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

Table of Contents:

1. Content from The Pet Arthritis Resource Center
2. More Issues with Food and Family Pets
3. Pet Arthritis Message Boards

Real Food Treats Improve Your Pet's Health We love to give our dogs treats, and they love to get them. The healthiest treats we can give our dogs and cats are made from real, fresh food. Since we like to give them variety and tasty tidbits as well, we'll review briefly each category of treat. Nutrition and Arthritic Pets We have talked about the importance of both diet and exercise when dealing with a pet that has arthritis. I think that diet is such an important issue that it is one we should discuss in greater detail. It is becoming common knowledge that as humans, our bodies perform better when we "eat right." It is equally important for pets to follow healthy food guidelines as well. Big Dogs: Big Problems - Caution on the Exercise Front In the past, we have talked about certain breeds of dogs that are prone to developing arthritis problems. Generally speaking, it is the larger breeds that are more prone. Of course, arthritis does not discriminate.

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A Cautionary Note to Pet Owners

As our regular readers know, I offer up a lot of advice on dealing with arthritis in pets. This is a large part of my life.

However, from time to time I like to discuss other issues that deal with the safety and the well-being of your pet. Unfortunately, they are like children and are prone to getting themselves into harm's way often.

Some Recent Reports about Human Medications

I was reading some articles that indicated that pets are accidentally ingesting human mediations and some with fatal consequences. In these articles, the discussion focused on a variety of anti-depressants and other mild to severe anxiety disorders.

The issue is that these medications are sometimes left where a pet might get a bottle open or they have been just dropped on the floor. There are many scenarios where a pet might find themselves simply eating or swallowing them.

Consequences

Pets are particularly at risk when ingesting these kinds of medications. It can rise to the level of a fatality that develops quickly. The thing is that symptoms can come on quickly and may not immediately alert the pet owner that this is the culprit.

The typical symptoms as reported are vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rates, fluctuating blood pressure, and so on. Now, given that these kinds of symptoms may come from a variety of sources, the real responsibility lies with the pet owner.

What You Should Do

If you take any such medications, take the time to make certain you handle them carefully and that they are secured where pets cannot find them. If you are using such medications and see these kinds of symptoms arise, get to the vet. These situations require immediate attention.

I also find it interesting that vets report that they have treated pets that were given medications by pet owners to “calm them.” I am not sure why any responsible pet owner would take that kind of a risk but I know it happens.

I once had a woman call me and ask if she might give her pet (who suffered from arthritis) a drug in this class. She thought it might help calm the pet down. Of course, the answer is a resounding “no” and that is the way it should be.

In my experience, pets suffering from arthritis conditions are better served using a high-quality liquid Glucosamine, reasonable exercise, and a good diet. I have never personally seen any who need an anti-anxiety or depression medication. They just want their pain to ease.

A little common sense can go a long ways here.

For information on arthritis in pets visit our site at http://www.arthritis-cats-dogs.com

For information on glucosamine and the leading products read The Guide to Glucosamine Products. Or you can learn more about glucosamine formula Syn-flex®, our recommended glucosamine product.

A feature to our Pet Arthritis Resource Center is the Pet Arthritis Message Board. You can post messages, ask questions, learn more, and meet friends. You can post messages in any of the following sections.

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...

Christina's mom
Posted on 16 May 2005

I have had my 12 year old border collie/aussie cross on rymadyl on and off for the last two years. A month ago, the vet suggested that we put her on it for life...about two weeks ago, Christina developed extreme difficulty when she gets up. Her hind legs seem almost paralyzed until she finally pulls her self up with her fronts and strains to stand in the rear. I have had to help her up several times in the past week. She usually runs with me to feed the horse in the morning and evenings, but now she struggles to keep up and lags behind me about 6 feet. HELP!!! I am taking her off the Rymadyl and I want to put her on some supplements. Cosequinn, Kaprex, Syn Flex, MSM...where do I start???

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

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This concludes the May Issue of The Pet Arthritis Chronicle. Look for the next issue in your inbox on June 15th, 2005!

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

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