Do Dogs And Cats Get Arthritis?

• Posted on 27 July 2020
• By Dr. Jill Tack
• Posted in arthritis, cats, dogs, pain in joints, supplements
• 0

Learn more about how arthritis in cats and dogs can be treated with natural supplements to help with chronic inflammation and de-mineralization of the bones.

Do Dogs And Cats Get Arthritis?

Yes! Arthritis is something that most of our cats and dogs deal with as they grow into their golden years. However, sometimes this is a diagnosis that plagues our young animals due to excessive inflammation or traumas that have happened to the body. The good news is that arthritis doesn’t mean poor quality of life. It just means that your pet might be slow to get up and get moving, have a lower tolerance for extreme exercise routines, or have more stiffness during times of damp, wet weather. Sounds like what humans experience, doesn’t it?

What Is Arthritis? 

Simply put, arthritis means “inflammation of a joint”. At The Pet Beastro, we always like to start with nutrition. Did you know that some proteins, vegetables, and synthetic ingredients promote inflammation within the body? That chronic inflammation can manifest into chronic arthritis symptoms and issues that exacerbate over time. 

How To Help Cats And Dogs With Arthritis: 

1. Our first recommendation is to remove all nightshade plants from your pets food source. Nightshade plant food sources include white potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers. 
2. You could then take it a step further and reduce all warming or hot proteins from the diet. Finding a food with these stipulations can be confusing and convoluted. 
3. But fear not, our team is here to help you! We can meet with you one-on-one during a nutrition consultation to help you find the best food for your dog or cat that has arthritis issues. Click here to learn more about our nutrition services. 
4. Once the correct diet has been established, it is best to support your pet with supplements. 

Arthritis Vs. Hip & Joint Issues: 

Oftentimes when customers are looking for a supplement for their pet, I feel like they are often steered in the wrong direction from the conventional veterinarian perspective. Conventionally, arthritis is most often treated or supplemented with the options that are available for hip dysplasia. From the natural health perspective, we see arthritis differently than joint issues although they may present the same. Besides chronic inflammation, de-mineralization can also be the culprit of arthritis and stiffness. The body needs a continual supply of vitamins and minerals along with fats, hydration, amino acids, etc. to continually feed our cells within our body. When these are not given in the proper form to replenish the body, the body then robs different areas of the body to continue its nourishment. Eventually these mineral reservoirs run dry. The onset of arthritis and stiffness increase as the inflammation progresses when there is nothing left to support the body’s function. For arthritis, I think it's imperative to remineralize the body to control further deterioration and advancement of arthritis. It is also essential to work on reducing inflammation in the body in conjunction with mineral support and food changes. 

• One of my favorite supplements is Animal Essential Joint Support. Although the name is joint supporting, it is one of the best for getting minerals into the body and reducing the inflammation. 
• If a liquid supplement doesn’t work for your pet, then I would reach for Dr. Harvey’s multivitamin and mineral powder. This blend of herbs provides a wide spectrum of nutrients that are all from herbs without any synthetic ingredients. 
• Depending on your cat or dog, our favorite anti-inflammatory options are ginger, yucca, boswellia, turmeric, and full-spectrum hemp oil. For a tablet option, we highly recommend Herbsmith Comfort Aches which supports healing and addresses discomfort. 

The recommended supplements are all safe for long term use since we know arthritis doesn’t disappear overnight. Depending on your pet's symptoms, they will often lead us to one of these anti-inflammatories as the best option. Each pet is unique and different which is why we suggest different options for an individualized approach. 

Arthritis & Animal Chiropractic Care:

We also love combining supplements along with chiropractic care. If a joint or disc is out of alignment that could advance the inflammation that is already present.  We consider spine health and care very important when inflammation is present. Chiropractic care is a gentle manipulation of the spine but has been known to reduce the advancement of arthritis as well as help with pain management. Chiropractic won’t resolve arthritis and make it disappear, but it will certainly help reduce symptoms making a more comfortable quality of life for your pet. Click here to learn more about our Animal Chiropractic services. 

Arthritis Diagnosis

If you haven’t had your pet examined or diagnosed, we recommend a veterinarian appointment first. An arthritis diagnosis is often discovered through an x-ray. This will allow you to understand the full scope of where the arthritis is located and how severe. Classic symptoms of arthritis are fatigue, stiffness in the joints, swelling of the joints, slow to stand, slow movement, pain, panting, traumas, diagnosed joint diseases, autoimmune disorders, and poor diet, just to name a few. 

Please let us know how we can help your cat or dog with arthritis. Stop in the store or give us a call at 248-548-3448 and we would be glad to help you!