As dogs age, some may begin to suffer from arthritis. Arthritis is inflammation, swelling, or general pain in one or multiple joints. If your dog is suffering from arthritis, there are some treatments available to help your dog feel better and find relief. Here are a few arthritis treatments for dogs:

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is a common health problem in dogs and is characterized by inflammation of the joints. When dogs experience this pain and inflammation in their joints, it can affect their normal activities. It may be hard for them to get up off the floor, play, or exercise.

Arthritis is typically diagnosed with a thorough physical exam of the skeletal system. Doctors will use palpation with their hands to find pain and determine how intense it is for your dog. Sometimes other tests including X-rays or other imaging technology are used to further diagnose and determine the location of arthritis.

5 Signs Your Dog Has Arthritis

There are a few signs your dog might have arthritis that you should look out for:

1. Walking stiffly
2. Trouble getting up or lying down
3. Hesitating before jumping up onto or off of furniture
4. Not wanting to go on walks or other forms of exercise
5. Lameness in one of their legs

If you notice any of these signs, give your veterinarian a call.

9 Arthritis Treatments for Dogs

Unfortunately, there is no one treatment for arthritis. Arthritis cannot be cured but the symptoms can be managed. Oftentimes, a few treatments are used in tandem to help manage pain and other symptoms. Here are a few arthritis treatments for dogs to try if your dog is suffering from arthritis:

1. Physical Therapy

Yes, there are physical therapists for dogs! A physical therapist will work with your dog to help find the best ways to manage their arthritis symptoms. Physical therapy techniques can help your dog gain more mobility and a higher quality of life.

There are a few goals physical therapists set for dogs suffering from arthritis. These include weight loss management, reduced pain and inflammation, better range of motion, as well as improved muscle strength and balance.

Physical therapists use a few different techniques to achieve these goals. They use therapeutic exercises to help your dog gain more muscle strength. Certain massages are performed to help reduce pain and inflammation. They may even show you how to give your dog a massage at home to help soothe aching joints. Treadmills and water exercises are often used to help your dog get exercise without too much pressure on their joints.

2. Water Exercise

Water exercises (or canine hydrotherapy) are often used as a part of physical therapy for dogs suffering from arthritis. There are many canine hydrotherapy benefits, such as offering low-impact exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, building muscular strength, and relaxation.

If you want your dog to do water exercise with a professional, ask your vet for any recommendations. However, you do not need to see a physical therapist to have your dog participate in water exercise.

It’s important that before beginning any type of water exercise or hydrotherapy with or without a professional, you need to assess if your dog is comfortable in the water. No dog should be forced to get into the water if they don’t want to. A common dog myth is that all dogs are natural swimmers, but the reality is that not all dogs are natural swimmers and some can have difficulty swimming, even if they don’t mind the water.

If your dog enjoys the water, but is a little uncomfortable swimming on their own, there are flotation vests that can help keep your dog feel safe and secure in the water. Using a flotation device is an important safety tip for swimming with your dog. You can do water exercises if you have a pool at home or you can take your dog to a lake or a pond.

Letting your dogs swim or even walk slowly through water is one of the best ways to exercise with your dog. It can be fun for you and allows them to get exercise in a low-impact setting. Make sure to always keep a close eye on your dog in the water, no matter what.

3. Weight Management

Is your dog overweight? Your veterinarian can help determine a proper weight as it depends on a few different factors such as breed, build, and activity level. If your dog is overweight and has arthritis, they should lose some weight to help with arthritis pain.

Along with proper exercise, make sure you’re not overfeeding your dog. Overfeeding and lack of exercise are the most common causes of weight gain in dogs and preventing unnecessary weight gain is one of the best ways to help an arthritic dog. Be sure to follow the recommended amount of food determined by your veterinarian. Also, you should be aware of the calorie limit that your dog should stay under. If you are unsure what that number is, be in contact with your veterinarian.

Try not to give your dog human food, especially those containing a lot of fat and sugar. If you want to give them a special treat, offer fruits or veggies like cucumbers, green beans, and blueberries. Packed with fiber and nutrients, these are some of the best fruits and veggies for dogs to have.

