Joint Pain in Senior Dogs
In this post, I wanted to talk about joint pain in senior dogs because my own dog is approaching fifteen years old. I have been researching ways to alleviate any discomfort she may have from arthritis and ways to spot the signs of joint pain.
As you can see from the photo Holly is a very small dog (Chihuahua/Shih Tzu cross). I try hard to keep her weight stable and she has coconut oil with her food. She has never had a day of illness throughout her life, which I think is amazing. She was spayed at three years old and recovered well from the operation, although she hated me for a while after!
Outwardly Holly is still extremely lively. She has no problems jumping on to the sofa or going up and down stairs. She can hear the treat tin when she is at the top of the garden and runs in at the speed of light. Unfortunately, she does have cataracts in both eyes but this doesn’t seem to affect her sight too much. I have noticed that she sleeps more now and doesn’t always want to go for a walk. Apart from that, she is extremely happy, a little bossy and completely devoted to me.
Older dogs experience joint pain from normal wear and tear to their body. However, in some larger breeds, the extra weight they carry can cause degenerative joint problems when they are much younger.
Here are the signs to look out for which signal that your dog is experiencing joint stiffness.
The dog may experience difficulty standing after a long sleep.
He may be slower or reluctant to climb stairs.
There may be a slight limp when he walks.
The joints may seem swollen and appear to be stiff.
The dog may seem less inclined to play or want to go for walks.
He may seem sleepy, lethargic, even depressed.
The dog may not like being touched or petted as much as he previously did.
What is Arthritis?
The most common form of arthritis in dogs is osteoarthritis or Degenerative Joint Disease. It is caused when the cartilage in the joints wears down so there is less to cushion and protect the joint. In severe cases, the bones can rub together or a spur can form.
The joints most affected by arthritis are hips, knees, elbows, shoulders, ankles and lower back.
If the changes you observe are slight there are things you can do to relieve the symptoms.
However, if at any time the dog looks like he is experiencing pain, veterinary intervention is required.
1 Monitor the dog’s weight.
Excess weight puts a strain on the joints.
Take a look at this post for some useful tips to help with your dog’s weight
2 Exercise
Strengthen muscles with physical activity. There are some helpful tips to increase your dog’s fitness here
3 Use food supplements
Add fish oil to decrease inflammation in the joints.
Coconut oil can aid arthritis when added to the dog’s food.
4 Bedding
Make sure that the dog has a padded bed to sleep in away from draughts with a warm blanket.
This dog bed comes with a soft and supportive orthopaedic mattress. There are two colours available and various sizes to suit your dog.
5 Flooring
If you have wooden floors provide rugs or a ramp to prevent the dog from slipping.
6 Massage
Gentle massage can stimulate blood flow. Here are a few tips on how to massage your dog.
7 Warm Compress
Hold a hot water bottle or a warm towel to provide relief to the joint.
8 Acupuncture
Ask your vet to recommend a trained acupuncturist.
9 Water Therapy
Nonweight bearing exercise is really good for your dogs. Ask your vet to recommend a water therapist.
10 Joint Supplements
There are specially designed joint supplements which are thought to aid arthritis in dogs. They can be purchased online or from pet stores. Please read instructions to make sure that you choose the right one for your dog. Look for supplements which contain glucosamine and chondroitin.
This post is very helpful. Our Male border collie started having joint issues after being fixed. The vet denies it’s because of the surgery, but he’s only 3 with no other reason to have the issue. I’ve occasionally done the coconut oil and I might try to up that. He does take a supplement for his joints which has helped. Thanks so much for all the info! ♥️
Oh sorry to hear about your collie, that is awfully young to have joint problems. Have you tried oily fish?
I haven’t as of now. I’m going to up the coconut oil and then see how it goes. I used to give him fish oil, maybe I should start that again too. They’re on a really good food already and tons of exercise.
I got online and started reading about dogs with joint issues after being fixed and there are vets who say that certain breeds are at higher risk, but usually it happens when you get them fixed really early and he was already 2.5 years. Our vet just wants to put him on anti-inflammatories and I don’t want that for him. He’s not totally miserable, we just notice it in the morning for a few minutes and then later at night.
Im going to do some reading about that, it’s really interesting. I wouldn’t want a young dog on meds either. Thanks for the info xxx
Great info here. My dogs are 14 and 12, and fortunately show no sign of joint issues yet. They alternate betaken fish oil and coconut oil in their food, simply because they can be fussy little things! They’re small too, Corgi and Pomeranian, so I guess that helps. Always good to have extra ideas though 🙂
Oh they sound really cute. Im so glad you found the post helpful. Its so special to have the company of an older dog, give them a hug from me xxx
Good information. It’s so sad to see them slow down. I hadn’t heard about coconut oil before – I’m going to try that with my 12 year old collie-shepherd mix. Thank you.
So sad when they get old. Try the coconut oil but only tiny amounts to start with.