My Dog Has Arthritis in His Front Wrist or Carpal Area. What Should I Do?

Your dog might have arthritis in their front wrist or carpal area, arthritis can be very painful and restrict your dog's activity and mobility because it stiffens the joint.

With arthritis, your dog can weave when they're walking or be unsteady. Perhaps they have difficulty getting up and lying down. This is because arthritis is painful and often swells the toe or wrist joint, so if your dog has a swollen carpal / wrist joint, they could have arthritis. Get your dog to the vet to give you a formal diagnosis before you start any treatments.

Follow a Few Easy Steps with Arthritis

• Get an Excellent Joint Supplement

Dog joint supplements which include glucosamine and chondroitin, support joint health and reduce arthritic symptoms. In addition, research has shown that foods which provide high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, can also help decrease inflammation.

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• Keep Nails Manicured

Long nails can catch on surfaces or materials, causing quite a lot of pain to your dog, especially if they have arthritis in the joints which get pulled, for example their toes or wrist.

• Walk on Soft Surfaces

Walk on kind surfaces such as firm grass or soil, less pavements and no shingle beaches. Firm ground makes the toe joints and carpal joints very painful, as they have arthritis here.

• Use Extra Thick Dog Boots

Get a dog boot with a thick cushioned sole to help the pain of arthritis in their toes. Therapaw dog boots have an ultra-cushioned interior pad that alleviates pain, reduces lameness and promotes more even weight distribution. The perforated top sole and eye-hole design allow the paw to breathe, reducing moisture build-up at the injured site.

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• Weight Management

Maintaining a healthy body weight is crucial to reduce stress on arthritic joints, and minimise inflammation and damage. Less weight, less pressure on the arthritic joints means less pain for yoru dog.

• No Slippery Floors

Ensure they don't slip on unsuitable floors so trim back unnecessary fur. Look at matting or putting temporary rugs on the floor.

• Get a Carpal Leg Wrap and Support 

When you apply pressure and support to arthrtici joints, it will reduce pain for your dog. If your dog has arthritis in their wrist, look at the Therapaw Carpo Flex Sports Wrap is a moderate support for the dog's carpal joint / wrist / front lower leg. The Carpo Flex Sport wrap offers relief from mild arthritis, sprains to the lower limb and ligaments, protects against injury, re-injury, and alleviates pain. This wrap supports and stabilises your dog's wrist without holding it rigid. 

• Get A Soft Deep Orthopaedic Dog Bed

Treat your dog to the ultimate joint and muscle comfort! The Memory Foam dog bed provides orthopaedic memory foam which helps alleviate discomfort in dogs with joint or muscle issues. This is particularly beneficial for senior dogs, large dogs, active dogs and those recovering from surgery or injuries.

Find a Orthopaedic Dog Bed here

• Warm and Dry

Keep the joints warm and dry. Arthritis is often very painful, especially when cold, so if you do warm the toes up, make sure to do it gently. 

• Use Warm Water

Warm water bathe them 26-30 degrees water and then slowly slowly gently flex and extend them as well as gently massaging the webbing in between.

• Gently Extend the Toes

Food filled Kongs and toys that they can use their paws to calmly pin down and then eat from as this flexes and extends their digits.