Arthritis is painful enough for humans, but it’s just as problematic for dogs, especially when they get older. Thankfully, you can mitigate your dog’s arthritis symptoms by feeding them high-quality food. But searching for things like “best wet food arthritis” doesn’t always yield the most honest or reliable results.
That’s why we’re here to help. We’ve compiled some of the best dog food for dogs with arthritis to simplify shopping for your pup.
The Best Dog Food for Senior Dogs With Arthritis
Let’s start with an all-around healthy choice for senior dogs: Orijen Senior mostly contains poultry and fish, providing your dog with an outstanding balance of vitamins, minerals, and protein.
These naturally occurring supplements are essential for senior dogs, giving them everything they need to maintain a healthy weight, a robust immune system, and stronger joints. It’s perfect for general health maintenance for adult dogs and comes highly recommended.
The Best Dog Food for Weight Control and Joints
A significant part of keeping your dog’s arthritis from worsening or flaring up is helping your pet stay at a manageable weight. For this, the Victor Purpose Senior Healthy Weight is an excellent choice for the best dog food for hips and joints.
The formula contains L-carnitine acids, which help your dog turn fat into energy and encourage lean muscle growth. As a bonus, it also strengthens your dog’s joints with chondroitin and glucosamine. This is the obvious pick if you have a dog that can’t be too active due to health constraints.
The Best Dry Food for Arthritis
If your pup prefers dry food but struggles with joint pain, you’ll want to try out the Nulo Freestyle product line. It contains trout, salmon meal, and sweet potato — all good ingredients for hip and joint health. It’s another good pick for dogs that might not respond well to chicken and egg proteins.
The Best Wet Food for Arthritis
The title for the best wet food for older dogs with arthritis belongs to Hill’s Prescription Diet Metabolic + Mobility Weight & Joint Care. Its unique formula helps keep your dog’s weight low and mobility high, and many vets highly recommend it as one of the perfect choices for senior dogs that need a special diet. Our CIO is also a fan of this food and she eats it on a daily basis!
The Best Dog Food for Joint Health
While many other options on this list focus on joint health, there’s another that comes highly rated with premium protein: Wellness CORE. It’s ideal for adult and senior dogs, containing antioxidants and probiotics for better overall body health.
As a specific benefit for joint health, this food contains plentiful amounts of chondroitin and glucosamine. It’s made from nutrient-rich foods like peas, lentils, and deboned turkey.
The Best Raw Foods for Arthritis
Aside from dog foods that specifically cater to canine arthritis, you can look for other ingredients in dog foods that help prevent and treat diseases like arthritis. Here are some common examples of food that promote healthier joints in dogs.
Raw Salmon
Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids. This compound is essential for many critical aspects of a dog’s health, especially maintaining healthy joints. Salmon also tends to be lower in mercury, so it’s much safer for your pup than other alternatives.
Turmeric
Turmeric has many proven health benefits, including an anti-inflammatory effect that may help curb some of the symptoms of your dog’s arthritis. Since turmeric is usually taken as a supplement, you should discuss starting a regimen with your vet.
Low-Carb Foods
Arthritis pain is tied to additional pressure on your dog’s joints due to increased weight. That’s why feeding your pup raw, low-carb foods can help them avoid gaining weight. It may even help them lose weight.
Bone Broth
You already know how much dogs like bones, but did you know how beneficial it is to serve them bone broth? Bone broth has a similar effect to joint supplements since it has so much collagen and gelatin to help promote healthier connective tissue and joints.
Managing Your Dog’s Arthritis
If you suspect your dog might have arthritis but haven’t yet confirmed it, you should consult your vet before doing anything else. After discussing your dog’s symptoms and medical history, they can rule out or confirm arthritis. Unfortunately, many dogs are prone to developing arthritis because of their genetics. But the earlier you catch arthritis, the easier it is to help your dog manage it properly.
One of the biggest things you can do to help is to minimize the risk of joint injury. If you know your dog is struggling with joint pain, you should avoid doing high-impact activities with them.
In addition to selecting the proper foods and managing their weight, you can try low-impact exercises like hydrotherapy or physical therapy. Your doctor will help guide you through what will work best for your dog. Still, you should note any limitations or potential signs of discomfort or pain during the exercise.
A Happier, Comfier Canine
You can help manage your dog’s arthritis by ensuring there’s not too much pressure on their joints. To this end, keeping your dog at a healthy weight through a balanced diet and regular exercise is paramount. One of the best ways to do this is by choosing the right dog food, like the ones we’ve laid out above.
While many of these foods will help with your dog’s discomfort, it’s not the only approach to helping manage their arthritis. You should also avoid any exercise that would be tough on their joints. It’s also good to have consistent check-ups with your vet. Your vet will monitor your dog’s joint health and provide additional assistance with managing their arthritis, including food recommendations, supplements, or potentially even medications.
The vet can also review your suggested changes to your dog’s diet and help you select the best dog food for arthritis that will keep your pup happy and healthy for many years to come. After discussing your dog’s diet with your vet, be sure to make any changes gradually. Hopefully, with their help, your dog will be playing like a puppy again in no time!
