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 […]
Tag Archives | mobility
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 […]
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 […]
Canine Fitness
Canine fitness is important if we want our dogs to be healthy and able to live a comfortable and active life. Dogs, like humans, are becoming more sedentary and can succumb to the same medical conditions as humans if they don’t exercise regularly and eat well. In order to move well dogs need good muscle health. […]
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? […]
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 […]
All About The Environment For Arthritic Dogs
Previous blogs have talked about the importance of pain control and body weight in order to manage arthritis in dogs. Another important consideration is the dog’s environment. This means looking at your home and the things your dog needs to be able to do and seeing if you can change anything to […]
A Comfortable Old Age
Dogs, Like people, are living longer and also like people there is a desire to ensure that that longer life is active and comfortable. 80% of dogs over the age of 8 years are thought to have some degree of arthritis in one or more joint. Arthritis begins when a joint gets damaged and is […]
Massage – Proactive or Reactive
There are 2 aspects to massage. The proactive aspect where massage is used when your dog doesn’t have any mobility issues and the reactive aspect where massage is used to address mobility issues resulting from old age, joint problems or accidents. Massage is used proactively from puppyhood right through a dog’s life. With puppies massage […]