Naturally Treating Arthritis in Dogs

You bring your dog home when he's a puppy and you hope he will stay that way forever. But the fact remains that your dog is going to age. It's a natural cycle in life, and there's nothing you can do to stop the aging process. There is something you can do to manage your dog's medical conditions as they arise. The number one condition that dogs suffer from as they age is arthritis. Some breeds are more prone to it than others, but it's something all dog owners should be aware of as their pet enters their senior years.

If you are hesitant to put your dog on traditional medications, you can take them to a holistic veterinarian to get them treated. The natural route for treating arthritis has proven to be just as effective as the traditional route of prescription medications and the upside is there are fewer side effects than the medications. Often the side effects from the anti-inflammatory drugs can cause gastric upsets and in the end, it can shorten your dog's life.

The two best natural products that that work very well together is glucosamine and MSM as they appear to have a synergistic effect on the arthritis that reduces pain and inflammation, and typically do not cause tummy upsets. These two products are also used for humans with arthritis, and are completely safe to give to your dog to help with the swelling, pain, and further damaging the affected joints.

MSM helps with the pain and inflammation, so in a sense it is a natural pain killer, but also works on the swelling of the joints as well. Glucosamine works on inflammation in the joints and can even help smooth out some of the rough areas where the cartilage has worn away, but this takes time. Therefore, it is recommended that as your dog reaches middle age he or she begins a daily regimen of the two natural dog supplements because this will help lessen the degree of painful arthritis your dog develops.

In addition, by starting your dog off with glucosamine and MSM during middle age, you help to keep the joints nourished so that the cartilage that typically wears away will do so at a much slower rate. This means your dog will be more comfortable and will keep them moving pain-free for more years. If you wait to begin supplementation until the dog's joints are severely arthritic, it takes longer for the supplements to actually work and bring relief to your dog. Therefore, staring your dog off at middle age is the best way to give them a more pain-free senior life.

You love your dog and you want only the best for him or her. As much as you wish you could keep them as cute little puppies forever, they will go through the aging process, and as they do, you can make the process much more comfortable by adding natural supplementation to their diets long before they ever begin showing signs of slowing down.