Dog joint health

Top 5 practical tips

Here are five practical steps you can take to help your dog when their joints start to stiffen and slow:

• Take steps to make sure your dog is at its optimum weight. It’s important that joints aren’t exposed to excess stress, and being overweight is a big cause of this. If you’re concerned about your dog’s weight, speak to your vet and they can provide dietary advice to help you keep your pooch the correct weight.

• Put a pause on hill walks when you’re with your dog. Flat walks help older dogs by putting less pressure on the joints than walks with a steep gradient. You should also take regular stops to allow your dog to rest or you could take shorter, more frequent walks.

• Orthopaedic beds support and protect joints, making longer naps more comfortable. Other furniture considerations include dinner time – a raised platform for your furry friend’s meal bowls puts less pressure on their joints when eating.

• Older dogs may find it harder to get up than they used to, so invest in slip-proof mats to help them get themselves up.

• Like many humans, dogs may not want to play energetic games as they get older, so try to find gentler alternatives that require less physical exertion and pressure on aching joints.

You can do some or all of the above in conjunction with giving your dog joint supplements like Flexadin Plus, which is specially formulated to aid mobility and soothe those sore joints. Flexadin Plus supplements are available in a tasty soft chew format, which you can give to your pet at any time of day. They contain chondroitin and glucosamine, natural compounds used to build blocks of healthy joint cartilage.

You can also give your dog Devil’s Claw, which is plant based and anti-inflammatory. Devil’s Claw comes in two different pack sizes and is suitable for dogs and cats. It also comes in handy zip-lock foil packs to help it stay fresher for longer.