New arthritis treatment in dogs!

There is now a new treatment for arthritis in dogs!

 

Degenerative joint disease is very common in older animals and can severely affect their quality of life. It is one of those diseases where multimodal therapy (using more than one type of treatment) is most effective.

 

We use pain relief as the primary treatment (which have side effects) but weight loss, low impact exercise, K-Laser, joint and high level essential fatty acid (EFA) supplements and chondroprotective injections (cartilage protection) all play a very important role in managing the condition.

 

Fortunately, we now have a new treatment – Monoclonal antibody injections that specifically target the osteoarthritis pain factors.

 

The treatment is very specific so it has minimal side effects.  It can be used in combination with other medications and is very effective. In some cases, the dogs have been able to come off their anti-inflammatories. It is a monthly injection.  Continuing the other supportive treatment is important to get the best results. This is a brand-new therapy, so we have only used it in a few dogs, but we are very impressed with the results so far.

 

Arthritic pain is not curable but is manageable and we can slow the progression of the disease to hopefully allow your dog to have a good quality of life for longer.

 

If you think your dog may be suffering from arthritis, or are wondering if more can be done, please come and see us.

Microchips and the law from 6 April 2016

 
The law is changing, it is becoming a legal requirement that all dogs over the age of 8 weeks are microchipped and registered on an approved database from the 6th of April 2016.
 
Up until now we have recommended microchipping as giving the best chance your pet being reunited with you if they go missing. This is still sound advice, but it is also becoming a legal requirement as a form of identification of dog and keeper.
 
Not only is it a will it be a requirement that all dogs are microchipped, but it is also a requirement that the owners contact details are registered correctly on the database.
There is a penalty of £500 if you do not have your dog microchipped or fail to keep your details up to date on the database.
 
So, it is time to get your dog chipped if it is not yet done so, and if it has been done please check that your details are up to date. We find people tend to forget to update their details when they move, or change their phone numbers.
 
On a related point, it is a requirement that dogs be identified with a tag that has the owners name and address when on “a public highway or place of public resort”.
 
Book a microchip appointment with our nurse online.