Decompression therapy from The Bonati Institute. We offer information about decompression therapy and lower back surgery, including spinal fusion. Visit http://www.bonati.com or call today for information about Decompression therapy
Duration : 4 min 6 sec
Dog arthritis is one of the most common diseases that affect canines, especially large breed dogs (60-90 lbs). Just as human arthritis, dog arthritis tends to get worse with age
Here are 10 tips that may help your arthritic dog:
1. Slip-free Flooring. Hardwood and tile floors are slippery and can be very difficult for dogs with arthritis to move around. Placing carpet or area rugs will help secure your dog’s footing. This can help prevent your dog from slipping and getting injured.
2. A Soft Bed. Soft bedding can help support your dog’s bones and joints and make your pet more comfortable. This can be especially important in thin dogs in which bony prominences are likely to rub on hard surfaces. Some beds are made especially for dogs with arthritis, such as waterbeds, hammock beds, and beds with plenty of extra cushion.
3. Ramps or Cubes. Stairs and furniture can become difficult obstacles for your aging companion. Ramps or specially designed cubes can help pets safely climb stairs, get into or out of bed or get in
and out of your vehicle. Ramps can be made of plastic or wood and are available from many pet catalogs. A new product called “Puppy Stairs” are soft modular cubes that fit together in combinations that permit pets to climb up or down from beds or sofas. These cubes are made of soft rubber, have rounded corners and washable covers.
4. Medication. Various medications are available that can help your dog feel better. Medications include drugs such as Deramaxx®, Rimadyl® or Etogesic®. These drugs are classified as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and work to suppress inflammation and pain. Other medications such as Cosequin® can also be beneficial by providing your dog’s body with necessary nutrients for cartilage repair and function. See your veterinarian to discuss if any of these medications could benefit your dog.
5. Peace & Quiet. As your dog ages, he may not be as tolerant or patient as he used to be. Sore joints make it difficult for your pet to enjoy rambunctious playful children. Supervise playtime and consider keeping your dog away from very young children. Even parties and holiday time can be distressing for an arthritic dog. Your dog may want to join in the festivities regardless of the discomfort. To reduce joint pain and inflammation, you may want to limit your arthritic dog’s time as the center of attention.
6. Massage. By massaging your dog, you can increase his or her flexibility, circulation, calmness and a general sense of wellness. Professional animal massage therapists are available to provide your pet a more thorough treatment.
7. Weight Control and Dietary Therapy. Arthritis is more of a problem in obese pets. Weight loss can be beneficial by reducing the workload on your dog’s bones and joints. In addition to basic weight loss, there are diets formulated for dogs with arthritis that may be beneficial for your dog. Diets, such as Hills® Science Diet® j/d⢠and Purina® JM Joint Mobility⢠have been shown to help dogs with arthritis maintain weight, reduce pain and improve mobility.
8. Exercise. Modest daily exercise can help some dogs. Special care is needed, so it is important to first see your veterinarian, who can recommend an appropriate exercise program. Exercise can strengthen your dog’s muscles and ligaments thus reducing your dog’s injury potential and risk.
9. Extra Time. Don’t rush a dog with arthritis. It often takes them extra time to walk, climb stairs or get in and out of the car. Support and help your arthritic dog if needed or just give your pet the extra time to get around.
10. Grooming. Grooming should not be neglected, especially in the older dog. Arthritic dogs have a difficult time keeping themselves clean, especially in those hard to reach areas. Help your dog stay clean by trimming the hair around the rear end. Brushing will help remove mats and tangles, which can injure delicate older skin. Follow these top 10 tips, and you’ll be able to keep your arthritic dog living longer, stronger, happier and healthier.
We tried everything, even pet massage and therapy.
He eats and eats and eats and sleeps and make no money, beside the noise, the weight, the screams, you probably see him on youtube, hes name is burger the evil cats
I don't think anyone can convince you of anything or make any suggestions, if they don't know what the cat is doing to drive you nuts. Is it possessive? Aggressive? What?
I'm just going to assume 1) that the cat comes between you and your wife at times you definitely don't want it to, and 2) that your wife had the cat before she had you. The second one is negotiable, but not a whole lot. And if the second one is true, then what you are dealing with is a dominance thing, particularly if the cat is male.
Unlike male dogs, which will respond sexually to a human female scent, particularly when the woman has her period, cats tend to be gentlemanly. Basically, they're indifferent. But male cats do bond to female owners in a non-sexual yin-yang kind of way. And male cats are territorial and depending on their personality and experience, can be possessive or protective of their territory and their mistress.
Warren Eckstein, in his book, How to Get Your Cat to Do What You Want It to Do tells of a famous model (name not given) who had a male cat she loved. She acquired a boyfriend, and while the cat had always been neutral about her boyfriends, he didn't care for this one at all. One evening, in her home, she fell into an argument with the boyfriend, and the guy just went off. He hit her and went to grab her, but did not succeed, because the cat jumped on the guy, landing on his shoulders, and began to scratch his face and neck.
This cat was a mensch. Your wife's is apparently the cat from hell, at least as far as you are concerned. If I knew the behaviors, I might have some ideas, but failing that, I do have a suggestion. If you folks have enough money for pet massage and pet therapy, then you surely have money for a cage.
