Pet owners should consider an alternative approach to caring for dogs and cats with arthritis, according to an expert in holistic veterinary care.
"There’s a lot of things we can do in holistic and natural medicine to make animals feel better to get over the pain and inflammation and move better when they do have arthritis," said Dr. Carrie Donahue, owner and founder of Full Circle Holistic Veterinary Care.
Arthritis causes animals to feel more tired and irritable and can occur in various joints in more than one place at once, she said.
"Oftentimes, especially in older dogs and cats, you see hesitancy or difficulty jumping or going up the stairs or even getting up from lying down,” Dr. Donahue said.
Pet owners should take animals to the veterinarian if they notice the animal acting stiff, lame or limping, she said. Most veterinarians will conduct an exam and possibly an X-ray which will determine if there is arthritis in the joints.
When caring for pets with arthritis, Dr. Donahue prefers to look at animals holistically. She often suggests ways to help animals with arthritis without compromising their long-term health.
"In traditional or conventional medicine, I find that it can be very limited," Dr. Donahue said.
Conventional veterinary medicine usually provides short-term relief by giving pets pain medication and anti-inflammatory pills like aspirin or even morphine to treat symptoms associated with arthritis, she said.
"One of the most important things and the first step I often recommend to clients is feeding your animal a grain free diet," Dr. Donahue said.
Owners should eliminate foods that cause inflammation from their pet’s diet such as corn, wheat and soy, according to Dr. Donahue. Higher fiber root vegetables, as well as oatmeal and quinoa are good alternatives to grains.
Dr. Donahue often recommends a glucosamine chondroitin supplement for pets struggling with arthritis. She encourages owners to explore other options such as omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, krill oil and flaxseed oil.
Another route pet owners could consider is animal acupuncture, an alternative Dr. Donahue has seen success in decreasing pain in animals.
"By putting needles in specific points, we’re kind of going in and unblocking the energy flow," she said.
In Chinese medicine, the theory is any pain is caused by a stagnation or blockage of the free flow of energy, which is called chi, Dr. Donahue said. For pet owners, she recommends acupressure at home which requires them to put pressure on their pet’s acupuncture points.
"If you massage down your animal’s back or its legs, you don’t need to be specifically trained in massage to just make an animal feel better and move the tissue," she said.
This improves blood flow, energy flow and lymphatic flow to help dogs and cats get moving again, Dr. Donahue said.