What TO AVOID
TOD SAYS...
Monitor your dog’s behaviour and mobility closely. Many interventions take time to take effect!
Above all, owners should avoid becoming complacent.
Arthritis is a progressive disease. As with people, symptoms can naturally wax and wane with significant pain on some days and hardly any on others. For this reason owners must look at their dog from two perspectives, how they are now and how they have been for the last few weeks. Monitoring the dog’s capabilities, posture, behaviour and mobility through validated questionnaires or the chronic pain indicator chart, both now and overall is necessary to create a tailored long term management plan.
Many interventions require time (weeks) to take effect, such as weight loss, controlled exercise, physiotherapy, chronic pain medications and supplements, and their benefit will be seen by a slow improvement in mood and capability, as well as reduced number of flare ups. But considering how the dog is on a day to day basis ensures any welfare concerns regarding pain are also managed appropriately.
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