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Arthritis Information for your PON Weight Management: A healthy diet is extremely important for your PON with arthritis. Controlled weight loss is both essential and beneficial for your PON to prevent him from carrying excess weight on his joints. Fat tissues are known to secrete hormones that cause pain. Consult your family vet about low fat kibble or alternatively consider formulating either a home cooked or raw diet. Yahoo lists offer extensive information on this topic. With your vet's approval,apply heat on sore joints. Applying a warm compress to your PON's joints will help to ease ongoing pain. Heat will penetrate deep into the muscle to the joint for relief. Keep in mind your PON cannot get up quickly, so avoid too hot water bottles or pads. Exercise should be regular, but not too strenuous for your PON. If your PON wishes to turn and return home after a short walk, let him. The key is constant exercise, but keep it light and short. Avoid walking when it is too cold, as the joints will tend to be sore. Treadmills are wonderful when supervised, and swimming is a great form of exercise as well. Inquire about local canine facilities.
Keep your PON warm and comfortable. This is especially important
on cold or wet days. Cold weather may cause the joints to be
particularly stiff or swollen. Add an additional blanket to your
PON's bed and always allow to him sleep inside the house. Adding
an extra pillow will also help keep him comfortable and ease
pain in the joints.
Food and water bowls should be raised. This is especially important if your PON has arthritis in the neck or shoulders. Bending down may cause tension and pain, so raising his food and water bowls will help him to eat pain free. You may notice a weight loss during arthritis, and the pain to eat may be the source of this. Offer fish oil and read the article on mussels which appears on the front page of PON Digest. Avoid too much red beef which may cause inflammation of the joints. Slip-free floors are essential. Your PON may struggle when walking on hard wood floors. If you notice this, consider getting a rug for common areas where your PON plays or rests. Using alternative cleaning products on the floors may also help with slipping paws. Massage and acupuncture therapy are excellent options for canine arthritis. Owners can do massages at home or take their PONS to a professional. Massages and acupuncture provide relief for sore, inflamed joints and will help to loosen these areas up. Keeping your PON comfortable during his time with arthritis will prove extremely beneficial. Consult your veterinarian about additional supplements and treatment options available for canines with arthritis. Please keep us updated. Good luck.
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