Signs of Dog Arthritis

By: Steve Weber A Click author's name for more of his/her articles

How do you know if your dog has arthritis? If you had numerous dogs in the past, you may already be familiar with the signs of dog arthritis. Especially if you really have a passion for pets, you may have already discussed these things with a friend or perhaps a neighbor.
A dog may be very active and may not have been overweight ever since, but as it ages, it will start to show signs of arthritis. Even if it has always been healthy, at around 8 years old, it may start to limp around for no reason at all. This is a sign that your dog has arthritis. At this time, you may have to control your dog, not to be overactive. By continuously moving around and playing around, the dog's joints may no longer be able to take it.

As your dog ages a year more, it may no longer be able to move as quickly and smoothly as it has in years before. You may notice that it moves with a certain stiffness now, showing another sign of arthritis. Dog arthritis just makes it harder for your pet to move around as swiftly as it was able to do when it was way younger.
At this point, it may already be a good time to consult your vet so that a thorough diagnosis may be made.
Dogs at a later age, around 10 or 11 years old, will most likely suffer from arthritis. You may start to notice that there are times when your dog starts to move around slowly. You may notice that it will be more careful as it lays down, seemingly hurting with arthritis. It will be very obvious for us to see that they are in some sort of pain, though dogs are better in handling pain than humans do. We are still able to recognize when something is troubling them or causing them pain.
Another good sign to look for is when your dog tries to sit down. It will make quite several attempts, but seems to never get to it right away. Also, when standing up from a sitting position, it may not be able to rise up quickly as it has always done before. You already notice the differences now that your dog is older. When it was younger, she behaved differently and was able to move about without much restriction. This information helps you recognize the signs of dog arthritis.
Carefully observing your dog now, you may see that it does not play quite as hard as before. When it goes up and down the stairs, it is more careful and moves more slowly. Perhaps it has learned that too much action on its part will just lead to sore joints later on--a sure sign of dog arthritis. It may have already developed into full-blown arthritis.
You may also notice that your dog is in pain when it is touched on certain parts of its body. Especially on the hip joints portion, your dog may not feel like being touched on this part since it will be painful. If you continue on touching this part, it may make some whimpering sound signaling the discomfort it feels.
Always be observant of your dog's action from time to time. You will start to notice a difference in your dog's behavior now and before. A dog with arthritis will not be able to move as much or sustain much activity. This is more noticeable for larger dogs since their heavier weights place more stress on their joints than the smaller dogs.

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About The Author: Steve Weber operates Cactus Canyon.com where he offers supplements for and information about Dogs With Arthritis