How much easier would it be for everyone if your pet could talk? One of the most common mistakes owners make is misinterpreting the signs of painful arthritis, for old age. It is easy to understand – the pet is getting older and there has been a slow decrease in activity and not the same energy and bounce they used to have. Remember age is not a disease! Does your dog take ages to get up in the morning and hobbles around stiffly, but by the end of the day is not looking too bad? Do they ask to be picked up and put on your bed or onto the couch? Whereas they always used to think nothing of hopping up themselves. Does your cat sit at the bottom of the stairs instead of coming up like they used to? Now you have to put the cat food on the floor as they won’t jump onto the counter to eat? Or they are happy to jump up but not down? If pets could talk they would be complaining how painful it is to move. There are now several treatment options that are often highly effective.
Arthritis checks: Some of the symptoms are…
- Does your pet struggle to start moving in the mornings and then warm up later in the day?
- Any limping/holding one leg up?
- Is there difficulty sitting down?
- Trouble jumping in and out of the car or on to the bed?
- Always tired – can’t walk as far as normal or sleeping a lot?
- Becoming irritable – snapping/biting when handled or their sore spot touched?
- Is one leg looking thin compared to the other from disuse or is a joint thickened?
- Does your pet lick or chew constantly over a particular joint?
