Winter Time Pain For Pets

As we all now the cold weather brings out the aches and pains we all suffer from, remember that our pet to also can have very real pain caused by arthritis. As in humans arthritis is one of two types. The more common of the two is Osteoarthritis, also known as ”Degenerative Joint Disease.” With this type of arthritis the cartilage cushion in the joints slowly breaks down, usually due to ageing and wear and tear, until bone grinds painfully against bone. The other type is “Inflammatory Joint Disease” and may be the result from infections causing fluids in the white blood cells to collect in the joints and cause them to become inflamed.

What can you do to help? There are several things you can do to help your pet.Maintain proper weight and provide ramps to help the dog get up into the bed or vehicle, have a soft supportive bed in a warm area. Do none stressful exercises such as swimming or get a joint supplements or anti-inflammatory prescribed by your veterinarian, to reduce inflammation. When going out does put a sweater on your pet, they will love you for it.

Dogs & Cold Weather

Dogs and cold weather you have to be careful. Just because they wear a fur coat doesn’t mean that they can handle the cold weather. Dogs should not be left outside for long periods of time during the winter months. Your dog should just go out for short bathroom breaks and be sure when they come in that you dry them well and check paws for ice, salt or other other chemicals used to melt ice. These can make your dog sick if he licks his paws and ingests them.

We also have to be careful of using antifreeze. Antifreeze is very dangerous to your pets. For some reason animals are really attracted to it. Even a very small amount can make your dog seriously ill. It causing kidney failure and death. Be sure to clean up any spills from your vehicle immediately, and consider switching to a propylene glycol antifreeze like “Prestone Low Tox,” which provides an added margin of safety for your furry loved ones. If you suspect your pet has been poisoned, take them to your veterinarian right away for testing.