Sometimes it’s just on cold winter mornings, or when your pet just first gets up from resting. Sometimes its after the dog’s had a good run down at the beach the day before. Maybe your cat just isn’t using her scratching post as much, or can’t get up into the cupboard any more….
Sometimes we are just relieved that the pup or kitten has finally grown up…. but often they aren’t doing all the things they used to do because they are sore. Arthritis and chronic pain is much more common than people think – Studies show about 20% of cats and dogs have chronic pain, either from arthritis or dental disease. but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Often we put these things down to the ageing process, we can all feel a bit stiff sometimes as we get older. Right? Well, maybe…. but often this stiffness is triggered or caused by soft tissue injury to muscles or tendons, and sometimes by damage to ligaments and joints. Other times its wear and tear. For all these different causes, there are more than a few different treatment options. Some involve medication, others involve changes to lifestyle, nutrition, altered exercise, and weight control. Medications can involve some of the types of medication with which we are familiar (anti-inflammatories and analgesics) but there are many other options such as Cartrophen and Pentosan (which relubricates old joints and helps to repair worn cartilage), acupuncture, and even physical therapy to strengthen muscles to help them support worn or unstable joints.
For chronic pain caused by dental disease, there are excellent solutions to improve the pet’s well being and overall health.
As with people, the more active and mobile we can keep pets as they get older, the longer they live and the healthier they remain.
