There are two common types of dog arthritis. These types are known as degenerative and inflammatory. They are diagnosed by their causes, and both types of arthritis have basically identical symptoms. There are a number of causes of arthritis in dogs. Some common causes of arthritis include poor nutrition, obesity, trauma to the bones or joins and malformation of the dog’s bone structure.

Symptoms Of Arthritis

Weight gain/loss – Your dog may lose or gain weight when he has arthritis. He will likely sleep more than play and lose interest in activities, hence, he may gain some weight. On the other hand, he may be in pain from bending down to eat his food, so he may lose weight. Dogs may become depressed when dealing with arthritis, and this is a common cause of under/overeating.

Decreased interest in activity – Since your dog is in a significant about of pain, he will likely not become very excited to play and run around. Your dog may want to stop and turn around during a routine walk. Even playtime may seem like a huge effort when your dog has arthritis.

Difficulty sitting or standing – Your dog may find it hard to get up and may not move right away. The first few steps may be painful and appear stiff. He may become uncomfortable while sitting or standing and shift around a lot.

Hesitancy to jump or climb stairs – Jumping up on the couch for a cuddle may not be possible when your dog is suffering from arthritis. You may notice your dog does not want to jump up and sit with you as much anymore, and will choose to rest on the floor instead. He may also be hesitant to climb any stairs around the house as well.

Sleeping often – Lethargy is very common with arthritis. Your dog may not want to move around at all, so he will sleep to ease the pain in his joints.

Favoring a limb – This is known as limb lameness, and is a common symptom of canine arthritis. It may come and go, and can affect different legs at a time. Your dog may even limp.

Mood swings – Your dog may not want to play or listen when he is called. Because of the pain, he may become easily irritated if he is forced into any activity. Keep an eye out for noises when you touch him as well.

Home Remedies For Arthritis

Control Their Weight. A healthy diet is extremely important for your dog during arthritis. Getting rid of excess weight is beneficial for your dog, as he won’t have to carry any more weight around on his joints. Fat tissues secrete hormones that cause pain.

Apply Heat on Sore Joints. Applying a warm compress to your dog’s joints will help to ease the pain. Heat will penetrate deep into the muscle to the joint for relief. Keep in mind your dog cannot get up fast, so avoid burning him with a water bottle that’s too hot.

Light Exercise. Exercise should be regular, but not too strenuous. If your dog wants to turn and go back home after a short walk, let him. The key is constant exercise, but keeping it light and short. Avoid walking when it is too cold out, as the joints will be especially sore. Treadmills are great when supervised, and swimming is a great form of exercise as well.

Keep Them Warm and Comfortable. This is especially important on cold or wet days. Cold weather may cause the joints to be especially stiff or swollen. Add an extra blanket to his bed or let him sleep inside the house. Adding an extra pillow will also help keep him comfortable and ease pain in the joints.

Raise Food and Water Dishes. This is especially important if your dog has arthritis in the neck or shoulders. Bending down may cause tension and pain, so raising his food and water dishes will help him to eat pain free. You may notice a weight loss during arthritis, and the pain to eat may be the source of this.

Slip-Free Floors. Your dog may struggle when walking on hard wood floors. If you notice this, consider getting a rug for common areas he plays or rests. Using different cleaning products on the floors may also help with slipping paws.

Massage and Acupuncture Therapy. You can do massages at home or take your dog to a professional. Massages and acupuncture provide relief for sore, inflamed joints and will help to loosen these areas up.

Always talk to your veterinarian about treatment options and home remedy options for your dog’s specific case of arthritis. For more information about dog arthritis causes, treatment options and more, please visit www.dogarthritisresource.com

Author bio: Ciara is a lover of all things dog, especially small ones! She own a Chihuahua-Pomeranian cross named Bijou– her little ball of energy always keeping her busy. A few years back Bijou got very sick with an ear infection, and ever since, Ciara has been interested in all areas of dog health.

Some cats do not survive the winter due to frostbite, dehydration, starvation and exposure to toxic chemicals found under cars and in garages where cats seek shelter. Other animals, like opossums, are more used to the cold but will take advantage of the spiffy new digs as well. It’s as easy to make one home, as it is to make two. The not-for-profit “Roughneck Homes” program even offers the 18-gallon size containers for $6.00 and you can even donate containers to help others make shelters as well.

Create a safe shelter for the feral cats and animals in your area by following these directions.

