As people get older or develop various health conditions, we adapt their home environment to support their changes in needs. To enable them to maintain safety and comfortable quality of life.
Occupational Therapy is a discipline within human medicine dedicated to assessing an individual with their own unique challenges, in the context of their own home, and then finding solutions by either modifying the environment or the task to ensure they are protected from accidental harm.
However, these interventions are often overlooked in our pets. If your pet has arthritis, they use their body differently in order to best manage a situation. The few steps out to the garden which were once easy can become a huge challenge to an animal with arthritis.
This is why I am always happy to discuss and recommend home adaptions with the owners of animals I treat.
By adapting your dog’s environment you will not only improve their physical comfort levels and reduce the risk of injury, but you will also likely slow the progression of the disease, and positively influence their emotional state by reducing stress and anxiety.
Simple home adaptions you can make for your arthritic pet
Raising food and water bowls to elbow height
As previously discussed an arthritic animal uses its body differently in order to manage and feel more comfortable. Over time this leads to compensation pain.
For example, an able with arthritic hips will shift more weight forwards, in order to offload from the back end, over time this will lead to muscle tightness and stiffness around the shoulders and neck.
By simply raising the bowls of an arthritic animal or any animal, they do not need to place additional weight and pressure through their front end. Making meal times more comfortable for them and helping them to feel more stable.
Raised feeders are available, however, this can also be done by simply raising their current bowls on something as simple as a stable plastic footstool.
A supportive bed
The ability to rest comfortably is a basic requirement for all of us and is particularly important for a dog with arthritis. Decreased quality sleep is noted with chronic pain conditions like arthritis.
Failing to settle or shuffling during the night can be an indicator of uncontrolled pain as well as a target to improve a dog’s ability to cope with their condition.
Inadequate amounts of deep sleep is known to negatively influence humans managing chronic pain conditions, it is a logical translation the same will apply to dogs and cats.
I always recommend a good, supportive dog bed for all animals suffering from arthritis. This bed should always be placed in a warm area, away from anywhere with a draft.
Flooring
Many homes now have wood, laminate, or tile flooring, particularly in areas such as kitchens, where dogs spend much of their time. Dogs in particular have to work hard to prevent themselves from slipping on these surfaces – especially if they have very furry feet.
While it may not be realistic to change your whole flooring, it is recommended to place non-slip rugs and mats in areas where your dog spends a lot of time or areas where you may have noticed they are having difficulty (or perhaps are now avoiding)
Remember animals cope and often give off very few overt signs suggesting difficulty or discomfort. Instead, you may witness subtle behavioural changes, or hesitation and avoidance.
If you wish to discuss further home adaptions, book a home visit, or discuss physiotherapy for your arthritic dog, please get in touch.