Animals too suffer from arthritis

rupture CCL animal hydrotherapy Anatomie

Normal joint vs. arthritic joint

Arthritis is a painful and progressive disease that makes it harder for any joint affected to move. This can happen at any time in your pets life stage. If you suspect your pet may have some discomfort and pain; contact your veterinarian.

In the picture to the left; you can see a normal joint opposed to an arthritic joint. The process of arthritis is usually as per below:

Cartilage wear exposes underlying bone and nerves adding to overall joint discomfort.
The synovial membrane is very sensitive to inflammation and becomes the primary source of pain. (This is found in between the two bones; (the joint)).
The synovial fluid as shown in the right of the picture becomes less effective at lubricating joint movement. This further aggravates joint. This can show as slow/restrictions in movement in your pet and pain.
Osteophyte formation (excess bone production) is painful and interferes with normal joint function and movement. Your pets quality of life is limited if left untreated. (This is a more severe form of arthritis).

How do i see or know if my pet is finding it hard to move?

Working dogs are not enthusiastic to work and playful dogs do not want to play. They also guard themselves when younger energetic dogs want to play with them.
Prefers lying down to standing all the time.
Has trouble jumping or getting into the vehicle; or out of the vehicle or higher object.
Occasional limp or a persistent limp.
Rests or lies in an abnormal position.
Resistant to run or for a normal period of time.
Difficulty toileting or squatting.
Shorter strides in steps/hobbling walk.
Excessive panting and not wanting to jump on command.

Looking after these joints

For most dogs a short swim is an extremely challenging workout; they will only be active in the water as deemed suitable by Anatomie and times can range each session due to their conditions.

The natural buoyancy of the water and the fact that sudden twists, stops and falls are near impossible; makes hydrotherapy a safe and effective form of exercise with a qualified advanced hydrotherapy facilitator. It reduces swelling of the joints, increases movements and blood circulatory nutrients to the joints. It's also very enjoyable for most animals once they get the hang of it.

Additionally; the pressure of the water coats naturally around the chest region makes it a tiny bit harder when an animal breathes in; thus using more chest muscles. As the muscles strengthen with exercise we also benefit from increased respiratory function and also cardiovascular fitness.

There are additional ways to help your pet.

If you think they may need pain relief or help to control their arthritis; or you suspect they have this or an injury; please contact your Veterinarian for further advice. They may be able to discuss treatment options; x-rays or even Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory pain relief drugs such as Rimadyl or Trocoxil. These medications can help reduce inflammation and hypersensitivities to pain thresholds.

Your veterinary professional will provide you with what is safe and best for your pet in regards to GI tolerances etc. Dog and cat physio Christchurch.

Working dogs - making the career last longer.

Testimonial - Muzzle station - Marlborough Region

Muzzle Station’s oldest team dog Buff can claim to be as confident with all four paws firmly grounded on a tough hill face as she is when riding shot gun in the station’s fixed wing Cessna 180 or R44 helicopter. Those trips may take her deeper into the 16,000ha station’s interior for mustering, or high over the Seaward Kaikouras for the occasional vet visit.

One of those visits was prompted when Buff’s owner Fiona Redfern was concerned at Buff’s stiffness after a day’s work, and the increasing difficulty she was having getting around. The stiffness had Fiona concerned her trusted 10 year old right hand dog was also suffering some pain from the creep of age and hard work. “She is still pretty sharp for her age, but she was getting slower and I was keen to see if we could treat her to ensure she was not in any pain, and to enable her to keep working if at all possible,” says Fiona. Having recently lost a couple of younger dogs, she could see a gap of experience opening up if she lost Buff before her other young dogs were fully trained. Rebecca Fleming of VetCare Kaikoura recommended Fiona try treating Buff with Trocoxil. Developed specifically for arthritis in dogs, Trocoxil has proven to be an ideal treatment for owners of working dogs throughout New Zealand. “What I liked about it was that you only had to give her one tablet a month. Given where we are, with either a three hour drive into Kaikoura or a flight over the range, I needed something easily administrated, rather than having to take her in for a shot regularly,” says Fiona. Five months into treatment and Fiona has noticed Buff has lost the stiffness she carried after a day’s work, and is ready for another day’s work on the station’s tough hill country. “I certainly intend to continue with the treatment, and thinking back there have been a few dogs in the past I only wish we had Trocoxil that I could have given them, it’s proven to work well for her.” Buff’s Vet Rebecca says for most farmers with working dogs daily dose treatments simply don’t fit with their busy routines; and one pill a month offers an ideal means of administration. With a large catchment of back country stations and clients, Rebecca sees plenty of dogs she believes could benefit from Trocoxil treatments. She is also mindful of a Massey University survey in 2009 that indicated at least 20% of the dogs in the survey exhibited signs of joint problems and pain, often coinciding with additional problems caused by stock injuries. “It is a very tough life as a working dog, particularly in this sort of country. These dogs give their all, and they are often just as valuable, if not more so, as a staff member.

With the Trocoxil treatment it means dogs like Buff are able to have a few more pain free, useful years left doing what they love to do.”

* dog and cat physio christchurch - rehab therapist, qualified advanced hydrotherapy - Anatomie, veterinary (animal based)