Pet arthritis is a medical condition in which a pet has inflammation on its joints, disallowing them to move freely as usual. In most cases, when a pet has arthritis, it can feel pain and discomfort when they move their bodies. With that condition, you should take action immediately and make them feel better.
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As a pet owner, it’s wise that you know about pet arthritis, so you can prevent your pets from having one. You can choose to read an article about arthritis in pets to have an idea of how you can diagnose and manage a pet with arthritis. But most importantly, you should know its common causes, which are written below, so you can alleviate them before your pet’s condition becomes worse.
1. Developmental Arthritis
Certain pet breeds are bound to have arthritis in their life. While you can’t eliminate them from happening, their condition might develop early depending on how they live and are taken care of.
Be extra cautious if your pet has a lifestyle that involves the following:
- Eats excessively and is overweight
- Slips on your home’s slippery floors frequently
- Uses the stairs too much
- Has too much or no exercise
With those, your pet might develop arthritis much sooner. Ideally, you should have a household that’s entirely safe for your pets to roam around without overworking their bodies.
Know that with developmental arthritis, your pet’s joints cannot move as they’re supposed to, resulting in damaged joints that will develop into arthritis.
Ideally, you should know the health condition of your pet the first time that you have them. In this way, you can immediately take action on how you can delay them from having arthritis. You may read articles online or consult with your veterinarian for guaranteed medical advice.
2. Joint Instability
One of the causes of pet arthritis is joint instability. When your pet tends to move suddenly, it may make their joints unstable and radiate pain. Also, sudden movements may lead to ligament damage. Jumping, skidding, turning, or twisting their bodies awkwardly may also contribute to the damage.
Moreover, when your pet has ligament damage, you need to bring them to the vet to receive a proper diagnosis and assessment of how you can help your pet recover. They might recommend a physical therapist to help your pet’s joint health get back to normal in no time. Normally, with proper treatment, your pet may recover within two to three weeks.
It’s not recommended to postpone the treatment of your pet’s ligament damage. This condition can easily develop into arthritis, which will require a longer or possibly a lifetime’s worth of treatment.
To prevent ligament damage and arthritis from happening to your pet, you should avoid them from making any sudden movements that their bodies aren’t capable of. For example, if your pet isn’t familiar with or trained to jump in high places, you shouldn’t force them to do so.
On the other hand, instead of stopping them all the time, you can just train them. You can begin by introducing them with small jumps and gradually increase the height according to their abilities, progress, and breed. Never force your pet into doing something impossible.
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Ask a Vet Live Now3. Damage From Trauma
If your pet recently had injury or fractures, they’re most likely to develop arthritis over the years. With that, you need to provide proper treatment for their injuries so they could fully recover. In this way, you can help them eliminate the possibility of developing arthritis.
Preventing your pet from developing fractures and injuries is key. To make that possible, you should take extra precautions about when and where they roam around. Ideally, you should design your home to be pet-friendly by eliminating any structure in your home that can injure or hurt your pet.
In unfortunate cases that your pet already has an injury or fracture, provide the necessary care for their speedy recovery. You must consult with your veterinarian on which treatment is suitable for your pet. Along with this, you should also do your best to make your pet feel comfortable as much as possible. You might want to consider upgrading their bed, feeding them nutritious meals, and being by their side all the time.
If your pet already has arthritis from their injury or fracture, you should ask which physical therapy is appropriate for them. With the information you can get, you can make them feel better and help them recover from their pain.
Conclusion
Pet arthritis is a painful condition in which your pet has to go through. Before you begin worrying about how you can help your pet recover and live a happy life, it’s best that you learn their causes to identify the things you must avoid.
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Tom
Tom has always loved to write since he was little - he wanted to be either a writer or a veterinary doctor, but he ended up being a professional writer while most of his works are based on animals. He was born in San Francisco but later moved to Texas to continue his job as a writer. He graduated from the University of San Francisco where he studied biotechnology. He is happily married and a soon to be father!
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