Greetings,
Welcome to this month's issue of The Pet Arthritis Chronicle. Please pass this along to your friends!

Table of Contents:

1. Featured Articles from The Pet Arthritis Resource Center
2. Massage for Arthritic Pets
3. Pet Arthritis Message Boards

Featured Pet Arthritis Content

A Guide to Glucosamine Products for Pets Canine Hip Dysplasia Stories of Users of Rimadyl Natural Arthritis Relief for Pets Recommended Books on easing arthritis pain in Pets Using Glucosamine to Ease Arthritis Pain in Pets

Advertisement

	Liquid glucosamine formula Syn-flex® effectively eases arthritis and hip dysplasia pain in dogs and cats, assists in the rehabilitation of damaged cartilage, and slows the progression of the disease. Plus FREE shipping. Learn more about Syn-flex now!

Massage for Arthritic Pets

Massage and Arthritic Pets
For a dog or cat, there is nothing more pleasant than a simple massage. Massages have always been considered great therapy for us and the same is true for our pets. It can also be an important component of the healing process for those with arthritis.

The Benefits
Clinical studies have concluded that pets experience reduced pain, greater flexibility and increased circulation of both lymph and blood systems. Massaging your pet stimulates the release of cytokines that in turn reduce the levels of stress hormones. Improved blood circulation provides additional oxygen to their body and the brain is producing all-natural pain relievers called endorphins.

Effleurage and Petrissage
Those are fancy names for something as simple as the act of massaging. Nevertheless, just for the sake of clarifying things, let us define them.

Effleurage means that you are "massaging" your pet in only one direction. This is generally the best way to begin a little massage therapy on your pet. Simply stroking in one direction for even a few minutes every day can make a big difference.

Petrissage
The "busier" massage is called petrissage. This is the one where you tug at fur, pushing, pull and knead at various parts of your pet's body. (Once your pet has been through some effleurage, they are more responsive to petrissage). Again, this only takes a few minutes a day if time is tight for you.

Caution Zones for Arthritic Pets
As with everything, there are some cautions that need to be issued. If your pet has obvious areas of injury, inflammation, or bruising you should avoid massaging these locations. There is no benefit in massaging your pet when it makes them uncomfortable. As well, you should observe some caution when massaging the neck and spine areas of your pet. These are areas that are subject to a lot of trauma and often pets will have some discomfort there. If you approach these areas carefully and your pet is not indicating any discomfort, you can proceed with the massage normally.

You Benefit Too
It is interesting to note that you actually benefit from massaging your pet. Studies have shown that people who are indulging their pets are more relaxed than they normally are and that blood pressure and heart rate slow as they massage their pets.

The Benefits of Stretching
For pets with arthritis, flexibility is an issue. The more sedentary your pet is the greater the chance that flexibility is lost. As part of your massage therapy, you should also add some stretching.

We have all seen our pets stretch every day. It is a normal part of their lifestyle assuming they are healthy. However, for those who suffer with arthritis it helps to add some stretching to your massage routines.

Pay particular attention to both flexing and extending the joints of your pet. It is called "bend and flex" and it is nothing more than moving your pet's joints out and around to maintain the maximum range of motion. Usually, just a few minutes a day is sufficient. Believe me, your pet will thank you for this extra-added benefit in their daily massage regimen.

Try this routine for just a few days and watch how your pet responds.

See you next time.

Advertisement

	Syn-flex® contains pharmaceutical quality Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Bromelain, Boswellin, Yucca, Omega 3 and Omega 6, Manganese, and Vitamins A, C, and E in a high quality formula designed for helping Arthritic type pain for your dog or cat. Learn more about Syn-flex here!

Pet Arthritis Message Boards

Dogs

• Canine Hip Dysplasia
• Arthritis in Dogs
• Glucosamine for Dogs

Cats

• Feline Hip Dysplasia
• Glucosamine for Cats
• Arthritis in Cats

Other Animals

• Arthritis in Other Animals

Here's a few sample posts from the Forum...

LeeAnn
Posted on 05 Jul 2002 at 15:17

I have a question regarding liquid glucosamine. I've heard that it works great for arthritis and ligamint injuries, but what about hip dysplasia? My 5 month old Newfie Cross was just diagnosed with hip dysplasia. The vet put her on Rimadyl and is recommending a $3000 surgery. I have recently read up on the dangers of Rimadyl and cannot currently afford the surgery. Does anyone know if liquid glucosamine would help her? How would I know how much to give her? Please help. I cry every time I see the effort she puts into something as simple as getting up from lying down. Thank you.

Post your own message on The Pet Arthritis Message Board now!

This concludes the July Issue of The Pet Arthritis Chronicle. Look for the next issue in your inbox on August 15th, 2002!

Please forward to any friends that have pets with arthritis and who would be interested.

You have received The Pet Arthritis Chronicle because you have subscribed to it (or it was forwarded to you by a friend). At any time, you may subscribe or unsubscribe here.

For comments and questions relating to The Pet Arthritis Chronicle you may email

This newsletter may be republished article by article or in whole as long as credit is given to author and link is provided to http://www.arthritis-cats-dogs.com

Have a great July from The Pet Arthritis Resource Center and The Pet Arthritis Chronicle. See you next month!