As your dog grows older, you will have to give him a more specialized care and attention just like what we do with old people. If you have an old dog in the family, then it is essential that you learn the proper and the basic elements of caring of senior dogs. Your dog is expected to reach the age of 15 if he is properly cared for and critical health issues are immediately acted upon.
It would serve you and your dog well if you develop the eye at identifying the health issues which are critical especially for a senior dog. Typical health issues confronting old dogs usually involve dog arthritis. It is important for you to recognize the onset of this health issue and appropriate intervention must be done to avoid further deterioration of your dog's health and prevent complications.
The most popular prescription drug used to manage the pain caused by arthritis in animals is the NSAIDs or the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. What is causing a lot concern for those who are aware of the side effects of this drug types is the unregulated use of NSAIDs to manage pain especially in senior dogs. Dog health experts stress the importance of blood work up before prescribing NSAIDs to treat canine arthritis.
Safety Profile of NSAIDs
The efficacy of NSAIDs to treat arthritis is highly recognized, however, the documented side effects require us to take a careful look at the continued use of the drugs to manage the pain attributed to canine arthritis. Some quarters claim that the drug reactions far outweigh whatever benefits it provides.
Some owners of dogs prescribed with NSAIDs agree that the quality of life of their old dogs have immensely improved and even extended the lives of their senior dogs. On the other hand, some owners claim that NSAIDs actually aggravated the medical condition of their dogs and led to early mortality caused by liver failure attributed to the side effects of NSAIDs. The failure of some veterinarians to recognize the drug's side effects of NSAIDs also contributed to the problem. Owners of senior dogs must be able to determine the signs of reaction in the use of NSAIDs in order to prevent further aggravation of the problem. You should check for possible onset of vomiting, diarrhea and generalized lethargy in our senior dogs. Dogs can also manifest distinct behavioral changes and constipation which is an indication of toxic reaction to the use of NSAIDs.
Before any prescription of NSAIDs, request for a thorough blood work up and examination of liver enzymes. Dog owners should also remember that NSAIDs is not recommended for dogs with history of bleeding disorders and should not be administered to dogs with confirmed liver dysfunction. It is also important not to use NSAIDs in tandem with other anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, prednisolone or prednisone.
In managing the pain experienced by senior dogs as a result of arthritis, you must explore other alternative treatment intervention beyond the use of NSAIDs. There are other alternative drugs known to deliver good results without the attendant adverse reactions normally associated to the use of NSAIDs.
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