Osteoarthritis, what most people refer to as simply arthritis, is a slow debilitating disease of both dogs and cats. Early symptoms of arthritis in animals often are ignored or brushed over lightly. The most common sign is an animal that is slow to raise or raises with difficulty. Others seem to spend an excessive amount of time stretching after getting to their feet, especially stretching of the back legs. Most of these animals will act totally normal after they have been on their feet for a few minutes. In fact, some of them run and play so hard it is impossible to believe their joints could be hurting at times. This paradox of being slow to raise up, yet being able to run and play hard has caused many people to ignore these early symptoms until they are advanced in nature.
Many products are available to treat osteoarthritis, including prescription drugs, nutraceuticals, acupuncture, and massage therapy. As arthritis develops, an inflammatory reaction occurs in the joint. This inflammatory reaction creates an unhealthy joint environment. A viscous cycle occurs as this unhealthy environment causes further joint deterioration. Unless this trend is reversed, over time this joint is totally destroyed.
Glucosamine, found in nutraceuticals such as GLC 1000 or Cosequin, plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy joint. These products provide the nutrients the joints need to help create a healthy environment. While these agents will help any joint have a healthier environment, the best results are seen in animals treated in the early stages of disease. Animals with advanced osteoarthritis may require other forms of treatment in conjunction with glucosamine in order to achieve good results. Glucosamine does not give overnight results. Depending on the degree of disease and the animal, it may take anywhere from two to eight weeks for results to be noticed. The advantages of glucosamine are safety, availability, and nonprescription.
Osteoarthritis is a painful disease that should be treated the minute you see signs, even when signs of pain appear to be mild.
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