Winter Joint Pain: Senior Pets in Kolkata Cold

Why winter worsens arthritis\n\nCold reduces synovial fluid viscosity, tightens muscles, and slows recovery from activity. Even 12°C nights are enough to make a 12-year-old Labrador stiff in the morning.\n\n## Signs\n\n- Slower to rise after sleeping\n- Reluctant to climb stairs or jump\n- Stiff first 5 minutes of a walk, then improves\n- Snappy when touched on hips/back\n\n## What helps\n\n- Warm bedding — orthopaedic memory foam, off the floor\n- Light coats for senior small breeds at night\n- Joint supplements (glucosamine, chondroitin, omega-3) — start before winter\n- NSAIDs if vet-prescribed — never use human painkillers\n- Maintain weight — every kilo of excess load is felt 3x at the joints\n- Gentle daily walks — short and regular beats infrequent long ones\n\n## When to see us\n\nLimping, refusal to walk, crying when handled. Bloodwork before NSAIDs is standard.