[NAGDU] Arthritis lecture

[Tracy Carcione]

Last night, I attended a webinar given by a big vet hospital in NYC.  The
speaker specializes in veterinary sports medicine and rehab.  I thought I'd
share some of what she said.

The leading cause of arthritis is being overweight.  I'm sure we've all
heard that a lot.  A healthy body score is around 4.  She said you know your
dog is at a good weight when people are coming up to you saying your dog is
too thin, because people are so used to pudgy dogs, and that includes more
than a few vets.

She said to avoid high-carb snacks.  Cucumber slices are good, amd so are
blueberries, or anything protein.

She said injury can also cause arthritis, even in young dogs-like a cruciate
ligament injury, which I know some of our dogs get.

She said there's no real evidence that chondroitin and glucosamine work
outside of a Petri dish.  She recommended an algae that has a long name
starting with as, eggshell membrane, green lit mussels, and omega-3 acids
mixed with fiber, because their high-fat content can cause diarrhea.  I
believe she recommended a product called Movoflex, but she said it fast.

She said to look for supplements with the labels NASC and/or GMP (if I heard
right.)  They show that a product has been tested for purity and
effectiveness in living creatures, not just in a lab.  She also thought
bigger companies were better, because they have the resources to do testing.
She said the labels aren't on most products, because most aren't tested.

She said exercise is good for arthritis, so long as it's the right kind.
Joints get stiff if they aren't moving.  Lots of short walks, that kind of
thing.  Also, core strengthening exercises.  One was, you hold up one of
your dog's hind legs and the opposite front leg, and he has to use his cort
to balance.  Do that a couple times on each side, building up to a few
times.  Another was that the dog lies on his back, gets a belly rub, then
has to flip over and get up.  Krokus does that one all the time!

Accupuncture and water exercise can also be helpful, and some dogs need pain
pills.  But the most effective treatment and prevention is to lose weight.

 

That's all I recall.  It was very interesting.

Tracy