It is tough to see your pet dog suffering due to pain from arthritis. You can see the pain in the animal's eye. Most of us will like to take some action to relieve the dog of this pain. It is a good thing that there is an option where you can help the pet ease the pain and even do something so that the dog does not get this disease.

Arthritis can strike dogs of any age, size, and physical condition. It's still a mystery as to what causes arthritis, but many researchers suggest it is an autoimmune disease -- a disease that causes the body to turn against its own immune system.

The cartilage starts to break up with the onset of arthritis. Opaque connective tissue which protects the joint flanked by bones is known as the cartilage. Knees, the hip, and ankle joints are included in the dog's body. It is also possible to get arthritis in the feet or spine also. The bones start rubbing against each other with the wearing off the cartilage. This results in extreme pain, stiffness as well as swelling.

The signs of arthritis in dogs include:

The dog finds it difficult to stand, sit or move from the bed or floor  Some limbs are effected  Reduction in activity, extra sleep, no interest in playing  Gaining weight  Alteration in approach or behavior  Looking stiff with tender joints  The joints are inflamed

In recent years, scientists have been studying Glucosamine as a way to treat arthritis in dogs. Glucosamine is a glucose molecule produced naturally in the body. Its job is to fuel cartilage cells to produce the proteins that hold joint tissue together. As dogs age, they are less able to produce glucosamine, which causes the cartilage to wear down and stiffen.

Chondroitin is a cartilage element believed to restrain the enzymes that break down cartilage. Glucosamine and chondroitin are both essential to maintaining healthy joints. Together they protect and rejuvenate the cartilage tissues.

A scientific trial was done on rats in 1998 where they were injected arthritis into the system. The group was separated into two. Glucosamine and chondroitin was administered to one group and the others were left to themselves. While 96.5 percent of group which was not treated got the symptoms of arthritis, just 54 percent of the group who were given glucosamine and chondroitin got arthritis symptoms.

It is seen that the supplements of Glucosamine and Chondroitin also help in the treating dogs with signs of secondary arthritis. The most known cause for this kind of arthritis is when a pet has had injury or surgery. According to data collected if a combine of these two drugs is given it will decrease the symptoms of osteoarthritis in dogs to a great extend.

You can give your dog a supplement of Glucosamine/Chondroitin from an early age and it has no side effects as per research. It is a good idea to check this with your veterinarian to be sure that it is good for your pet.