Holistic Therapies For Pets With Arthritis & Musculoskeletal Problems
One of the common issues I treat in my practice is musculoskeletal problems. These can range from mild limping, to arthritis, to full blown paralysis. These problems can be caused by injuries, lack of proper exercise, or a deficiency in joint cartilage, but are often just the result of age. Most treatment plans for these ailments focus on alleviating pain using medications, but do not seem to address the root cause of pain and immobility.
In this post, I’d like to present to you a multi-pronged action plan for treating these ailments in a safe and natural way. Using these strategies, I’ve seen my patients develop stronger muscles, show increased mobility, and show fewer signs of pain.
What’s the First Step?
Making the correct diagnosis! With my own clients, I like to start with a phone consultation. This gets us started in the right direction with treatments that can be applied at home, and allows us to make faster progress and improvements than if we were to wait for an in-person appointment.
To gauge the severity of the issue, I like to review recent x-rays, and other relevant prior veterinary records. If you plan to consult a holistic veterinarian about your pet’s mobility issues, be sure to have some good x-rays taken first.
Typical Treatment Plan
1. Improve nutrition through home-cooked diets made with fresh food ingredients
I encourage my clients to feed their dogs high-antioxidant diets with vegetables like kale, broccoli, red cabbage, and small amounts of fruits like blueberries. These help decrease free radical accumulation in the joints. I also like to add supplements to the diet and may suggest things like glucosamine and chondroitin (which are chondroprotective agents) along with green perna mussel or sea cucumber supplements.
2. Improve blood flow to joints and muscles
When pets have mobility issues, it is important to ensure that there is adequate blood flow through their body. I recommend daily massage. You can also use cooling liniments like Frankincense oil to stimulate blood and energy flow. Some herbal formulas like Chinese salvia, Tang Kuei, and Red Peony can also be taken internally to help. Vitamin B12 injections are also very helpful when given in tandem with acupuncture treatments.
3. Decrease inflammation
The next step is to decrease inflammation. I recommend giving supplements like fish oil (for omega-3 fatty acids) and SAMe, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E (which are high in antioxidants). Herbs like yucca, ginger, boswellia, and turmeric will also naturally reduce inflammation. One thing you can do at home is to use hydrotherapy – let your pet soak in a bathtub filled with lukewarm water and a small amount of Epsom salt. Acupuncture treatments can also be used to reduce inflammation. Feeding an anti-inflammatory diet high in vegetables, fish, eggs, and fresh local grass-fed meat will help prevent problems.
4. Improve function and mobility
To improve function and mobility, I suggest daily massage, liniments, and herbal formulas as mentioned above. Gentle swimming is also a great treatment strategy! If you have a pool, you can swim your dog for short periods of 10-20 minutes. Swim sessions in calm ocean water is okay too. After each session, be sure to rinse your dog off using fresh and clean water so as not to cause skin irritation.
A managed exercise plan will support blood flow, and the strengthening of muscles and joints. Remember that as with people, pets need to build up to being able to do exercise. Start gradually with very short sessions (2-4 minutes), then increase the duration and frequency of your swim sessions. You should also allow for recovery days (days off from swimming). I also recommend that all pets be outfitted with a pet life jacket. This reduces stress on your dog and enables him or her to relax while in the water. They can then focus more on moving the joints and less on trying to stay afloat. Always use supervision during hydrotherapy sessions.
5. Improve flexibility
The final component of a holistic treatment plan for musculoskeletal problems is to do stretching, hydrotherapy, massage, and acupuncture.
As you can see, many of the treatment modalities I’ve suggested overlap in their benefits – for example, daily massage improves flexibility, function, mobility and blood flow, and acupuncture treatments can improve blood flow, decrease inflammation, and improve function and mobility. If your pet is having trouble recovering from an injury, or is having arthritic issues, I suggest incorporating these strategies into your pet’s treatment plan with the help of your local holistic veterinarian.
I am also available via phone consultations to help you formulate a treatment plan tailored to your pet’s needs. Get in touch by sending us an email, or by calling my Kauai clinic at 808-822-4229.
Beautiful photo of a happy old golden having fun via RickC