If your pet has been diagnosed with arthritis don’t despair! There are multiple ways we can treat the disease and help your pet a more comfortable life. It is also important to note that arthritis can strike at any age. We have patients as young as 1-3years old who require pain management to help them get about.
They key to managing the disease is a multi-targeted approach. If we use a combination of treatments it can help reduce the need for large amounts of medication and lessen the potential side effects of any one treatment.
Some of the treatments might include:
1. Disease modifying drugs
Given as a regular injection, these help to relieve pain, reduce inflammation and help to preserve joint cartilage. They can also improve the health of the joint fluid meaning the joints are better lubricated and more comfortable when they move. The aim is to slow down the progression of the disease, as a cure is not possible,vThey can be given as weekly, monthly or tri-monthly injections.
2. Anti-inflammatory Medications (also known as NSAIDs)
These help to reduce pain and inflammation. They can be given short term but may be needed for the rest of your pet’s life (as long as we monitor your pet’s kidney and liver function). They can be given in conjunction with other pain reducing drugs. Never give human pain relief medications to your pet as they have note been safely tested.
As of recent we also have a new natural antinflammatory treatment called Antinol which has had wonderful results overseas. There are no known side effects and so can form a safe and effective longer term way of managing daily joint inflammation.
3. Therapeutic Joint Diets
Diets such as J/D which we have found extremely beneficial, almost viewed as a medicine, given the various proven benefits they provide for damaged joints. They contain high levels and specific ratios of fatty acids which help reduce inflammation and pain. Other ingredients such as EPA another fatty acid have also been shown to slow down the progression of joint degeneration. J/D also contains added glucosamine and chondroitin for cartilage repair, as well as L-Carnetine to help with maintaining muscle.
Prescription joint diets can also help keep your pet in a healthy weight range meaning there is less weight on your pet’s joints. Ask us about the specific prescription diets we have available for joint health.
4. Nutriceuticals
Many people ask us about a range of health products such as Fish oil, tumeric, Rose Hip Vital and green lipped mussel. Whilst they all claim to have benefits it is hard to know as studies have not proven if they work for all cases or all degrees of arthritis and joint damage. For example Fish oils are an excelent source of omega fatty acids, but it is the specific ratio between Omega 3 and Omega 6 which have any real antinflammatory effect. No one knows if the fish oil capsules contain the correct ratios to have the antinflammatory effect. They will certainly help with skin and coat condition.
Supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin form the building blocks for cartilage and whilst again no one knows for sure if they truely work, we do believe that they are worth adding into a management plan.
If your pet has arthritis, we will come up with an appropriate treatment plan and work with you to ensure your pet has more comfortable days.
