Did you know that one out of every five dogs suffer from arthritis.

Arthritis can affect dogs of any age or breed, but certain risk factors increase a dog's susceptibility to the disease. According to veterinarians at Novartis Animal Health, these include:
1. Genetic predisposition. Up to 70 percent of dogs in specific breeds, which include Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and German shepherds, will be affected by canine arthritis.

2. Obesity. Studies show that obese dogs are likely to develop osteoarthritis three years earlier, on average, than lean dogs.

3. Joint abnormalities . Joint conditions such as canine hip dysplasia, the leading cause of lameness in dogs, can increase a dog's risk of developing osteoarthritis because it puts excessive stress on the animal's joints.

4. Joint stress and trauma. Injuries (such as getting hit by a car) that damage ligaments, tissues or bones also increase a dog's risk of developing osteoarthritis. In addition, high-activity and working dogs that participate in demanding activities put repeated stress on their joints. This chronic ligamentous injury makes them more susceptible to osteoarthritis.

5. Infection . Conditions caused by various bacterial, viral and fungal infections can affect joints and contribute to arthritis. Common conditions include Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which can be carried by ticks.

If a pet owner suspects that their dog may be in pain, they should bring it to their veterinarian's attention. If diagnosed, the disease can be treated with diet, exercise and a pain control medications.

 

 

Do you know the #1 emergency seen in pet emergency rooms?

Most people guess trauma from being hit by a car, gun shot wound, bite wounds, drowning. Do you know what the number one reason pet owners take their dogs to the animal emergency room?

It is vomiting.

Your dog starts vomiting, you get a little nervous, clean up the mess, watching him closely, he acts listless and with no energy, you become really worried.

Do you know what to do?

1. Make sure you know where your local emergency room is or how your vet deals with emergency. Keep this information (phone number, hours, address and directions) handy.

2. Make sure you know your dog's medical history and any medications he is on. The emergency vet will want to know when it started, how many times your dog vomited, what the vomit looked like, the last time your dog vomited, and if there are any accompanying symptoms such as lethargy, weakness or diarrhea. If possible, take a sample of the most recent diarrhea/vomit with you.

3. Call your veterinarian/emergency clinic to determine what they want you to do. If your dog has only vomited once, is acting normal, has no diarrhea, they may give you a recommendation to wait a few hours and see if you pet vomits again.

4. Prevent exposure of your pet to trash, table scraps and other foreign objects that he may be inclined to chew on. Make food changes gradually and over a several day period. Buy only safe toys and your dog does not chew on any objects around that house which he could swallow and be unable to digest or pass through his system.

One last thing, many emergencies of this type are caused by owners feeding pet's table scraps and pets getting access to trash. Please be very careful what you feed your dog.