Sadly, there is no magic cure for osteoarthritis. But a lot of small changes can give your suffering cat or dog huge relief. Remember with osteoarthritis the cartilage in the joints is damaged and is getting destroyed. We have to protect this cartilage, try and rebuild it and take inflammation away in the joints.
Step 1.
Protection starts by making the load on the joint less. Yes, I am saying the 10 letter word. “Weightloss!” A small reduction in weight has a huge impact on pain. This won’t be easy for you or your pet, but we can help. We don’t want you to just starve your pet after all. A lot of research and money has been allocated to develop effective weight-loss diets for pets. These diets reduce your pet’s weight without making them feel hungry, and at the same time stop muscle wasting since they are eating less. Combining this with light exercise is step one. Remember, strong muscles support’s a weak joint.
Step 2.
Next, we will need to improve the cartilage that is left. This can be done through a series of injections with Pentosan. This helps new cartilage form, will increase and thicken the joint fluids AND it will treat all the joints in the body at the same time! I must admit this sounds a bit like magic doesn’t it? We will also start with a joint supplementation to provide the Pentosan with building blocks so that it can perform this joint modification process.
Step 3.
And now we are ready to take inflammation and pain away. Our aim is not just to take the pain away because then your pet will forget that it is painful and will keep on walking and, of course, keep on grinding bone into bone and causing more damage.
Your pet needs a drug that will take inflammation away in the joint while it gets moderate pain relief. By using these drugs we also preserve the cartilage that is left.
Step 4.
Last but not least are lifestyle changes. Are there still pets in Melbourne that sleep outside in Winter? Well, they shouldn’t, Melbourne can get absolutely brutally cold in winter. Those old cats and dogs should have soft beds at a temperature that is comfortable for their owners. Yes, keep them inside!
Busting Myths
The biggest myth of all that needs debunking is: “Pet arthritis does not need treatment”
Arthritis does not have a cure. Doing nothing about it is a welfare concern. Arthritis causes chronic pain, which can lead to poor quality of life. Veterinary medicine has advanced in leaps and bounds in the past decade and now there are many treatment options that can help alleviate the pain and manage the disease’s progress. Consult with your family vet to confirm the correct diagnosis of arthritis and to rule out anything more sinister before pursuing treatment.
Should to you have any questions about your pets, please don’t hesitate to contact us, we’re always happy to help.
