Joint Health
It's a scientific fact that having a domestic animal like a cat or dog can improve someone's mental and physical health. Their unconditional love and affection helps our bodies produce serotonin and dopamine, encourages us to exercise and play and move your body every day, and doesn't judge you for your singing or dancing. In return, all we need to do is give them the same affection, and look after their physical and mental health.
You can recognise if your pet is suffering from joint pain if they have reduced movement, if they wince or whimper when they move or when you gently touch the limb, if you can see visible swelling or if they avoid walking or sitting/laying on the joint. If your pet exhibits any of these behaviours, it may be best to pursue the opinion of a vet. There are palliative and preventative measures you can take at home to help your pet's joint health.
A cat or dog's body is a complicated system made up of so many different parts that are all nurtured by their diet. One of those parts of this precious system is their joints. Maintaining healthy joints allows your pet to do all of the things they love including running, jumping, rolling around in the grass, sleeping in patches of sun and exploring cluttered shelves and sunny bushes. There are many things which can positively or negatively affect the joints of your furry friend.
Things that can negatively affect your pets joint health includes:
- Genetic conditions; dog breeds like Rottweilers, Dachshunds, terriers; cat breeds like Scottish folds, Burmese, Maine Coons and Abyssinians.
- Age; cats over 12 years old often have arthritis in their elbows, hips and spines. Geriatric dogs also experience joint pain.
- Weight; over-weight dogs and cats add stress and excess fat on the cartilage and joints.
- Diet; missing, or an excess of, nutrients in your pets diet may be playing with inflammation in your pet's body, causing swelling or the break down of important fats around the joints.
- Injury: a physical injury including a sprain, tear or break can cause short-term and long-term joint pain.
You can recognise if your pet is suffering from joint pain if they have reduced movement, if they wince or whimper when they move or when you gently touch the limb, if you can see visible swelling or if they avoid walking or sitting/laying on the joint. If your pet exhibits any of these behaviours, it may be best to pursue the opinion of a vet. There are palliative and preventative measures you can take at home to help your pet's joint health.
A good diet is a huge part of your pet's health. Important nutrients and vitamins like proteins, fatty acids, carbohydrates and hydration all improve joint health. Our Bella and Boots food packs are specially formulated, packed full of these vital nutrients, to do the most for your pets health. One of our food packs, the Organic Beef and Turmeric, was created specifically to fight inflammation. Turmeric is reportedly excellent for joint pain as it clears out the gut and reduces inflammation. The important proteins found in beef also contributes to regenerating and strengthening the fat cells around the joints. Fatty acids like Omega-3 are also vital for protecting and healing joints. Hydration and fibre are other vital aspects of diet to protect joint health.
The Wild Kangaroo and Beetroot pet food blend can assist with joint pain caused by excess weight or inflammation, with its low-fat, high omega content. Similarly, our Chicken and Seasonal Greens blend is low in calories and friendly for allergies.
Indeed, any of our food packs are likely to work for your pet and their needs. Our Bella and Boots packs are great for puppies or older dogs, young kittens or grumpy cats, whether they’ve eaten a raw food diet before or not. You can read more about the benefits of our food packs in our product description or by reaching out online or in-store at Eumundi Meats.