Content
- What is an articulation and what are its functions?
- When should we pay special attention to the dog's joints?
- Vitamins to maintain dog joint health
- Stay tuned for joint disease symptoms
The joints are a key part of the locomotor system, thanks to them the dog has freedom of movement, it can satisfy its physical exercise needs and, above all, it can relate to its external environment.
As well as the popular wisdom indicates "prevention is better than cure", therefore, it is not necessary for the dog to suffer a joint pathology to pay attention to these structures, what is important is to take care of them in a natural way to avoid any complications.
In this article by Animal Expert we talk about vitamins for dog joints.
What is an articulation and what are its functions?
Just as humans have joints, these structures are also present in the dog's locomotor system.
A joint can be defined as the junction point between two bones, however, it is a complex structure that has several parts, such as the capsule and synovial membrane, cartilage, ligaments and tendons, among others, since depending on the mobility of a joint, it will be composed of one or the other form
The function of the joint is mainly to allow mobility and cushion impacts, preventing both ends of the bones from rubbing against each other and wearing out.
When should we pay special attention to the dog's joints?
As owners, we must defend responsible custody, this means that since the adoption of the dog we must give it hygienic, dietary, sanitary and affectionate care that allow you to cover all your needs and give you the best possible quality of life.
Through nutrition and exercise we should always try to maintain a good health condition for our dog, but also for us. we should be especially concerned about the following cases:
- Large dogs predisposed to hip dysplasia
- Overweight or obese dogs
- old dogs
- Dogs that perform activities of great joint impact, for example, that periodically jump or run
- Dogs that have suffered some kind of trauma
Vitamins to maintain dog joint health
The nutritional requirements that the dog presents must be satisfied mainly through food., however, in those necessary cases, a nutritional supplementation based on vitamins of special importance for joint health can be carried out:
- Vitamin C: In addition to being an excellent antioxidant vitamin, vitamin C or ascorbic acid promotes the internal synthesis of collagen, a complex protein that forms cartilage and is present in all joints.
- D vitamin: Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and for its fixation in bone tissue, therefore it is important to strengthen bones and prevent joint wear.
- Vitamin A: Vitamin A is another potent antioxidant and reduces the damage that free radicals can do to joints. This vitamin reduces inflammation and prevents loss of joint mobility.
Never give your dog a vitamin supplement without medical supervision as it the veterinarian is the person who can best advise you on which product to choose and also indicate how it should be used and for how long.
Stay tuned for joint disease symptoms
Your dog may suffer a joint disease despite the care you have been able to give him, and in this case it is worth knowing what are the main symptoms of this type of disease:
- Gasps (deep breath) excessively
- Lost interest in any kind of activity
- walk slowly and rigidly
- Performs everyday activities with difficulty
- Manifests restlessness and pain
- May have a slight limp and walk sideways
If you see any of these symptoms go to the veterinarian as soon as possible., as the speed of detection can determine the prognosis.
