Dogs With Arthritis: Types of Joints

1.  Ball and Socket Joints - ex. the hips and shoulders

Photo courtesy of InfoHorse

2.  Hinged joints - ex. the knees and elbows

Photo courtesy of Shockfamily.net

3.  Gliding Joints - ex. the wrists and ankles

Photo courtesy of Shockfamily.net

All 3 are lubricated by synovial fluid, which deteriorates as your dog ages. The lack of this fluid causes the bones to move directly on one another, creating pain for your dog.

Photo Wiki

The natural way to replace synovial fluid is to give your dog a supplement that includes chondroitin, found for example in marine collagen extract.


~The Get Up and Go! Team

Order your Get Up and Go tablets from www.getupandgodog.com.au or phone 1-800-33-88-22

Dogs with Arthritis: Signs of Arthritis

You might first notice it when your dog needs help getting into or out of the car. It might be when he just doesn't feel like going for a walk anymore. It's hard to watch your pal in pain.

Dog Arthritis, also called osteoarthritis, occurs with old age and is often genetic. While it can't be cured, it can be managed.

The key to managing your dog's pain is identifying the problem. Once you've noticed the problem it's always a good idea to get an initial assessment by your vet.

The top Signs of Arthritis are:

•  Stiffness or Limping
• Decreased activity or lethargy
• Difficulty getting up or down
• Loss of playful attitude
• Lack of interest in exercise
• Loss of range of motion

Ryan Gosling Helps His Dog into the Car

Once you and your vet have identified arthritis as the cause of your dog's pain, you can plan a course of action!

Order your Get Up and Go tablets from www.getupandgodog.com.au or phone 1-800-33-88-22

~The Get Up and Go! Team

Dogs With Arthritis: How Old is Your Dog?

How old is your dog really? We speak to many clients who tell us that their dog is just "too young" to have developed arthritis. Usually their dog is around 6 or 7 years old. Canine arthritis can start earlier depending on breed and injury history, but it's interesting to see just how old your pup is!

Small dog = 20 pounds or less

Medium dog = 21-50 pounds

Large dog = More than 50 pounds

(Chart and info courtesy of Pets WebMD)

So what do you think? Were you suprised at your dog's age?

To keep your dog feeling great as they get older, don't forget to give them their Get Up and Go Tablets.

Order yours today at www.getupandgodog.com.au or phone:  1-800-33-88-22

~The Get Up and Go! Team

Dogs With Arthritis: What is Arthritis?

photo from probioticsmart.com

Arthritis comes in two major forms: 

1. Degenerative joint disease, also called Osteoarthritis
2. Inflammatory arthritis

Inflammatory arthritis is the reason you need to get your dog's arthritis checked by your vet. It is a serious condition that must be treated by antibiotics prescribed by your vet.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type and occurs because of deterioration of the cartilage and bone in the joints. The joints are also lubricated with synovial fluid, which thins as your dog ages. With the loss of this fluid, any movement then becomes bone on bone, creating the pain that reduces your dog's mobility.

Photo courtesy of: http://flavocin.com/destroy.html

Causes of Osteoarthritis:

• Ageing - the deterioration in your dog is often just a natural part of the aging process.
• Genetics - larger breeds of dogs often have worse arthritis or inherited defects, such as being prone to hip dysplasia, etc.
• Accidents - if your dog has suffered a fall, broken bones or another type of injury at any point in their life, they may develop arthritis in the affected joints.

Order your Get Up and Go tablets from www.getupandgodog.com.au or phone 1-800-33-88-22

~The Get Up and Go! Team

Dogs With Arthritis: Hydrotherapy

Dogs that are crippled with arthritis end up sitting or lying most of the time, not exercising. The result is weight gain and immobility. This exacerbates their condition, worsening the pain of arthritis.

Exercise and a healthy diet with the proper nutrients are keys to managing arthritis. While you can monitor what they eat, it's not easy to make a hurting dog get up and moving. If the arthritis is severe, a great option to consider is hydrotherapy.

Hydrotherapy puts your dog in a water tank with a treadmill below them. The hydrotherapy technician can monitor your dog and adjust the tank conditions to give them the optimum amount of exercise to build up their muscles.

Benefits listed from dogasaur:

• When the water level changes, specific joints or muscles receive the proper resistance.

• Canine hydrotherapy builds up endurance.

• Dogs are able to exercise with little or no pain.

• The water temperature is adjustable, and this helps with the rehabilitation process because the dog is more relaxed.

• Weak and arthritic dogs are able to move around freely without falling down.

• Not only can underwater treadmills assist in rehabilitating a dog, but they can also be used for weight loss purposes.

It's not exactly a spa, but the results on larger breed dogs have been fantastic. Dogs with hip dysplasia have particularly found hydrotherapy beneficial.

Check out Canine Hydrotherapy Australia in Queensland or Aquapaws in Melbourne.

