Dysplasia means improper growth and in the dog’s hip this tends to mean the hip socket becomes too shallow and doesn’t hold the head of the femur (thigh bone) firmly in place. This then means there is too much movement in the joint which can wear away the cartilage and cause arthritis and pain and […]
Archive | Joint Care in your dog
Arthritis in Dogs – 10 ways to help
Yes dogs get arthritis too, in fact it is estimated that 4 out of 5 dogs over the age of 6 have some degree of arthritis. Here are 10 ways to make life easier for them. Give your dog a soft bed. Memory foam mats are particularly good for dogs with arthritis as they are […]
Arthritis in Dogs
The word arthritis comes from the Greek – arthro meaning joint and itis meaning inflammation. Studies show up 4 out of 5 dogs over 6 years of age have arthritis. This means over 1 million dogs in the UK have arthritis. Arthritis in dogs is a progressive disease – i.e. it gets worse over time […]
Elbow Dysplasia
Dysplasia is the term used when something doesn’t grow properly – in this case the elbow joint. The elbow is the coming together of 3 bones – the humerus in the upper leg, and the ulna and radius in the lower leg. If any of these grow incorrectly the joint will not be able to […]
Joint Pain – 5 clues to help you spot the signs
Joint pain is generally caused by arthritis. Arthritis occurs following damage to the joint and causes extra bony growths to form which wear away the cartilage which usually protects the joint. The surfaces of the bones which form the joint then rub against each other during movement and that causes pain. The damage to […]
Cruciate Ligament Damage – Signs and Treatment
Cruciate ligament damage in dogs has become more common in recent years. It used to be an injury seen almost exclusively in working and sporting dogs but is now seen very frequently in the general pet population. The cruciate ligaments are 2 ligaments which cross over in the knee or stifle joint and when they […]
Cold Winter Nights
As the nights get colder we put on our thicker night clothes and maybe swap to a thicker duvet or use extra covers. We plug in the electric blanket and fill our hot water bottles but what about our dogs? What can we do to help them keep warm during the cold Winter nights? […]
Front Leg Lameness
Limping on a front leg can have many causes and the problem can come from the foot, the wrist, the elbow or the shoulder. If the limp comes on very suddenly the first thing to check is the foot in case anything is sticking into the pads or between the toes. In this case the […]
Your Puppy at Home
While your puppy is growing you need to consider how much access they will have to your home and where they will sleep. Puppies have soft bones and are still growing which means too much jumping on and off things can cause joint damage. They shouldn’t use stairs until fully grown unless they are carried […]
Puppy Food For Thought
When choosing a food for your puppy check it contains no more than 23% protein. More than this can cause the bones to grow too quickly and become too big for the soft tissues to support, and the muscles, tendons and ligaments can get damaged. You also need to make sure you know how much […]