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The Basics Of Pet Health

Holistic Dog Food

Health Conditions

Herbal formulas to detox

Herbal formulas for inflamation

Herbal Formulas for ease of movement

Dog Arthritis and Stiffness

 

Arthriis in dogs can be difficult to diagnose The signs are lameness, stiffness and difficulty getting up.
Typically this will be most severe after resting, especially first thing in the morning or following a long walk- cold or damp days are often worst.
You may also notice them to be less willing to charge around on a walk, looking to come home or sit down sooner than usual.

Causes of arthritis in dogs

The dogs diet can have an amazing influence on the extent of suffering and stiffness.
In simple terms poor quality ingredients in food becomes waste material which flows along the muscle.
If you can imagine the muscle as being made of hundreds of tiny fibres along which travels these waste
products and acts like the white of an egg, glueing together all the fibres of the muscle. Thus when you dog sits or lies down
the glue goes to work. On rising, the stiffness and pain is simply the fibres of the muscle seperating. This is why
than the problem seems to decrease during movement. This is a vicious circle though, because the more exercise our dog gets,
the more glue like substances are produced.

Now you need to think about how large muscles narrow down when they come to a joint - it is bit like the narrowing of a river and
all this material is trying to get through. A damm begins to form and results in thickening of the fibre around the joint.

Thus to minimise the waste products travelling along the fibres of the muscle we need to pay careful attention to what
we are putting in the dogs mouth on a daily basis. Too much protein, fat, salt and sugar along with highly processed foods
or ingredients which are limited in nutritional value. Pet food manufacturers are very clever at hiding what is really in theri products.
Beat pulp, prairie meal, potato protein extract, chemical preservatives, colours and flavourings all contribute to arthritis.

Mineral imbalances have also been quoted as being extremely influential with calcium status being recognized as a good indicator of mineralization in general. Thus calcium inhibitors such as excess meat or protein, refined sugar and excess salt should be avoided, as should foods containing oxalic acid – rhubarb, cranberry, plum and beet greens. Nightshade vegetables should also be avoided especially tomatoes, bell peppers and potatoes. Chemicals in the form of colours, flavours and preservative are also considered to toxic and the resultant accumulation at the muscle/joints contribute to the problem.

Another explanation is foods which are too acid for the body or in terms of complet foods, the imbalance between acidic and alkaline forming foods is contributing. Acid forming foods are protein, and brown rice for example - Alkaline forming foods are green vegetables and millet - the list is much more extensive than this but it give a general indication.

As pointed out above, it can be difficult to determine the exact problem because of the relationship between muscles and joints. It is now recognized that high protein and fat diets for puppies forces growth of the muscle mass beyond the capabilities of the bone structure leading to problems like hip dysphasia. In adult dogs, the accumulation of toxic wastes at the joints leads to stiffness and eventually calcification restricting movement further.

Traditional Chinese Medicine suggests that problems with the Gall Bladder will result in weakened limbs and stiffness. This in itself indicates that the digestive system, diet and arthritis/rheumatism are all interrelated.  

 

Herbs for arthritis in dogs - see left hand panel!

Herbs which are of value are those which help to rid the body of wastes sometimes known as detox. Others help with the inflamation other help with ease of movement - but the hebs are limited in value unless the dogs diet is addressed.