~The Get Up and Go! Team

Dogs With Arthritis: Genetics

Do genetics really play a part in your dog's health?

Photo Courtesy of Senior Pet Products

Short Answer:  Yes.


Larger breed dogs are more prone to have problems with arthritis. A specific example of this is Hip Dysplasia. Hip Dysplasia is looseness in the ball and socket joint located in a dog's hips. It can develop during growth spurts and can be passed on to the next litter.

It is also the most common cause of arthritis in dogs.

Labradors, Great Danes, and St. Bernards are a few types of larger breed dogs that are susceptible to Hip Dysplasia. Surgery is one option and it leaves your dog with a loss of range of motion.

It's important to check with the breeder before selecting your pup and have regular vet checkups. Hip Dysplasia can be debilitating for your dog,  but it is also can be complicated by certain factors:  over-exercise, over-feeding, and lack of exercise. The same factors that complicate arthritis.

Natural herbal products can help your dog maintain a healthy lifestyle and provide a non-surgical option.



~The Get Up and Go! Team

Dogs With Arthritis: The Trouble With NSAIDs

Photo Courtesy of Dog Supply Planet

Your old dog has arthritis - now what?

When it comes to your dog's arthritis, there are two main options your vet will go through:  NSAID or Natural.  (It's important to get your vet's diagnosis, as some types of arthritis must be treated with antibiotics.)

NSAID stands for "non-steroidsal anti-inflammatory drug." It is a serious painkiller and anti-inflammatory that comes with strict dosing instructions. It can have debilitating, even fatal, side-effects.

Photo courtesy of PetHealthLibrary

The main problem with embarking on an NSAID regimen for your arthritic dog is that it is toxic to your dog's kidneys and liver when taken over a long period of time.  Dog arthritis is something that doesn't go away - it can't be cured, just treated over the long term. That's why it's important to give your dog something that can be taken for the long term.

NSAIDs require regular blood tests and are only ever a short-term solution. Once the initial pain is treated with an NSAID, it's a good idea to consider natural alternatives.

Natural alternatives can be:

• Just as effective, reducing inflammation and pain
• Safe to administer over the duration of your dog's life
• Promote general health and wellbeing
• Energizing

Photo Courtesy of PetMD

The trick is to find the right supplement for your dog. Each dog is individual and may respond to certain supplements differently, so don't get discouraged if things don't immediately change. It's important to try a few, giving the supplement enough time to get into the bloodstream (usually at least a week).


~The Get Up and Go! Team

Website Launch!

The Get Up and Go! Website has officially launched!

Now you can purchase Get Up and Go! online through our NAB secured online store.

Go check out the website at, www.getupandgodog.com.au and see what new deals are offered!



~The Get Up and Go! Team

Link Up with LinkedIn

If your business is into connecting online, we'd love to hear from you!

At Get Up and Go!, we're always looking for great products, charities and companies that are interested in advancing the quality of life of our pets.

Connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook !



~The Get Up and Go! Team

Testimonials: Jasmine, Western Australia

From Rossana:



My Golden Retriever, Jasmine, has had arthritis since she was 7 and was initially given glucosamine daily. At 9 years old, her arthritis worsened and she started limping. She also ruptured her cruciate ligament. We were told she wasn't expected to survive the cruciate operation due to her bad arthritis. The only option presented was to give her an NSAID for the rest of her life, which in time would damage her liver and kidney. This was terribly sad news to me and my family.

At our lowest point, when we nearly gave up hope, a holistic vet introduced us to the all-natural "Get Up and Go." After just 8 days of "Get Up and Go," Jasmine's pain was gone.

She survived the cruciate operation and has been taking "Get Up and Go" ever since.

No more limping. No more pain.

When her joints took a few bad turns this winter due to the cold weather, I gave her an additional daily dose. She was up and going again within a day. "Get Up and Go" saved my dog's life on several occasions and has especially helped her in the past 6 months due to her age.

My dog is now over 13 years old and still enjoys her walks thanks to "Get Up and Go."

~Rossana, South Australia

Dogs With Arthritis: Exercise

Exercise is an important component of managing your dog's arthritis. Along with all-natural treatments, your dog needs to get up and going to maintain muscle strength and joint flexibility. 

Lying for extended periods only makes your dog stiffer, so here are some great, safe ways to get your dog moving!

1. Take two short walks instead of one long walk. Be sure to take it easy. Going uphill, weaving through cones or walking over low obstacles will increase muscle strength. Treadmills are also a great option.
2. Let them swim in warm water or take them to hydrotherapy using an underwater treadmill.
3. Practice tricks like "sit" and "stand" repeatedly.
4. Play easy games like Fetch, Keep Away or Soccer.

Click here for maps of the off-leash areas on the Gold Coast.

As always, tailor pain management, exercises and diet to suit your dog, you know them best!
~The Get Up and Go! Team