We all want our dogs to live to an old age right? We look at them as being part of the family. They might as well be our children. However, if your dog is going to live to old age, then there’s a good chance that they might develop joint pain issues.

Why do older dogs develop these types of problems? Well, there are a number of reasons for it.

Reasons Older Dogs Suffer from Joint Issues

Dogs go through a lot when they are younger and it doesn’t catch up to them until they get older. Dogs that do a lot of jumping around when younger at really at risk.

Some dog owners don’t take their dogs to the vet as often as they should to catch joint issues before they get really bad.

Some specific types of dogs are more at risk than others of developing joint pain issues. Smaller dogs might be less at risk for instance while heavier dogs are more at risk.

Other things can cause joint pain issues in older dogs, such as degenerative problems or developmental problems. In any case, if you’re going to be a good dog owner you have to know how to catch the symptoms so you can do something as soon as possible.

Joint pain symptoms you should look out for in older dogs

As your dog ages, you should look for the following symptoms, which may be a sign of joint issues:

• Look at your dog carefully to see if they have a hard time sitting down like they use to or lying down. If they have difficulties then they probably are suffering from joint pain problems.
• Look for a dog that seems to struggle when it comes to getting up or they appear to be stiff.
• If a dog seems to have a tough time getting up the stairs as they use to then they might have problems.
• Dogs that seem to not want to jump or run probably are suffering from joint pain problems.
• A dog that seems to be far less active than what you can remember or doesn’t show interest in activities they used to like.
• Limping or not putting a limb on the ground
• Swelling in the joints or stiffness

So what can you decide to do to treat joint pain issues in older dogs?

The first thing you need to do if your dog has any of the symptoms mentioned above is get them to a veterinarian. A veterinarian will be able to confirm that your dog has problems and will be able to tell you how severe it is. They’ll use their experience to come up with the best treatment option for your dog.

Don’t be afraid that your older dog might require expensive surgery. In most cases, they won’t. All that will be needed most of the time is a simple treatment to help deal with the pain and discomfort. A veterinarian might recommend the following:

• Getting your dogs weight down so they don’t put so much stress on their joints
• Engaging in certain exercises designed to strengthen their joints/muscles around the joints
• Taking the needed supplements and eating healthier food
• Different medications that can offer an older dog relief from pain

If your dog is going to live to old age then you want to be sure they don’t suffer right? You don’t want them to lose that zest that makes you enjoy their company so much. Well for this to be the case you have to look out for joint pain problems. Y

ou have to make sure you catch them as soon as you can so that it doesn’t become worse or so you don’t do anything unintentionally to make it worse.