It is estimated that over 14 million pets in the U.S. have arthritis, some as young as 1 year of age, but only a small percentage of animals with the condition are receiving treatment. Statistically, 1 out of every 3 cats will develop joint problems sometime during their lifetime. For dogs, 1 in 5 will suffer a joint injury as a puppy or adult, while 70% of all senior dogs suffer from debilitating osteoarthritis – the most common form of arthritis.

The joints in your pet’s body are composed of soft connective tissue, cartilage, join fluid, ligaments, and tendons. Their function is to allow unrestricted motion to the joints of the neck, spine, and limbs of the dog and cat. Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory condition brought on by normal joint wear and tear, trauma, or joint disease. If the inflammation is allowed to persist it becomes chronic – setting up a cycle of pain, destruction of cartilage, loss of motion, and atrophy of the surrounding support muscles.

So, what can cause arthritis in our pets? Developmental disorders such as hip or elbow dysplasia, injury, or trauma to a joint such as a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, bacterial or tick-borne infections that enter the joints, and autoimmune disorders that attack the joints. Treating arthritis is often difficult. Painkillers only provide a false sense of security that can lead to re-injuring the joint, and many can be harmful to an animal’s liver or kidneys. Joint tissues do not have a blood or nerve supply, making it difficult to get helpful nutrients back into the inflamed joint. Successful treatment of osteoarthritis must be an all-out approach that includes breaking the pain and inflammation cycle, providing healing nutrients to the joint such as Type II Collagen and chondroitin sulfate – the primary constituents of cartilage, providing hyaluronic acid to assist in revitalizing the fluid portions of the joint, providing powerful antioxidants to neutralize the free radicals produced by arthritic events occurring in the joint, and strengthening the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that provide support to the joints.

My Complete Joint Care product for dogs and cats is a scientifically advanced joint care formula that contain my proprietary Aliva Joint Health Complex. This group of ingredients provides key nutrients that have all demonstrated their ability to quell inflammation, maintain synovial fluid levels, repair cartilage, and increase muscle, ligament, and tendon strength. When arthritis is present, do the best you can to end the cycle of pain – include Complete Joint Care in your treatment regimen to gain the best possible results.