Sometimes owners, in the stress of the moment, forget to tell their veterinarian relevant information about their pets. Here is a handy checklist to bring with you to your next veterinary appointment. Check the box beside the question if your dog experiences any of these symptoms.

Check which symptoms your dog exhibits:

___  Limps after exercise

___  Is reluctant to jump into the vehicle

___  Is reluctant to jump into the vehicle

___  Doesn't want to go for a walk, or tires easily on walks when did not previously

___  Stiff, particularly after getting up from resting for a while

___  Rests more often

___  Seems to be in pain during cold weather

___  Is reluctant to climb stairs

___  Won't jump on sofa or bed anymore

___  Has lost interest in food

___  Does not want to sit or stand - would rather lie down

___  Bites at certain joints on leg

___  Seems "depressed”

___  Is uncomfortable when touched, especially on hips or tail area

___  Does not seem comfortable when squatting to eliminate waste

Once you have completed the checklist, print and take to your veterinarian so you can discuss the results together. Be sure to let your veterinarian know about any medications or supplements your dog is currently taking, including aspirin or any other NSAIDs. Some medications or supplements may interact in potentially harmful ways; your veterinarian can make the best recommendation for your dog.

Arthritis Symptoms Checklist for Dogs is a post from: Arthritis for Dogs

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On the other hand there are ways in which you can ease the suffering a bit for your dog and help them get the quick paced recovery they deserve. There are probably many different home remedies for helping you dog get better, but often if any are going to work then it will be the suggestions or medication your vet will give your after a diagnosis of your dog, so when you dread your dog is ill you should take them to the vet as soon as possible.

Ok, so let’s now look at some of the more well loved of the hundreds of symptoms that your dog may be feeling.

Not wanting to go

Many dogs when ill wont want to go very far, have pain in moving, refusing to exercise, limping or has signs or injured paw/leg, or just general decreased agility. Theses can all be signs of illness or injury and should be watched out for.

Discharge

This may seem an obvious choice but many dog owners fail to notice discharge from eyes, nose, and ears. These should only normally be a worry if the discharge is coloured.

Appetite

A dog’s loss of appetite is a excellent well recognised symptom of illness as well as over eating without weight gain, sudden weight loss, or diarrhoea. Keep an eye on your dog’s diet and food habits to make this simpler to recognise when it happens.

Itching and Scratching

Itching or scratching and trying to rub themselves up against furniture can be symptoms of terrible skin or new pests on the scene. At this time your dog may be feeling ill or unwell or have it to come.

Mouth Problems

Bleeding or soar looking gums, along with discoloured teeth or teeth loss all need to be diagnosed properly by a vet and could be due to a more serious illnesses.

Sick Dog Symptoms is a post from: Arthritis for Dogs

Arthritis is a disease where the joint is poorly lubricated and spacing in the joints occurs. There are a couple of factors that can cause arthritis like the age of your dog, overweight, infection, joint trauma, the wear of cartilage, the breakdown of the cartilage which is most likely the result of poor lubrication and hydraulic spacing in the joints. Before you start treating your dogâ??s arthritis you should talk with a veterinary first. Your vet, before prescribing medications, will do some blood tests to your dog to be sure that you dog will metabolize these drugs and not will suffer from side effects like diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite.

Common treatments include a diet and an exercising plot to lose and maintain a normal weight, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, over-the-counter pet treatments and natural remedies. Many veterinarians prescribe drugs containing glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate and methylsulfonylmethane.

Glucosamine is a natural component found in your dogâ??s cartilage and itâ??s found mainly in shellfish and sea creatures. Practically, when this component is added to your dogâ??s diet in higher doses it stimulates the repair of hurt joints. When choosing the right medication containing glucosamine you should always go for a liquid form because itâ??s active ingredients are absorbed quicker and better and where itâ??s most needed. For dogs with inherited bone conditions, like knee or hip dysphasia, glucosamine supplements may be useful.

They also recommend including in your dog diet, other natural ingredients like Vitamin C, Boswellia, Greenlip Mussels, Zinc Selenium, Manganese, Bromelain that help ease the pain, reduce inflammation and repair the hurt cartilage. For decreasing the inflammatory effects of arthritis antioxidant vitamins and fatty acid supplements are also recommended and used as a natural remedy. Surgery may be offered as an option in cases where there is no improvement from physical therapy or medications or in advanced cases of arthritis. But there are fewer and fewer veterinarians that will accept to perform this kind of procedure as they are not equipped or qualified accordingly.

Prevention is vital when it comes to arthritis. If your dog is not affected by arthritis yet you can try to prevent this disease from affecting your dog by starting to include joint support ingredients in their middle years diet, by paying more attention to what your pets eats and in what quantities, by making an yearly appointment to the veterinary. Although glucosamine is a cure it has been shown it is also a excellent preventive measure.

You should also take into account that recovery of dogs with arthritis takes time and you need to give them proper care and the extra attention.

Dog Arthritis – Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment is a post from: Arthritis for Dogs