Humans with arthritis will tell they are in more pain in the cold and wet days than they are in the summer. If your big dog or aging dog has arthritis, he will also be suffering more joint pain in the cold days of winter than he does in the summer.
A reason for this additional pain and joint ache your big dog is suffering could be because a drop in the air pressure can cause tissues to swell and this can lead to stiff muscles. A stiffening in the muscles can cause pain for a dog that isn’t suffering canine arthritis.
What is canine arthritis?
There is a common type of arthritis that both animals and humans suffer. This is the arthritis that comes from old age and simple wear and tear and is called osteoarthritis. The damage starts in the cartilage in the joint. The cartilage is a connective tissue found between the bones – it is both firm, but flexible.
Cartilage in the joints that starts to erode because of wear and tear or age or cartilage that is damaged because of an injury will eventually erode and damage the bone. Weight-bearing joints such as the hips, knees, shoulders and spine suffer the most from this erosion of the cartilage.
Your dog may exhibit signs of discomfort in the beginning stages of arthritis, but over time it will cause more pain. Arthritis is a progressive disease that has no cure, but pet owners can help alleviate the pain their big dogs feel. There are many treatment options available and they include:
- Laser treatment
- Anti-inflammatories
- Weight reduction
- Therapeutic exercise
- Therapeutic massage
Here are tips on how to alleviate your big dog’s arthritis pain in the winter.
Exercise
Taking your big dog on regular walks and making certain she gets exercise daily will help alleviate pain – a joint not used will seize up and become more painful. If your dog is in pain, start with short walks and work up to longer walks. If the weather is not conducive to an outdoor walk, undertake fun indoor activities with your pet to keep him moving.
If you have access to a swimming pool, that is a great exercise because it allows your dog to exercise without putting any pressure on her aching joints.
A little exercise is better than no exercise at all.
Supplements
Your veterinarian may prescribe anti-inflammatories or recommend you give your dog over the counter supplements such as glucosamine. Dietary supplements don’t require a prescription from your veterinarian and they include: glucosamine and chrondroitin sulfate. Your doctor may recommend injections that will promote cartilage protection and enhance repair.
Weight control
Along with exercise, you need to assure that your pet is at a healthy weight. Take him to the veterinarian for an examination and ask whether he is at an ideal weight. If not, take measures to get him to a healthy weight – whether that means upping his exercise, cutting back on treats or simply cutting back on the amount of food he is getting.
An overweight dog will suffer more from arthritis simply because of the additional pressure on his already aching muscles and joints.
Feed your dog a high quality, low calorie, low fat diet to help him shed any additional weight he may be carrying. Ask your veterinarian whether it might make sense to put your pet on a prescription weight loss food to help him safely get to an ideal weight.
Remember to not switch your dog from one kind of food to another without a transition period. Mix the new food with the old adding more new as time goes on. A quick change in food can lead to stomach upset.
Alternative treatments
Holistic healing methods are being embraced by humans and they are also seeking these treatments for their pets. Alternative healing methods can include herbal baths, massages, acupuncture or reiki. If you don’t know how to correctly massage your pet, take a class or look online at a reputable source; if you don’t you risk hurting your pet and maybe even getting bitten if you inadvertently press too hard on a particularly sore area.
Dr. Osborne, Chagrin Falls Pet Clinic, who has been a vet for more than 20 years, practices integrative veterinarian medicine. Her practice offers traditional and holistic services. “We can individualize and optimize therapies for all of the pets we treat,” she explained. “We combine traditional therapies with holistic methods to provide pets the best of both worlds.”
Keep him warm
In the winter, if your big dog tolerates it, dress him for the cold. Put a sweater on him. Wrap him in a blanket when he’s lying on his bed. Keep his bed in a warm location in the house, look for a pet-safe heated blanket to add to his comfort when he’s lying down.
Accessories
If your dog has a hard time getting into or out of the car, invest in ramps to help him. Use stairs or a ramp to help her get on or off the furniture or your bed if she sleeps with you. Make certain he can easily walk in your house – clipped toenails and not having to walk on hardwood floor or linoleum help him navigate with more confidence.
If you notice your dog exhibiting any signs of aches or pains when he is going up and down stairs or getting up out of bed, it might be time to talk with your veterinarian and start him on a treatment plan to alleviate any potential issues he is having with arthritis or other joint pain.
Questions about canine arthritis?
Download our Canine Arthritis Guide.
