When your trusted companion is diagnosed with canine arthritis, it can be scary at first. When you hear there's no cure for this chronic condition, it can feel like you're losing your hiking partner, your fetch buddy, and your playful pal. The truth is there are treatments that can help your old dog feel as young and active as when you first took them home.Medications like Rimadyl can help relieve arthritic pain so that dogs can move without fear. Pair that with a massage routine and your dog will be feeling tip top despite the condition.
How do you massage a dog?
When your dog's body is achy, nothing feels better than a simple massage. There are a variety of massage types, each with a specific purposes: alleviating anxiety, exercise warm-up, and even joint pain.
Modern Dog magazine explained that joint relief massages start with simple petting around the problem area. This works on dogs diagnosed with arthritis as well as younger pooches who might just have a bit of soreness. You can massage directly after athletics that may have caused discomfort or when you're both relaxing after a long day.After you start petting the region - which helps warm up the tissue - you'll want to add slight pressure. Be cautious because this is a tender area. A little pressure can do a lot of good. Develop a rhythm with your hands. Apply pressure in a way that acts as a pump, Modern Dog advised. This helps move the fluid from the joint and into the surrounding muscle, relieving the tendon tension.Avoid directly touching the bone or poking the joint area. After the more intensive massage and fluid movement, you'll want to return to general petting to help relax your pooch and calm the nerves.
Massage with Rimadyl
Massage can help provide momentary relief for dogs, but unfortunately that pain can return. Rimadyl is one of the most effective pain management medications for dogs who have arthritis. It's a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that blocks the enzymes that create the inflammation in arthritis that leads to lifelong pain.If your veterinarian recommends this Food and Drug Administration-approved medication for your pooch, use your
PetPlus membership to buy it at a discount. PetPlus also carries the generic of Rimadyl, carprofen or Novox for Dogs.