Glucosamine – Its role in pain relief...

As old age strikes, our pooches start exhibiting joint pain resulting from regenerative bone diseases like osteoarthritis, obesity, displasia, improper diet and too much exercise. But as dog parents we hate to see them in excruciating pain and hence try out all best possible means to give them succor. And one of the easiest and most effective means of doing that is by supplementing his diet with glucosamine. It is a compound found in the body of dogs which produces glycosaminoglycan, a molecule that helps in the formation and repair of cartilage and other body tissues. However, production of glucosamine slows down with age.

Arthritis or for that matter any regenerative joint disease may manifest itself by lingering pain or discomfort in movement. Larger breeds are far more susceptible to contracting arthritis than their smaller counterparts.

How will you take care of your pets under these circumstances?

• You have to ensure that his weight does not increase beyond a certain point and for maintaining that you must switch over to a nutritious, low calorie diet. This would help in minimizing impact on joints.
  
  
• As your pooch is already in pain excessive activities can be detrimental to his health. So, reduce his exercise to two or three daily walks.
  
  
• Supplement his diet with glucosamine. Its anti-inflammatory and joint rejuvenating qualities can actually alleviate the pain. Glucosamine has been found to yield beneficial results with minimal side effects.

As canine diseases bear an uncanny resemblance with the kind of ailments that afflict us, their implications can’t be ignored. So, as responsible dog owners we should consult his vet in case of any complications related to his health.