I love these suggestions. Harley was very overweight when we adopted him at 2 years old. As a result, his veterinarian thinks that some damage was done to his hips during a period of time where he was growing. As a result he has struggled with arthritis. Keeping his weight down and using supplements has gone a long way. Also, we have started to use Pawz dog boots (indoors) and want to look into Toe Grips because it helps him with better traction on the floor so that he is not struggling to get up!
I’ve heard the toe grips are helpful. Glad you liked my suggestions. Thank you for commenting!
Sounds like good advice for dogs (or people!) suffering from arthritis pain. There are several herbs – boswellia, turmeric, devils claw, also MSM and omega 3 oils – that are helpful for humans. Best to talk to your vet though, before giving herbs or supplements to your pet. What is good for a human may not be good for a pet and if medications are involved you need to be mindful of interactions.
Val, thank you for the added information and for the caveat to ask your vet before giving any supplements. I am going to ready about the herbs you mentioned.
As a big dog, this was a great and thorough post! So many important points! Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
Thank you Spencer! I appreciate the comment.
These are all excellent tips, thank you! There are so many similarities between canine arthritis and human arthritis.
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We luv Them
Thanks for commenting — I agree with the human and dog arthritis pain.
Thank you for the info 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
We’ve been giving Mr. N a joint supplement as a preventative.
My Henrietta takes one as well, she has already had knee issues. Thanks for reading!
Great post! Controlling pain is so important! I’m glad you included the part about weight because so many people forget that extra weight is not good for their joints!
Thanks for reading. I agree, too many pups are overweight!
This is great advice. As someone who suffers from arthritis, I can attest to the fact that winter and rainy weather make it harder to move around. Regular walks definitely help.
Thanks for commenting, Melissa. I know, it seems counterintuitive to move when you’re in pain but it does help!
This article is chock full of great info. I’m so careful with Keira as she ages. She lost a bunch of weight last year which made such a difference in her lifestyle. I thought she had arthritis, but she was overweight and that stopped her from doing many things like jumping in the car on her own. Not anymore!!!
Being overweight can really manifest into other issues. With my poodle even a half a pound is bed for her so I try to make sure she eats healthy treats — carrots and other veggies — and gets a lot of exercise. It’s even more important for the bigger dogs.
Great information – we’ve adopted many older dogs and have used a lot of these therapies. We’ve relied on acupuncture and tumeric and greens. Thanks for sharing this information it’s so important!
I’ve heard of dogs getting acupuncture and hear it works wonders, I haven’t gone that route yet. I have also heard great things about tumeric, but never used it. Thanks for commenting!
Herbal baths…thats interesting, im gonna look into that.
Do you have a go to supplement? We are on Glycoflex…and i think it works well, but im always looking to see if there are better/easier to take products out there for my big guy!
Henrietta gets a crushed up glucosamine in her dinner. Spenser used to have glucosamine/chondroitin chews — both vet recommended even though they are over the counter meds.
Great suggestions – arthritis is becoming increasingly common in pets – so it’s good to know what we can do to alleviate their pain.
Thanks for commenting. I found that out when Henrietta turned 7 and her vet called her middle aged… and she started having knee issues!
These suggestions are just great.
I don’t have a big dog with arthritis, but these make total sense and would be so useful to a big baby that is hurting and uncomfortable in the cold.
My lab cookie had arthritis at the end of her long life. I have really bad arthritis too. Thanks for sharing these tips. Keeping a good weight, low impact exercise, massage, heat and ice, anti-inflammatories, physio etc can all help. Plus I am looking at blood and stem cell treatments for my knees but they are a few years from being ready here in Canada. There are apparently inflammatory foods for some people and dogs ( I am just doing some tests), and there is anecdotal evidence on Tumeric, Glucosamine and Chondroitin helping- it may also help if you believe they will help. You can actually get naturally occurring Glucosamine and Chondroitin in things like beef bully sticks I believe.
Thank you for that additional information and for sharing. I have heard good things about tumeric.
GREAT info. Pinning!
Thank you, Sadie!
I know a lot of big dog parents in my life and will tell them about this.
Thank you, Carol. I found, too, that a lot of them are useful for The Hen and her knee issues.
While we don’t have a Big Barker – we clearly need one! I agree – the tips about massage and Acupuncture are great. My older dog that had terrible osteoarthritis also benefited from hydro-therapy.
Christine, I’ve heard about hydro-therapy and may take that route with Henrietta if her knee gets worse. Thanks for reading!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing…good info to know for sure.
Thanks for commenting!
An excellent post to keep for future reference.
Thank you!