Adding a dog to your family

There are a few things to think about when deciding if adding a dog to your family is the right thing. How often are you at home to walk them? What will you do if you go on holiday? Will you be able to manage the vets bills? We’ll be covering the subject of pets more in future posts, and today have an article about caring for your dog…

5 Things you can do to protect your Dog’s Joints

Dogs can suffer from arthritis or other joint problems just like us as we age, and it’s important that they get treated efficiently to keep them as happy, healthy and comfortable as possible.

Joint problems don’t just necessarily affect older dogs; smaller dogs that often have to jump up high to sit on sofas, for example, can also suffer from painful joints due to the amount of pressure that is put on them. As this can lead to serious problems, we’ve put together a list of 5 things you can do to protect your dog’s joints so that their tail will be wagging for years to come!

1. Optimise their diet and keep them at a healthy weight

Keeping your pooch a good, healthy weight for his age and size is vital so as not to put extra strain on their muscles and joints as they move. If you’re worried your dog is overweight, speak to your vet for advice on how you can change their diet to get things back on track.

2. Keep them active with regular, gentle exercise

It may sound strange but helping them keep active is really good for their joints as it will keep them limber and mobile. Daily walks are vital also to increase blood circulation, meaning that blood can get to those problem areas. The build up of muscle they’ll achieve from regular walks or general exercise will be beneficial for protecting the tissue and joints, too.

3. Treat them with joint medication

Good medication is a great form of defence against any ailment your dog may endure, and problems with joints and arthritis is no exception. Capsules like c2 collaplex from Vet Medic are veterinary approved tablets that work to maintain normal mobility in dogs of all shapes and sizes. You may find that treating such problems with remedies like this can cut problems (and costs) down in the long run as well.

4. Make some changes to your home

When we age and find regular, everyday tasks a little more difficult, we seek out useful solutions that can help make things a little easier, such as walking sticks for a mobility aid or chair lifts if getting up the stairs is a struggle. We should always try and incorporate these types of aids in our dog’s lives, not that we’re suggesting buying a chair lift for your pooch! You can, however, get doggy friendly steps to make things like getting into bed and onto the sofa easier and more pain-free.

5. Give them regular massages and help where you can

Again, just like when we have a pain in our joints our muscles, we often feel better after it has been given a rub or a massage. Don’t underestimate this effect when it comes to helping your dogs feel better, too! You could even apply an ice pack to their sore areas to help them feel relief and give them a massage afterwards. Their fur will generally stop the ice pack from feeling too cold and they’re likely to really enjoy it.