{Dog joint pain is a huge deal. Please do not let your pet be Dog Joint Pain Caused by Arthritis

Squeeze it firmly for a minute and watch your dog relax in bliss!

Walk your dog! It may sound counter-intuitive, but light exercise will keep your dog's joints lubricated. The last thing you want is for your dog to become weak. This will just allow arthritis to take over. Your little buddy may not be as active as he/she used to be, but a little movement never hurt anyone!

Treat your dog! While there are medications available, including aspirin and acetaminophen, there is always a large risk of toxifying your dog's system, paving the way for even more issues down the bend. Natural supplements are a much better option. Find a supplement that is safe, natural and effective at not only treating your dog's pain, but also reducing the swelling in the joints.

Do these three things for your dog and yours is a friendship that will last a lifetime!

Signs of pain in a canine are not always pronounced, but there are signs that will help you discover that the dog is suffering from dog joint pain, if you know what those signs are.

Certain breeds of dogs are more prone to having joint problems as they get older, and other dogs may experience joint discomfort due to an injury or arthritis.

Joint pain may not be noticed when it first starts, but after awhile, the owner notices that the dog is acting differently. At first, the dog will have a slow day, and then will be more active the following day, and then maybe a week later, slows again; the owner will once again see the dog is acting differently, this time raising a caution flag.

If a dog always lies on the couch and this is the dog's favorite spot, one may observe the dog approach the couch, and then in slow motion, get onto the couch. The dog might even try a scoot method to avoid lifting the hind legs.

They will use the front legs as leverage, literally pulling the hind legs onto the couch to avoid pain. Another sign is the hunched look. When the dog walks, it may look like the hind legs are closer together, taking baby steps, and the rear part of the dog is almost into a hunched position.

To avoid the joint pain, a smaller step will replace a full flex of the hind leg. Observe the dog when they try to make a circle or turn, one may notice that they almost hop to complete the circle, or instead of a tight turn, they will make the turn around by walking in a larger circle.

This action is from hip pain in the rear joints that the dog is avoiding by walking or turning, and meanwhile trying to keep the weight off of the hind quarters. An owner may even think that the dog is constipated, because of the stiff hind quarters and lack of movement in that area.

The best way to determine what is causing the pain is to have a veterinarian do an x-ray of the joints. It can be from the hip bone being a flatter joint bone, as opposed to having a curve to keep the joint in place. This would then allow the joint to freely move within that area.