I'm not talking a little, confining thing, here. I'm talking a nice, big cage with a shelf or two, room for a nice bed, a litter box, food, water, toys and one of those sisal scratchers that you can lash to the bars. Put it by a nice window with lots of action: lots of passersby or trees with birds and squirrels. By mutual agreement with your wife, you can set up a schedule for the cat. At certain times of the day, he goes into the cage, and for so many hours or at certain times of day, he roams the house.
Follow the schedule, and if he meows or howls, just ignore him. He will catch on.
If you really don't want to do this, then try to locate a cat rescue group or no-kill shelter, and go through them to find a new home for this creature.
YOu know better than to kill it. Maybe just placement in a new home with a lone, female owner would be a good solution — and your wife could visit him from time to time.
powered by Yahoo Answers
right i am hoping to train to become a vet,i am 14 andi havedone my work experience and i have already half done a gcse *fast track*in science, i know what collage i am going to*if i get in * and uni and stuff
now my aunty was round here yesterday *she is 3 years older than me* and she started massaging my brotherand taught me how to do some stuff*she is doing health and beauty collage courses*my brother went out but i wanted to know more so she started doing it on the cat and he loved it!ALSO it unclicked a shoulder bone*drained all the poisen fluids* , i know that he had a click wrong there before and he had to have treatment that cost alot of money because it could have led to severe arthritus,he hadnt got another vets appointment for 5 months so she saved us alot of money,basically me and her came up with this idea that i could do massage therapy in my vets,i want to learn basic massage methods *to use on HUMANS*free online somewhere to start with and then when i have finished school and stuff i will take a pet massage course *yes they do exist*ov course if you do know a site that teaches you how to massage pets i would like to know it.thanx
Here is a site with some beginning basics on pet massage:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2191480_massage-dog-puppy.html
powered by Yahoo Answers
There have been great advances in the medical management of arthritis in pets but only recently has the veterinary world embraced the multitude of theories and complimentary therapies widely used within the medical world. One of the most proven methods of maintaining mobility in arthritic joints is physiotherapy (otherwise known as physical therapy) and the more advanced the mobility problems are, the more important this complimentary therapy becomes. In this article I hope to introduce you to the concepts and terminology of physiotherapy so that you can approach your veterinarian and see whether it may benefit your pet.
Warming up before exercise
We all know we should warm up before exercise and this applies for pets too, especially if they have stiffened joints due to arthritis. Warming up literally means warming up the muscles. This reduces the stiffness in the ligaments, tendons and muscles and also greatly increases blood supply and oxygen to the limbs. A method used in physiotherapy is to use warm compresses to emulate this warming up proces in particularly stiff joints. Simply take a warm hand towel and place it in a plastic bag (please ensure that it is not too hot) and apply it to the stiff joints. This is especially useful first thing in the morning when your pet awakes as this is the time tha joints will be at their stiffest. Once the joints are warmed up they can then be flexed and extended passively to increase the lossening of stiff muscles and connective tissues. Do this for 5 minutes before exercise and when your pet starts the day to help soothe and prepare their stiff joints for exercise.
Regular Low Impact Exercise
Regular low stress exercise is crucial in preventing the poor muscle conditioning that occurs due to poorly mobilised arthritic limbs. Short walks and swims are excellent as they do not leave your pet too sore the day after exercise. Exercise helps to lose weight which reduces the load on the arthritic joints. In comparison to this long walks and short bursts of vigorous activity can worsen lameness by creating pain and inflammation. If your pet does seems to be sore after exercise, do not exercise them again until the pain has resolved. Re-start the exercise gently to start with. In particularly painful joints apply a bag of frozen peas to the joint for fifteen minutes to reduce pain and inflammation
Cooling Down After Exercise
At the end of any exercise a short period of gentle exercise helps to “cool” the muscles down. Dedicate 5 minutes of slow pace walking to the end of any exercise period.
Passive Range of Motion
One method that can be used to aid flexibility is passive flexion and extension of joints. This is most commonly referred to as passive range of motion exercise. Simply lie your pet on their side and starting with the foot, flex and extended the joints through their natural range of movement. Continue up the leg all the way to the shoulder or hip. If this exercise causes too much discomfort do not continue. Repeat passive motion on each joint around 20 times at least once a day.
Massage techniques
The benefits of massage include increased lymphatic flow, improved mobility of muscles, increased circulation to the area and relaxation. Any combination of the following techniques can be used on your pet. Some useful massage techniques that you can perform at home are summarised below:
Stroking
With the palm of your hand gently stroke your pet moving from head to tail or from shoulder/hip down to foot.
Effleurage
With the palm of your hand apply even pressure. Effleurage follows the opposite direction of stroking (foot to body). Overlap your strokes to cover the entire body area.
Percussion
Tap your pets body with a cupped hand with light brief contact. The “karate chop” position of the hand can also be used here and is similar to techniques involved in Swedish massage.
Friction
Use the tip of your fingers to make small rotary motions over your pets muscles.
Please contact your veterinarian for further advice if your pet is suffering with their arthritis. Before performing these techniques check with your vet that there are no reasons why you shouldn’t do them in your pet and to get instruction on how to perform the techniques correctly.
relax