Nine Ways to Treat Arthritis in Pugs

How do I treat arthritis?

Arthritis is painful… not only in humans but also in dogs. It is sometimes hard for them to walk and often times hard for a dog to jump on furniture, in and out of a vehicle or to go up steps. Before I tell you some ways to treat arthritis, I would first ALWAYS recommend talking with your veterinarian. Here are some ways to help with arthritis:

1. Make sure your pug stays at a healthy weight- Pugs tend to get heavy easily, but it is vital that you try to keep your pug at a healthy weight to lesson the strain on their joints. If your pug is overweight and you can’t seem to get him/her to lose weight, talk to your vet about a diet plan. Pumpkin (real pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling) seems to help with maintaining a good weight and it’s low in calories.
2. Take your pug for a walk daily- Even though walking might be a little painful for your dog, not getting some daily exercise will be more painful for him/her in the long run. If your pug has arthritis and doesn’t want to walk, try walking just a short distance every day to help keep them mobile. Also, try letting your pug swim. Swimming is a GREAT option for pugs with arthritis. Of course, stay right beside them as they swim.
3. Use pet steps and ramps- Try to minimize the times your pug has to go up or down steps. Climbing steps can be painful for pugs with arthritis. Use pet steps and /or ramps to allow your pug to climb on the furniture or into your bed.  Lift them whenever possible.
4. CBD Oil- I’ll be honest… I have not tried this yet, but I’m going too. I have heard a lot of good about CBD oil. According to recent research, CBD has been found to reduce inflammation which can relieve arthritis pain. This oil also has been known to keep dogs active and plays a part in helping to build muscles naturally to help strengthen the joints that have arthritis in them. Other benefits of CBC oil are: it promotes relaxation, it is a natural remedy for pain, it helps support joints and a dog’s mobility, it helps support normal bowel function, it helps protect your pug’s nervous system from toxins, it protects and preserves brain cells, it can be used as a effective treatment for skin allergies or irritations, it supports a normal stomach pH so dog’s will have a normal appetite, and it support vascular health by repairing damaged blood vessels and by protecting blood vessels and arteries and it regulates a dog’s heart rate and blood pressure.
5. Give your dog a daily massage-  We all love massages, right? Our dog’s like them too and they are extremely beneficial to them, especially if they have arthritis. Massaging your dog helps relieve sore muscles, but it also lowers blood pressure and reduces stress. It also gives you a chance to run your hand over your dog to feel for any foreign lumps or sore areas. Molly loves her daily massages.
6. Use Acupuncture for arthritis- I haven’t used acupuncture myself, but I have some friends that use it for their dogs and love it. Acupuncture promotes healing in dog’s by enhancing blood circulation and it stimulates the body to release hormones that help with pain and inflammation.
7. Try Heat- A heating pad is an old remedy, but one that works. If you don’t have a heating pad, you can easily make one: fill a cotton knee-length sock with four cups of rice, tie it off, then heat it in your microwave for about a minute. Fill it to make sure it’s not too hot, then place it on the area of your pug that is causing him/her pain.
8. Be sure your pug has a soft, comfortable bed– A bed might not be vital, but I think it is very important if your pug has arthritis. Your pug needs somewhere soft and comfortable that he/she can lay. If your pug is in pain and not able to sleep, that affects their total well-being so make them as comfortable as you can.
9. Try natural supplements for your pug’s arthritis– There are some really wonderful natural supplements out on the market now that reduce inflammation and can help slow the progression of joint damage that is caused by arthritis. Ask your vet about these!!

******(Karen Bordo just told me about an idea she saw online that you can exercise your pug in water even in the wintertime. You use one of the large plastic tote containers and fill it with water. Then you can either hold your pug while she swims and moves her legs in the water, or you can put a life vest on her and then put some type of dowel (or broom handle) through the loop on top of the life vest and position the broom across the tote so she is suspended in the water and not touching the bottom so she simulates swimming). This is a GREAT IDEA!!! I’m definitely going to try it with Molly!!

Hope these help!!

Until next time,

Hugs and Pug Kisses,

Candy