What is arthritis?

Healthy joints allow your dog to run and play without pain. The joint capsule contains lubricating fluid and elastic cartilage encapsulates the ends of the bones. These structures allow the bones to glide over each other as your dog moves. The cells in cartilage use building blocks called glucosamine and  chondroitin to maintain cartilage health.  Osteoarthritis (arthritis) begins when a genetic or physical trigger causes the cartilage to become abnormal. The cartilage weakens, becomes brittle and with time cracks begin to form.  

 Fragments of cartilage break off into the joint and trigger destructive enzymes which attack both healthy and damaged cartilage.  This causes inflammation and pain for your dog.  Symptoms such as limping and stiffness are only present at this final stage.  This is why it is important to catch arthritis early before the painful symptoms appear.

Is my dog at risk? 

Arthritis is a silent disease- 1 in 5 dogs under the age of seven have arthritis without showing any symptoms and 90% of dogs who reach their senior years will develop arthritis. Large dogs have a high risk of developing arthritis. It is important to keep your dog lean as obesity will aggravate arthritis.

Certain breeds are pre-disposed to developing arthritis earlier in life. Small breeds are also susceptible due to joint abnormalities (Dachshunds, Maltese, Shih Tzus and Corgis). Ask your vet if your dog is a high risk breed.

Dogs who have suffered joint injuries or who have had joint surgery will benefit from a protection program.

These symptoms of arthritis may indicate your dog is in pain:

• Limping or stiffness

• Difficulty getting up after resting

• Reluctance to walk or play

• Difficulty jumping in the car or climbing stairs

 We can help relieve the pain of arthritis and keep them comfortable, so please contact us before the cold weather arrives.

Managing arthritic pets

Some dogs with early arthritis can improve significantly with simple lifestyle changes or with the addition of supplements or medication to their daily routine. As arthritis is a progressive disease most pets will start on lifestyle changes and supplementation first but as it progresses your veterinarian may recommend adding in medication to help manage symptoms.

Lifestyle Changes

Diet: Feed your dog a balanced, complete diet to ensure a healthy weight. Obesity aggravates arthritic symptoms and may predispose your dog to developing arthritis.  The more weight your pet carries the more force is applied to their joints when moving.

Exercise: Regular, low impact exercise will maintain a healthy weight, aid joint mobility and increase muscle tone. Encourage gentle lead walks and swimming while avoiding short bursts of high impact exercise and excessive jumping.

Bedding: Provide your dog with soft, padded bedding and ensure that they are warm at night. Heated bedding may be worth considering in the winter months as arthritis symptoms typically worsen in the cold.

Arthritis Supplements

There are many options for arthritis supplementation available in the market. The main goal of arthritis supplementation is to support the joints as much as possible and to help keep them healthy. Our vets are happy to discuss what options may fit your pets needs the most.

In our clinic we currently stock antinol for dogs and cats and 4cyte for dogs.

Injectable Medication

Injectable options are typically used to help manage or alleviate symptoms of arthritis. At our clinic we current offer 2 types of medication for dogs and one option for cats:

Zydax Injections –Dogs only

This medication aids in inflammation and pain by helping slowing progression of disease, increasing cartilage, blood supply and joint fluid in the joints.

This medication is given at a loading dose as 1 injection a week for 4 weeks and then is given every 1-3 months depending on the need of the pet.

Beransa (Dogs) & Solensia (Cats)

Both Beransa and Solensia are monoclonal antibodies that helps alleviate arthritic pan for a month. This type of medication targets Nerve Growth Factor (a protein that stimulates pain in joints) so it  

Daily Oral Medication

Oral medication is prescribed by our veterinarians, the aim or the oral medication is to help alleviate pain to help manage symptoms of more advanced cases of arthritis. There are multiple types of analgesia ranging from: NSAIDs, nerve pain relief, and anti-inflammatories. Your veterinarian will discuss the benefits and risks of each and determine what will best suit your pets needs.

If you are worried about arthritis in your pet please make a booking to discuss your concerns with one of our qualified veterinarians.