Follow these tips for getting feral cats to use the homes isn’t too difficult if you think like a cat.

• Cats are cautious, like small spaces where they can hide. Place your home in a secluded quiet area where you’ve seen cats. Avoid open spaces, noisy populated areas, away from car fumes and chemicals and away from dogs.
• Entice cats with food and water. Never place food inside a shelter that’s meant to be ‘slept’ in. Cats don’t like to sleep with food near them. Place a dish of food near the shelter to draw cats closer and boost their curiosity. If using food only visit shelter once or twice per day. Feral cats get nervous and will avoid something that attracts too much human attention. You can also create a separate shelter for food using just the outside container with no cooler in it. Place ‘food’ shelter in the same area as but not close to ‘sleeping’ shelter.
• Patience. It may take a few days to a week for feral cats to trust the new shelter. If there have been no signs of habitation after 2 weeks consider changing the location of the shelter.

What you need to build a Rubbermaid Roughneck Feral Cat Shelter.

• Rubbermaid Container (the 18-gallon size is pictured)
• Styrofoam Cooler
• Straw
• Duct Tape
• Exacto or box knife
• Eight inch diameter pot lid or plastic lid
• Marker of pen
• Nail file

Make a hole in the front of container by using a marker to trace around the lid then carefully cut out hole with Exacto knife. File down any sharp edges. Place the Styrofoam container inside the Rubbermaid container. Mark inside hole by tracing around outside container with a marker. Cut out Styrofoam hole. Pack straw into the gap between the Styrofoam container and the Rubbermaid container. Place the straw inside the inner container. Place the lid on Styrofoam cooler and tape edges with duct tape then do the same with the lid on the Rubbermaid container.

For more information, step-by-step instructions and photos go to the Roughneck Feral Cat Shelter site. The shelter pictured is an 18-gallon container, suitable for one cat or two small cats. For a larger shelter, use the 36-gallon Roughneck and a bigger Styrofoam cooler.

Additional modifications: Often, feral cats will be hesitant to enter a shelter with only one exit, since it leaves them vulnerable to predators. You may need to cut a second hole on the opposite side to encourage ferals to use your roughneck home.

For cold windy areas added protection from wind or other elements may be needed. Installing a door flap made of heavy plastic, vinyl or canvas to each entrance of your roughneck home easily does this. Cats don’t like change so its best to start your shelter with flaps rather than installing them later.

This article was written by Kyle Smith, President of eRubbermaid.com. For more information regarding this program, please visit us to learn more and find contact information.

Having a healthy dog can mean that your dog is more active and in all probability, require less visits to the vet. Ensuring that your dog has quality food, can in the long-term save you money, and mean that you have a more enjoyable relationship with a happy pet. Burns dog food is a brand that is known for providing excellent dog food and has been doing so for over 40 years. Eukanuba dog food is highly nutritious and comes in both dry and wet varieties.

Whether you choose a dry or wet dog food is an important decision. Each has its advantages and disadvantages and you should note them carefully. Burns dog food comes in both forms and like all brands, has the ingredients and nutritional values printed on the packs just like human foods.

The main advantage of dry food for the pet owner is that it is generally the cheaper option and is much more convenient. All you have to do is pour a bowlful of food and put the carton back in the cupboard. Wet food is more expensive and also requires more effort from the pet owner.

For the dog however there are some serious advantages of using wet food. For one, wet food has more fresh protein compared to dry food. Canned dog food is up to 50% protein whereas dry food can contain as little as 18% but rarely goes above 30%. Most notably there is fewer carbohydrates in canned food and carbohydrates are not very beneficial when in high quantities.

In order to preserve dry food, synthetic preservatives are used. With wet food there is an airtight package used which means that the oils and fats within the meat do not go off. An added benefit for your dog’s health is that there are no artificial colourings and flavourings used in almost all wet foods.

On a much more basic level, wet food contains much more water that makes it more appetising and palatable for your pets and they will appreciate being able to eat it. Some people find that their dog will refuse to eat dry food at certain times. Introducing them to a diet of wet food, even temporarily, can be a good way to get them to start eating again. When feeding on wet food, the moisture content might mean the dog feels fuller more quickly than when they eat dry food. This is simply because the moisture helps occupy more space in the dog’s stomach.

Obviously, there are advantages and disadvantages to each type of dog food. If you lead a very busy life and do not have the money to spend on wet food, then dry food is a great alternative.