How Heat Can Help Your Dog's Arthritis

In this post, we’ll explore what arthritis is, its symptoms, and how heat therapy — along with other treatments — can help alleviate your dog's discomfort. From choosing safe heat sources to practical application tips, learn how to support your dog's arthritis at home. 

What is Arthritis in Dogs? 

Arthritis - also known as osteoarthritis - is a degenerative joint disease that causes inflammation, pain, stiffness and discomfort in dogs. It occurs when the cartilage that cushions a dog’s joints wears down over time, leading to friction between bones

Arthritis is more common in older dogs but can develop earlier in life from injury, illness, or a genetic predisposition in some breeds. Breeds at higher risk include labradors, golden retrievers, rottweilers, and springer spaniels. Other risk factors include being overweight, as it places extra strain on the joints, torn ligament or bone fracture, infection or excessive and repeated stress from high-impact exercises. 

Over time, arthritis can reduce mobility and make it difficult for dogs to perform everyday activities.

Symptoms of Arthritis in Dogs

Arthritis is a long-term inflammatory disease that worsens over time, meaning your dog might not show all symptoms at all stages. However, some symptoms to look out for include:

• limping or lameness
• a stiff gait, usually worse after exercise and when first waking up
• groaning or caution when lying down or getting back up
• struggling to climb stairs or jump onto furniture
• reluctance to play or engage in physical activities
• wary of you touching the joints affected
• muscle wasting
• tiredness
• irritability or withdrawal
• licking or chewing on areas that may be painful

Image via Veterinary Practice News, Managing Canine Osteoarthritis.

If you notice these symptoms or other changes in your dog's behaviour, speak to your vet for advice (and a diagnosis) as soon as possible. 

If your veterinarian diagnoses your dog with arthritis based on a physical examination and your observations, don’t despair. There are ways to help a dog with arthritis at home, including pain medication and joint supplements. 

While anti-inflammatory drugs can help your dog manage their pain, some natural remedies can also help alleviate symptoms, including heat.

What is Heat Therapy?

Heat therapy involves applying warmth to affected areas. It is widely used for managing arthritis in dogs because it helps to reduce stiffness and muscle spasms, increase blood flow, and relieve pain. This happens because warmth stimulates the dilation of blood vessels (vasodilation) and increases nutrient and oxygen delivery to issues, which helps to bring fresh blood flow to the tissues, aids in the clearance of tissue fluid, and stimulates chronically injured tissues.

Indeed, veterinary physiotherapy and rehabilitation expert Dr Marianne Dorn says that heat therapy enhances local tissue oxygenation and metabolism, reduces muscle spasms and increases connective tissue extensibility and the pain threshold. 

Unlike cold treatment, which is applied for the first 72 hours, heat is applied after the initial swelling and inflammation stage. This makes it suitable for ongoing conditions, including arthritis. 

In addition, most veterinarians agree that pain and anxiety go hand-in-hand. The good news is that heat can also help your dog manage anxiety and stress — which is also more common in senior dogs, who are also more prone to arthritis! — by relaxing muscles and providing comfort. 

How to Use Heat For Arthritis in Dogs

1. Choose Your Heat Source

There are several options for providing heat therapy to dogs, including:

• Heating Pads: Electric or microwaveable pads designed for pets.
• Microwavable Wheat Bags: Filled with clean wheat grains, with a protective cover. 
• Homemade Warm Compress: Towels soaked in warm water, wrung out and then placed in a bag with a thin cloth or cover for protection.
  

2. Follow Safety Measures

While heat therapy can be beneficial, it must be used with caution to avoid potential risks, such as burns, skin irritation and overheating.

You should always test the heat source with your inner wrist (similar to testing the temperature of a baby's bottle) for about 30 seconds before using it on your pup to ensure it is warm, but not too hot.

Don’t apply the device directly to your pet’s skin. You should avoid direct contact by making sure that the heat source has padding, such as a towel, cloth, or cover, to avoid burns. Never allow your dog to lie directly on top of a supplemental heat source.

With heating pads and blankets, in particular, if the temperature is not well controlled, it is possible for dogs to fall asleep on heating pads and then sustain thermal burns to their skin. It is critically important to always keep it on the lowest setting, and ensure the heating element does not take up their entire bed or crate; as PetMD reminds us, your pet needs to be able to quickly and easily move away from the heat if it becomes too warm.

3. Apply to Your Dog

Ensure your dog is in a comfortable position, and place the heat source on the affected joint. Observe your dog’s reaction at each stage; if they seem uncomfortable or restless, discontinue use with immediate effect. 

Heat therapy can be placed on the affected body part for 15 minutes and then repeated every 6 to 8 hours, depending on the severity of the arthritis and your veterinarian’s recommendations.  You should conduct regular checking of skin temperature every 5 minutes to avoid burns. 

Remember: You don't want to put heat on inflamed joints, so if your dog is having an active arthritis flare-up (the joint will likely feel warm), don’t put heat on them. Heat should also not be applied over areas of acute injury. 

Wheat bags are completely safe for your pet, as long as they are used correctly! Learn more in our blog post on wheat bags. 

When to Seek Veterinary Advice

While heat therapy can help to manage symptoms, arthritis can require a multifaceted approach. Veterinarians can provide an official diagnosis and tailored recommendations, including advanced treatments, to help determine the best route of action. 

At Soothe and Settle, we want to change the way we help dogs; providing pooches with safe, research-backed stress relievers that make a real difference is what we’re passionate about - including our calming Hush Muff and dog-safe wheat bags. To discover more about our mission and get regular doggy updates, subscribe to our mailing list below.