| Loving your pet means caring about your pet's | | | | infection or tick bites. This is inflammatory |
| health. The health of your pet can depend upon | | | | arthritis, the pet health equivalent of rheumatoid |
| its age, breed and environment. | | | | arthritis in humans. Dogs that spend a lot of time |
| One area of pet health that most people can | | | | outdoors in cold weather are also more prone to |
| relate to is arthritis. Like humans, pets can get | | | | arthritis. |
| arthritic. Arthritis is particularly common in dogs. | | | | Various pet foods have been developed to |
| Like people, dogs' joins are lubricated by synovial | | | | promote pet health. Minerals and nutrients are |
| fluid, which decreases over time; joints can | | | | used instead of medicine to treat most pet health |
| become rough and painful. Warmth is the simplest | | | | issues, including arthritis. Nutritionally appropriate |
| treatment for arthritis in pets. Heating a confined | | | | food, shelter, and a comfortable sleeping area are |
| area in which they rest is one way of easing | | | | all conducive to pet health. |
| arthritis pain and improving pet health. One in | | | | In addition to arthritis, pets are subject to various |
| three dogs may develop arthritis at some point. | | | | diseases carried by fleas and ticks. Many people |
| As with people, a joint injury makes it more likely | | | | are unaware that pets can have an allergic |
| that arthritis will develop in that joint. However, | | | | reaction to flea saliva. This is true of both dogs |
| while a human will not develop arthritis in an | | | | and cats, though it is rare in puppies and kittens. |
| injured joint for at least five years, pet health | | | | Treatment is by reducing exposure to fleas, using |
| statistics show that a dog may develop arthritis in | | | | flea powders and sprays, or even injections. Flea |
| as few as five weeks. | | | | baths have very limited protection ability, but can |
| Dogs and cats can also contract arthritis from | | | | provide quick relief for a sensitive pet. |