4 Tips to Take Care of Your Dog with Osteoarthritis

4 Tips to Take Care of Your Dog With Osteoarthritis

It’s a fact of life as a dog owner that we’ll need to help our dogs deal with numerous health problems over the years. Many will only be temporary, while others will endure. One of the problems that dogs often experience is osteoarthritis. A dog with osteoarthritis is a painful condition that unfortunately won’t just disappear over time.

How to Help Your Dog with Osteoarthritis

That being said, there are no shortage of things you can do to relieve the most painful of symptoms. As you’ll discover below, these tips are easy to put in practice but will make a big impact on your dog’s livelihood. Keep reading to see our top 4 tips to take care of your dog with osteoarthritis.

1. Give Your Dog a Liquid Glucosamine Supplement

One of the best ways to support your dog with osteoarthritis is to give them a liquid Glucosamine supplement. If you’re looking for a brand trusted by countless dog owners, Synflex® is a smart choice. Synflex helps dogs with bone and joint diseases by helping relieve pain and discomfort. It offers an alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which can have a number of undesirable side effects for dogs.

Every bottle of Synflex for Pets is packed with a number of ingredients that work to ease your four-legged friend’s pain and discomfort. Notably, each bottle has 1,250 milligrams of the highest possible pharmaceutical quality liquid Glucosamine Sulfate and HCL.

It also contains a range of other ingredients beneficial for their health such as chondroitin sulfate, boswellin, yucca powder, manganese ascorbate, bromelain, vitamin C, omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids, and vitamins E, A, and C. If you’re worried about the taste, you’ll be comforted to learn that dogs love Synflex’s natural berry flavor.

2. Tweak Their Diet

Another way to provide your dog with the care they need to cope with osteoarthritis is to make some simple changes to their diet. Your dog’s diet can have a dramatic impact on your dog’s overall health. There are a number of foods that have been noted for their beneficial effects on dogs with osteoarthritis.

Jean Hofve, DVM recommends giving your dog “arthritis-fighting” foods such as wild-caught salmon, sardines, herring, leafy green vegetables, blueberries, cranberries, apples, whole ground bone-in chicken, game birds, green-lipped mussels, and bone broth.

Of course, tweaking their diet is easier said than done, particularly if you’re short on time. Time-poor dog parents should consider finding a dog food delivery service that serves arthritis-friendly food. Getting a helping hand in this way will not only ensure you’re providing your dog with the nutrients they need to thrive, but also save you time and stress.

3. Manage Their Weight

Weight management plays a huge role in helping your dog with osteoarthritis. It’s important that they aren’t carrying extra weight as being on the heavier side will intensify any aches and pain they’re experiencing.

So how do you healthily manage your dog’s weight? In addition to eating the “arthritis-fighting” foods we mentioned above, you may need to put your dog on a diet. You may also need to modify their exercise routine.

PetMD highlights some exercise tips for pets with arthritis that dog owners should keep in mind. For example, they explain that you should focus on low-impact, light activities that “help strengthen muscles, keep ligaments and tendons flexible, prevent obesity and circulate blood to stiff joints.” It’s important that you make each session short but regular.

4. Ask for Expert Advice

Dealing with your dog’s osteoarthritis can be challenging as a dog owner. It can sometimes feel completely overwhelming. It’s natural to question whether you’re doing enough to help your dog, and whether what you’re doing is ideal.

Instead of worrying yourself with doubt, it’s always best to get some expert guidance before making any changes. Don’t be afraid to talk to your veterinarian to make sure you’re on the right track. They’ll be able to give you the guidance you need to help your dog by providing advice and answering any questions you have.

Remember, when it comes to your dog’s health, a tailored approach is always best. Your vet will be able to provide recommendations based on their knowledge of your dog as well as best practices.

Author Bio

Jenny Jarvis is a frequent contributing author for Pet Life Today. She’s originally from Central Ohio but has lived all over the world with her family, including Texas, Florida and Germany, among other places. She’s taken her two fur babies (and human ones, too) with her along the way and currently calls Eastern PA home. Jenny has been writing on all things pets (mostly focused on dogs) since 2015 and hopes to continue honing her expertise for many years to come.