Natural Dog Arthritis Treatment

Dog arthritis treatment does not have to be harsh. Conventional medications such as NSAIDs can cause adverse side effects to dogs especially if used for a long time. This page looks at alternative ways, such as using herbs, supplements like fish oil, glucosamine, MSM, and vitamin C to control and treat canine arthritis.

Our page on Dog Arthritis talks about common types of dog arthritis as well as dog arthritis symptoms. Canine osteoarthritis is the number one cause of chronic pain in dogs. It affects one in five adult dogs and accounts for approximately 90% of arthritis treated by veterinarians.

Conventional dog arthritis treatment usually involves the use of NSAIDs and other pain medications. However, many such medications have adverse side effects on dogs. (See our page on Conventional Dog Arthritis Medication.)

A safer, natural holistic way to treat dog arthritis is to use herbs as well as supplements to:

reduce inflammation
relieve joint pain
detox the body
maintain dog joint health

In addition to the above, specific care for arthritic dogs should be provided, such as diet, exercise, and weight control. Please access our page on Dog Arthritis for more information.

Dog Arthritis Treatment - Reducing Inflammation

Herbs that have anti-inflammatory properties can be used to help reduce inflammation caused by arthritis. Some such useful herbs include:

Yucca
Tumeric
Boswellia
Nettle
Licorice
Garlic
Alfalfa
Parsley

The easiest way is to use tinctures of some of the above herbs, such as Animals' Apawthecary Alfalfa/Yucca Blend. Alternatively, get a formulated product that contains some of the abovementioned herbs, such as American Biosciences DGP (Dog Gone Pain).

Other natural anti-inflammatories that are beneficial to dogs with arthritis include:

Fish Oil: Fish oil is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which reduce inflammation. When supplementing fish oil to dogs, be sure to also supplement vitamin E, otherwise the body will be depleted of this vitamin.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C is an antioxidant, has anti-inflammatory properties, and maintains the health of collagen. It is therefore beneficial to dogs with arthritis.
Bromelain: This is an enzyme found in pineapples, and has strong anti-inflammatory properties. It works best if given at least one hour before or two hours after meals. Quercetin (a flavonoid) can increase the efficacy of bromelain, so it is best to use a product containing both bromelain and quercetin.

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Dog Arthritis Treatment - Relieving Dog Joint Pain

To relieve joint pain in dogs, these herbs are effective:

Cayenne: Taken internally, cayenne seems to be effective in relieving pain caused by arthritis.
St.-John's wort: St.-John's wort reduces pain and speeds up the healing process.

There are some effective natural herbal products that contain a lot of the essential herbs mentioned above for dog arthritis treatment:

Dr. Harvey's Ortho-Flex for Dogs

This formula is used not only to help in the relief of pain but also to treat the underlying problem. It includes herbs such as garlic, alfalfa, devil's claw, licorice, burdock, dandelion, cayenne, etc. - All essential herbs to reduce inflammation and relieve pain!

Only Natural Pet Easy Strider for Dogs

This formula contains not only anti-inflammatory herbs and herbs for arthritis pain relief, such as cayenne, ginger, turmeric, yucca and devil's claw, but also tonic herbs such as black cohosh and the Chinese herb Dong Quai. In addition, it also contains antioxidant herbs such as black cherry. On top of that, it includes glucosamine as well.

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Dog Arthritis Treatment - Detoxifying the Body

Sometimes, arthritis is caused by accumulation of free radicals in the body. As a dog ages, more and more free radicals will be accumulated in his body.

Some culinary herbs, such as oregano, thyme, basil, ginger, as well as turmeric are natural antioxidants and can be added to your pet's daily diet to remove the toxic free radicals. These herbs should be considered and included as part of the dog arthritis treatment.

Green tea is another herb that has been found to be excellent in removing toxic substances.

The herb milk thistle is also known for its ability in assisting the body in combating environmental pollutants and supports healthy liver function.

Vitamins A, C, and E; Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil, and flaxseed oil) are excellent natural antioxidants that can help eliminate free radicals from the body.

There are some very good commercial natural antioxidants.

Only Natural Pet Kelp Boost

This product (in powder form) contains, among others, vitamins A, C and E, as well as flaxseed and kelp.

Only Natural Pet Whole Food Antioxidant Blend

This product also contains a lot of helpful herbs, such as milk thistle, green tea, and turmeric.

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Dog Arthritis Treatment - Maintaining Dog Joint Health

More and more dog parents are turning to natural supplements such as glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM for maintenance of dog joint health and prevention of dog arthritis.

For more information on these supplements, see our pages on Glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate and MSM for Dogs.

Other Natural Dog Arthritis Treatment

Homeopathy

Many dog owners have tried homeopathic treatments for their dogs' arthritis with good results. There are quite a few homeopathic remedies for dog arthritis depending on the particular symptoms. Consult a holistic vet for the one treatment that is best indicated for your dog's condition.

Here are a few most common homeopathic remedies that can be used as dog arthritis treatment:

Rhus toxicodendron 6C

This remedy is for dogs with chronic arthritis, pain, and stiffness which gets especially obvious after a long period of rest such as getting up in the morning.

Silicea 30C

This remedy is effective for hip dysplasia, joint arthritis, and spondylitis (arthritis of the spine). It is most suited for dogs whose arthritis symptoms (stiffness and pain) are getting worse as they age.

Belladonna 30C

This homeopathic remedy is indicated for dogs whose arthritis condition has come on suddenly and rapidly. The dog is irritable because of the severe pain, which is accompanied by a fever (average normal dog body temperature is 101 Â°F or 38 Â°C).

Some dog owners have reported good results from the use of a commercial homeopathic anti-inflammation product called Traumeel. It uses such effective anti-inflammatory homeopathic botanicals as Arnica, Belladonna, Aconitum, Calendula, etc. and comes in ointment and tablet forms.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a non-drug complementary treatment option that you may want to consider if your dog has arthritis.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy can also be incorporated as a part of the dog arthritis treatment. It can be used to relieve joint pain caused by arthritis and hip dysplasia in dogs. Check out Doggie Joint Support Wellness Oil. This is a natural aromatherapy product that contains rosemary, eucalyptus, and ginger essential oils. Highly effective in relieving joint and arthritic pain.

For those of you who want to concoct your won oil blend, here is an aromatherapy recipe that you can try.

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