Taking Your Arthritic Dog To The Vet
 by: David Silva

If your dog suffers from morning stiffness, has trouble climbing the stairs, and appears to be less active now that he’s getting older, it may be that he’s suffering from arthritis. Even if he exhibits only one of these traits, it’s time to get your dog in to see the vet. Here’s what to expect on your first visit.

Your vet will begin with a full visual and physical examination of your dog. The doctor will check your dog’s body for swollen lymph nodes, listen to his heart and lungs, and check your dog’s ears and skin. Like any general physical exam of your dog, your vet will also inspect the dog’s gums and eyes.

After this initial examination, your vet will look for any easily detectable signs of arthritis, beginning with the spine, limbs and neck. A series of range of motion tests will check your dog’s flexibility. This process will help uncover any old injuries, any problems with the ligaments, and any obvious arthritic symptoms. It will also help uncover any fever, bacteremia, posture, gait, and signs of inflammation.

Assuming your dog displays signs of arthritis, the next step in the process will be to learn more through some diagnostic testing. This will likely involve drawing blood first. With some relatively simple blood analysis, the vet will be able to determine if your dog is allergic to the anesthesia required to take X-rays (the next step in diagnostics), and will also be able to make sure there isn’t anything else going on inside your dog that might not be obvious. Finally, the vet will want to use the results of the blood tests as a baseline for future testing to make sure the arthritis drug therapy is effective.

X-rays will help the vet detect the presence of arthritis in your dog and help determine the seriousness of the disease. To position your dog properly for the radiographs, most likely he’ll need to be sedated. X-rays can also detect any fractures or cancers that might be the underlying cause of your dog’s arthritis symptoms.

If it is determined that your dog has arthritis, the next step in the process is to design a treatment approach. New medications are now available that can dramatically assist your dog in leading a healthy and pain-free life. However, all dogs react differently to medications. Therefore, your vet will likely recommend a series of treatment trials. This simply means your dog will be given several medications on a trial basis to see which is most effective.

It’s always difficult to see your dog suffering with the pain of arthritis. But it doesn’t have to be that way. A trip to the vet can quickly determine whether or not arthritis is the culprit, and if it is, a treatment program to alleviate your dog’s pain can be started right away.

About The Author

David Silva is webmaster of About Arthritis Today (aboutarthritistoday.com), a website dedicated to disseminating valuable information on the symptoms, treatments, and many forms of arthritis.

So, after a long day at work you park your car, pick up the mail, and enter your place of residence. It’s a Monday and over the weekend you decided to clean, clean, and clean some more. You are excited to have a clean house to come home to. As you unlock the door, and turn on the light, you see a shiny spot on the floor. You first think, WOW, what a good wax job, then upon closer examination you realize it is urine. It’s obviously the work of Angie your sweat, aging golden retriever. But why you ask? She has never done this before.

 

The story of dog bladder control plays out in homes all across the world every day and can be due to lack of muscle control issues in sprayed females, aging, bladder infection, and certain diseases such as diabetes. It also may have its roots in behavior rather than a physical problem. There obviously are many different causes for dog bladder control problems and this sensitive issue may require the trained eye of your veterinarian. In this information article we are going to focus on the physical aspect of dog bladder control problems.

The dogs who most often encounter dog bladder control problems are older females and medium to large breeds. 

Causes

Age: Let’s face it sometimes things just wear out. This is often seen in aging sphincters and bladders. If your pet has age related urinary incontinence there really aren’t many good options. The good news is that there are a few medications designed to recondition the urinary voiding process. The bad news is that they are not always effective.

Bladder inflammation: Bladder inflammation can sometimes cause a condition known as urge incontinence. This condition is characterized by more of a dribble or leakage when your dog gets the desire to void.

Urinary Tract Blockage: At first glance it seems a bit counter intuitive that urinary tract blockage could cause dog bladder control problems. But the answer is actually quite simple. As the urine backs up due to the blockage eventually the bladder will overflow, leading to a dribbling of urine. If you believe there is even a small chance this is happening a trip to the vet should be taken immediately.

USMI (urethral sphincter mechanism incontinence): This condition occurs when the urine flow cannot be crispy ended due to the weakness or inability of the muscles surrounding the urethra to cleanly end the voiding process. This condition is usually first seen in the puppy years in sprayed female dogs.

Stretched bladder: If the bladder is continually stressed due to relentlessly being overfilled incontinence is sure to follow at some point. This is sometimes seen in households whose pets are forced to hold urine too long. It is also occasionally seen in arthritic dogs.

Urinary tract infection: This is a very common condition that affects about one out of every two dogs at some point in their lives. An infected dog will have a dramatic change in voiding frequency and habits, normally but not always accompanied by pain. It can be treated with antibiotics and results should be seen in 5 to 7 days.

In summary, the story of dog bladder control can be caused by muscle control issues in sprayed females, a bacterial infection in the urinary tract, neglect, age, blockage, neurological issues (not discussed), as well as many other less common culprits. The important thing is that if you start to see a change in voiding habits you should seek the help of your veterinarian to both nail down the cause and orchestrate an appropriate treatment plan.

 Additionally, many dog owners are option for homeopathy both as a curative and preventive course of action. Homeopathy is very effective way to naturally recondition the bladder while working to eliminate the root of its cause so your dog can heal permanently. While I am an advocate of natural remedies for bladder control problems your veterinarian should be kept in the loop, especially if there is even the smallest chance there could be a bigger problem lurking.

R.D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate of alternative natural health products and supplements with over 10 years experience. To learn more about natural remedies for better pet health visit Purchase Remedies.com

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