Arthritis prevention

[Cash_Dolly]

Due to my little Dolly taking a tumble and suffering an injury (or more specifically, re injuring an old injury from a previous owner grrrrr) it is almost certain she will develop arthritis in one hip. She is fed raw and I make sure to give her sufficient oily fish, olive oil etc for her joints. Is there anything else I can supplement her diet with (have been advised of yumove) just to help? I know I won't be able to stop it but I want to minimise any suffering she may endure in later life as much as possible

Thanks

 

[JoanneF]

Poor Dolly. Yumove is well thought of, it is a glucosamine and chondoitrin supplement. There is a guy in the USA who has suggested vitamin c is helpful. Dogs produce vitamin c in their body (humans dont) so there are mixed views on the value of supplements. This guy also seems to be the main supplier of vitamin c supplements for dogs so make of that what you will. That said, any excess is excreted so it wouldn't do any harm. You would need to find her tolerance level (if she gets runny poo, that's too much) and stay under it. Google for both sides of the argument but Belfield's site is http://belfield.com/product/mega-c-plus-12-kilo-500-gm/

Also perhaps think about massage, hydrotherapy and perhaps acupuncture?

 

[excuseme]

Get yourself a FREE booklet from the "Honey's" website; "Honey's Natural Feeding Handbook for Dogs" .

This book makes very good reading for raw feeders, there is loads of very good information and advice!

A raw food diet helps arthritis because it is low in carbohydrates,

High-carbonate diets create an excessively acid bloodstream, decreasing uric acid solubility, which in turn leads to joint pain.

Bones are an important part of the diet and should include joint bones for their cartilage content (high in chondroitin sulphate) and the marrow of bones including chicken

(chicken bones have lots of glucosamine).

Turkey is also a good source and, importantly, much lower in salt than most commercial supplements. Such a diet often does away with the need for such supplements as glucosamine and chondroitin, or lowers the required dose.

Supplements that help arthritic pets include; cod liver, evening primrose and star flower oil, vitamin c, green-lipped mussel, turmeric, ginger and boswellia (between 1/6th and 1/8th of a teaspoon only), black treacle (also known as blackstrap molasses), the herbs devil's and cat's claw.

You will have to register with Honey's to get this FREE booklet but this costs nothing and you are not obliged or expected to make any further purchases either!

 

[JoanneF]

I forgot about turmeric! Golden paste helped Timber when he sprained his shoulder. I made a batch, froze it in ice cube trays and added it to his food.

http://turmericlife.com.au/turmeric-recipes-golden-paste/

 

[gypsysmum2]

Yes, Golden Paste (turmeric, olive oil and black pepper) is thought very highly of.

Acupuncture is amazing for pain relief! Also hydrotherapy for keeping the whole body strong and, therefore, supporting arthritic joints, but they cannot be done on the same day.

 

[dogmatize]

I have my 3 whippets all on Yumove Advance. I find it more beneficial than Yumove regular. I used to be able just to buy it online but it is now supposed only to be available through vets. However I contacted them directly and once they had all the details of my dogs' various conditions and they knew that they had all been diagnosed by our vet, they were happy to supply it to me directly.

 

[Juliatee]

I started my spaniel,on both Yumove and Yumega when she was about seven. I think it helped keep arthritis at bay although she has some in her left hip now at 13. They are available from Lintbells, and if you join their club, no fee, you get a bit of a discount and they often have fairly significant sales. Might be cheaper than the vets.

 

[ackebea]

Peppermint oil helps. Massaging your puppy with this oil will keep the pain down according to research. Just make sure you get the essential peppermint oil that is specifically made for dogs and the size of the dog.

At the research site they gave this page where you can find it

http://www.dogsearhealth.com/

 

[lucy_bella]

Hi all! I am new to this site my name is lucy and my little westie is called Bella shes only a pup... but my last dog that died really suffered reallly bad with arthritis so this time round i'm thinking of things I could do to help prevent it, rather than TRY to cure it like i did last time. We tried the yumove and omega both I think worked well but I found them quite pricey. With the turmeric, could I just sprinkle that on her food or do you think the taste is a bit strong? I could do with something to sprinkle on her food as taking tablets is a no go for bella (and a nightmare for me!) I also like the idea of the massage with the peppermint oil just for fun- i wonder if she will keep still long enough!

Thanks for letting me join in the convo- hopefully speak soon

 

[JoanneF]

I believe the golden paste is more potent because of the black pepper and the coconut oil helps too. I made it and froze it in ice cube trays to add to food.

 

[gypsysmum2]

If Bella is only a pup then I don't think that dietary supplements for arthritis are appropriate. The most important thing for a pup is to have a strong skeleton and firm muscles, tendons and ligaments to support the joints. Puppy joints need some protection from over use so do not over exercise until she is adult.

Once she is mature, then exercise is good to build muscle and tendons and ligaments that will support her joints.

Any injuries need to be taken seriously so that she does not compensate by taking the weight on her good joints and wearing them out. Small breeds tend to suffer less than heavier breeds so you may be lucky and not have any problems.

If she does succumb to arthritis then keeping her pain free is very important so that she moves freely and keeps the other parts of her body working freely.