Also, try not to give your dog too many treats. Treats are a helpful tool in building a strong bond between you and your dog and are helpful during training, but it’s important to keep it balanced. Using toys as training treats or using fruits and veggies for very food-motivated dogs are great ways to keep calories lower while still rewarding your dog for learning new tricks and exhibiting good behavior.

4. Medications

There are some pain relief medications you can try to help relieve your dog’s symptoms and pain. You should talk to your veterinarian before pursuing any medication. They’ll be able to recommend and prescribe the right medication your dog needs.

Popular pain medications include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which are common in humans for pain relief. However, there are NSAIDs specifically formulated for dogs. These dog-specific NSAIDs include meloxicam, carprofen, and deracoxib. Your veterinarian will need to run a blood test before prescribing any of these drugs to assess proper liver and kidney levels

Some veterinarians may also administer steroid or cortisone shots instead of NSAIDs. It’s important to note that these two drugs will never be administered at the same time as they cannot be used together. If your dog is older or unable to tolerate NSAID, gabapentin may be prescribed. This drug treats chronic pain a little differently than NSAIDs so it’s recommended for older dogs.

5. Cortisone Injections

Sometimes cortisone injections are recommended in treatment for your dog’s arthritis. Cortisone is a chemical that has similar properties to cortisol. Cortisol is a naturally occurring hormone in the body that helps regulate stress, suppress inflammation, and more when kept to average levels in the body.

Cortisone injections make use of the inflammation suppression properties to provide relief for a variety of conditions. They can offer your dog some pain relief and can last anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks. However, the effects may wear off earlier than that.

6. Nutraceuticals

Some vets recommend a nutritional supplement with medicinal effects called a nutraceutical. Many of these products are available on the market and are labeled for joint disease. These products typically include chondroitin, glucosamine, omega-3 fatty acids, as well as polysulfated glycosaminoglycans.

Although arthritis is common in senior dogs of any dog breed, some breeds may be at a higher risk for issues. Giant and large breeds, breeds with short legs and longer bodies, like Dachshunds, are prone to joint problems as they age. You will want to discuss your specific dog with your vet. But, it may make sense to start joint supplements as a preventative.

Unless otherwise directed by your vest for other things, they may recommend starting joint supplements around 1 year old. These supplements may cause side effects such as gastrointestinal (GI) issues so be sure to talk to your vet before starting your dog on any supplement.

7. Surgery

In some of the most extreme cases, surgical procedures may be recommended to alleviate arthritis pain. Total hip replacements and some joint arthrodesis (fusion of joints) are common procedures. In some special cases, elbow or knee replacements might be performed, but only after other treatments have been pursued.

8. Special Food

You can try giving your dog food that contains supplements to promote joint health. Some over-the-counter (OTC) foods formulated for large breed diets add omegas or glucosamine and chondroitin. However, there are some prescription diets formulated for dogs with joint mobility issues. Talk to your vet about pursuing these options and what makes the most sense for your dog.

9. Lifestyle Changes

There are things you can change for your dog to make things easier on their joints and to alleviate pain. Soft and padded bedding gives your dog a comfy place to rest. Try setting up a pet nook in an easily accessible spot that gives your dog a relaxing area just for them.

Heated dog beds or blankets specifically designed for dogs can help reduce pain, too. However, these should only be used when you’re supervising. Never leave your dog alone with a heated dog or blanket. Also, some dog breeds like brachycephalic breeds are very sensitive to temperature changes and are prone to overheating. These dogs should not use heated beds or blankets.

You can also try a feeding station with raised food and water dishes so your dog doesn’t need to bend over to eat. This can help reduce extra pressure on joints. Non-skid floor surfaces are also helpful in reducing the risk of a dog slipping or tripping while walking.

Ramps or steps for getting into or out of a vehicle are very helpful for dogs with mobility issues. If your dog is allowed on the furniture, steps or ramps are a good idea if they’re struggling to get on and off of the furniture.

These are just a few arthritis treatments for dogs. If your dog is suffering from arthritis, be sure to talk your options over with your vet. Dogs with arthritis can live happy and fulfilling lives with the right pain management techniques!