Common Dog Mobility Problems

There are plenty of common dog mobility problems that can affect your dog. Some of these problems arise naturally during the aging process, but there are some that happen due to problems other than aging.

It really depends on the healthy and genes of the dog in question, because no two dogs are the same. You have to take every dog as an individual case. Two dogs can have the same symptoms, but they are being caused by two completely different conditions.

The key is to figure out what exactly is ailing your dog. Then you need to figure out what to do about it.

Canine Arthritis

Arthritis is the most common bone and joint disorder that dogs suffer from. Almost all older dogs experience some form of arthritis, sever or mild. There is a whole spectrum of factors that go into whether or not a dog develops arthritis. Some of these would be genetics, how much strain your dog puts on certain joints, how strong the immune system is, previous injuries, and any infections the dog has had.All of this helps to determine if a dog will develop arthritis.

If your dog has arthritis, the weight of the dog will play into how much pain it feels while walking around, so try to keep it on a healthy diet. You need to make sure that your dog gets a lot of rest so the joints have time to heal. You should also massage the joints to ease any tension or swelling.

Hip Dysplasia

This is a condition that occurs when there is an improper forming of the hip joints. Normally, there is a ball and a socket joint that fit perfectly together, allowing proper motion with ease. In hip dysplasia, the hip socket is not deep enough to accommodate the ball, the ball is not round, and the two simply do not fit well together. This can cause extreme difficulty and discomfort for a dog that is trying to go from a lying position to standing.

The dog will have very little energy to play or run, so you should try to keep them still as much as possible. This condition can only be inherited. The treatments of this condition vary depending on the severity. Mild cases can be treated using medication, but severe cases can require surgery.

Elbow Dysplasia

Elbow dysplasia is a condition where there is an improper fusion of joints in the elbow. This improper fusion makes the joint unstable, which can quickly lead to arthritis. The afflicted limb of the dog is normal lame. The limb also causes the dog great pain is the elbow is extended, and you should never force the limb to full extension. The only way to treat this condition is through surgery.

This condition is also inherited from the parents of the dog. It is recommended that you try to treat the condition before secondary arthritis sets in. It makes surgery much more successful, along with decreasing the odds of needing a second surgical procedure.

 

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