about how Librela can be used with Canine Rehab to treat Arthritis.
Dog Arthritis And Physical Therapy
The best way get your pup moving around again, getting them back to going on walks with you, going up and down the stairs, and jumping up on the bed with you is to intervene with a progressive, tailored exercise program that can get them more on their feet and less on their tail. Can other modalities of treatment such as acupuncture and chiropractic be helpful? Absolutely! But, the issue with them is that they only offer a short-term solution and doesn’t get to the root of what has caused a tight joint or muscle: movement dysfunction. One of the most important components of what we do at TheK9PT is our prescription for a home exercise program, which will be the long-term solution to keep your senior dog happy and healthy. We emphasize teaching pet parents the tools they need to learn to maintain their dogs healthy as they age.
By now you may be asking, “what about underwater treadmill?“. Besides what you might have been told, hydrotherapy or underwater treadmill is not the solution for senior dogs. The premise of the underwater treadmill is that the buoyancy of the water will decrease the effects of gravity and thus assist with gait training. The water height can be adjusted in relation to the patient—the higher the water level, the less body weight the patient uses. This premise can be useful with some patients, especially those who have difficulty ambulating due to a neurological condition; however, this theory (yes, there is no research showing that hydrotherapy is better than a land-based exercise program) has one major issue: PROGRESSIVE LOADING.
It is well known and researched in the field of human sports medicine that to add strength—and subsequently generate muscle growth—muscles and tendons need to be gradually loaded with progressive resistance. However, the buoyancy of the water take away the weight loading necessary to build-up strength. Click here to read more about it…
Download our FREE newsletter
The Truth About Arthritis in Dogs
Download this FREE newsletter in which we compiled tons of educational resources that will help you learn how you can help you senior dog who is dealing with progressive weakness and having difficulty with day-to-day activities. Arthritis is a normal aging process, it is how we manage the symptoms that can have a huge impact!
Success Stories
Maintaining a physically active lifestyle is just as important for dogs as it is for humans. The best way to prevent loss of mobility is to stay mobile, but sometimes you and your pup need a helping hand. Here are some of the happy stories we would like to share with you from some of our clients:
“Francisco is the best!! His knowledge and dedication to his patients is outstanding! Just when I thought my girl Roxy didn’t have any options to function normally, in just a short amount of time he helped get her walking and jumping again. She is living the dream at 11 years thanks to his guidance!”
Lindsey Williams, Business Owner/Personal Trainer“As one of our dogs has aged, it was very easy to go down the path of he is just getting old. However our vet and friends suggested physical therapy. We asked around various members of dog community and they all spoke highly of Francisco. He came to our house, on our schedule, and spent time getting to know our dog and his challenges to come up with a plan to help him. We noticed the difference within weeks. We would highly recommend Francisco and our 14.5 year old pup is really feeling the benefits!”
John Copeland, Senior Finance Manager“Just a great experience. We worried about our aging Boxer, but after an extensive evaluation, we learned he was living with arthritis. TheK9PT offered a comprehensive plan to treat the condition and build up muscle and resistance against old age. Highly recommend his services and such a nice person!”
Amanda Motyka, Dog Mom