Greyhound Dog Breed

Greyhounds And Arthritis

It's inevitable that every dog will get older. And with age comes physical ailments that your dog will learn to live with unless the pain is too much to bare. One such ailment that especially hits older Greyhounds, after years of running and chasing, is arthritis.

Degenerative joint disease (DJD), which is another name for arthritis, is a very common cause of intermittent stiffness and lameness. It is hard to pinpoint the cause of arthritis is some older dogs but in others you will find it to be a result of abnormal stress and trauma to the joint(s). And eventually this leads to degeneration of the cartilage and the underlying bone.

The synovial membrane surrounding the joint becomes inflamed and the bone develops small bony outgrowths called osteophytes. When these changes occur, the joint stiffen, become painful, and have decreased range of motion. Surgery may be the last alternative if the disease has gone too far.

If your Greyhound's joints have suffered too much damage from years of heavy running and racing, then even surgery will not prevent the incurable arthritic changes that have taken place. The initial problem may be helped by an operation, but not for the long haul.

To help your Greyhound live out it's years with less pain as possible from arthritis then you can can do simple things like keeping the dog's wight down and allow your dog to do light impact exercise. Swimming is a great example of such activities that is easy on the joints.

There are even some drugs that your vet can prescribe for your Greyhound dog to help with the pain of living with arthritis. For example, there is a drug called carpofen that helps immensely but be sure to consult and follow your vet's instructions when it comes to any medical care or drug use for your dog.

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