Arthritis is a disease in which joint cartilage deteriorates. The result is that surfaces that are supposed to glide over each other become rough, and lubrication within the joint is decreased. Movement is more difficult and often painful.
The signs of arthritis in animals are:
- difficulty in walking, such as limping or a stiff, slow, or ungainly gait;
- difficulty in getting up from a seated or lying position;
- difficulty climbing stairs;
- a creaking, crackling, or “ratcheting” sound in the joints;
- an overall decrease in mobility;
- an unwillingness to move.
Animals who are experiencing the pain of arthritis also may become “aggressive” if they are touched in the wrong place or forced to move. They experience arthritis pain just as humans do.
You can help your animal’s arthritis in the following ways:
- get an early diagnosis and begin daily sessions with the Photon Genie
- give him/her a reasonable amount of controlled low impact exercise, which does not put additional strain on joints, but that helps maintain overall mobility and flexibility
- control your animal’s weight with a healthy diet.