Healthy Joints for Your Pets | Animal Lovers

Ashlea Miller

By the time I adopted Annie, a beautiful chocolate Lab mix, she was 9 years old and in pretty bad shape. Her left hip was severely arthritic – the result of being hit by a car when she was a puppy – and her previous owner had become too ill to care for her properly. Annie was obese and in a lot of pain when I took her home, but I’d like to think I improved her quality of life in her last five years (she passed away a few years ago). She certainly enriched my life, and she taught me a lot about how to care for an aging, ailing dog, especially one with joint problems.

Whether it’s hereditary hip dysplasia or osteoarthritis that develops over time with age or injury, joint problems come in different forms and affect many types of dogs (and cats!). Follow these four basics of joint care, from the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), and you’ll ensure a better life – with less pain – for your furry friend...