Snowball is ~10 years old. He is, I think, in excellent health. I'd never really noticed any stiffness before, other than several hours or so after he'd had significantly more exercise than normal (but really, who isn't stiff after hard exercise?)
Recently, however, he has started to become wary of getting out of the back of my husband's hatchback and balks at going down stairs unless he thinks he's getting a walk or a car ride out of it. We thought it was a behavioral thing, e.g. negative feelings because he's slipped on the stairs when they were icy and he was very excited, it can be awkward to get out of the car in our parking lot because if the car pulls in forward, the lot slopes away and its a larger drop than normal, and if we back in, Snowball has to jump over a parking block (or possibly throwing tantrums because 9/10 times we're coming back from somewhere fun that he didn't want to leave, i.e. Grandmas). But now I'm wondering if they both are the result of developing arthritis in his hips.
ANYWAY, my question is, to those of you who have older dogs, and especially dogs with diagnosed arthritis, at what point did you start actively treating it? And for those of you in cold climates, do the signs change with the weather/cold/rain? Off-leash he will still run around like a maniac; should I be limiting the intensity of his exertion? Any other general advice (outside of go to the vet - I'm going to ask if he thinks we'd benefit from an appointment right away vs. at the yearly checkup in June when I see him next week for the cat)
Recently, however, he has started to become wary of getting out of the back of my husband's hatchback and balks at going down stairs unless he thinks he's getting a walk or a car ride out of it. We thought it was a behavioral thing, e.g. negative feelings because he's slipped on the stairs when they were icy and he was very excited, it can be awkward to get out of the car in our parking lot because if the car pulls in forward, the lot slopes away and its a larger drop than normal, and if we back in, Snowball has to jump over a parking block (or possibly throwing tantrums because 9/10 times we're coming back from somewhere fun that he didn't want to leave, i.e. Grandmas). But now I'm wondering if they both are the result of developing arthritis in his hips.
ANYWAY, my question is, to those of you who have older dogs, and especially dogs with diagnosed arthritis, at what point did you start actively treating it? And for those of you in cold climates, do the signs change with the weather/cold/rain? Off-leash he will still run around like a maniac; should I be limiting the intensity of his exertion? Any other general advice (outside of go to the vet - I'm going to ask if he thinks we'd benefit from an appointment right away vs. at the yearly checkup in June when I see him next week for the cat)