Most dogs get a bit sore and arthritic as they age. How much and how much it bothers them varies dog-to-dog. Some of the common signs of soreness to watch for include:

• Sitting up in front first before pulling their rear up when lying down
• “Hopping” their hind legs up stairs two at a time instead of striding up
• Hopping the same way in the rear when they run
• Walking with their head low
• Development of their neck and chest area so there is “a lot of dog” in front of the shoulders—their front end looks like it belongs to a bigger dog than the back end
• Groaning when they lie down
• Hesitating or refusing to jump in and out of the car or up and down off of furniture, cutting games they used to play short – esp. right after a spin or twist
• Lying down to eat when they used to stand up

Home care that helps:

• Keep your dog lean
• Give joint supporting supplements
• Use nonskid runners before and after corners, over slick flooring and especially at the bottom of stairs and below favorite furniture napping spots so your dog has a nonskid landing,
• No chasing toys or balls on slippery surfaces
• No ordinary fetch games (though up slopes can be fine)
• No or minimal rough play with younger, bigger, rougher dogs
• Supervise around children closely and respect the fact that pain can cause aggression; if a young child flops down on top of the dog for a hug and hurts him, the snap can happen before a thought does.

Medical care that helps includes:

• Pain medication
• Adequan injections
• Acupuncture
• Physical therapy
• Massage therapy
• Chiropractic care

Taking these steps can help keep your old dog as comfortable as possible for as long as possible.

 

by Sarah Wilson, MySmartPuppy.com