As dogs reach the older age group one of the commonest conditions I treat is arthritis …
Arthritis in the dogI treat dogs in all phases of their lives and of course there are different conditions which are more common in each age group. As dogs reach the older age group one of the commonest conditions I treat is arthritis, it occurs in older dogs just as commonly as it does in older people. It is a disease which some people ignore, when they see their older dogs are stiff they tend to think this is just part of the normal ageing process and do not seek treatment. It could well be that these dogs are not only stiff but are in pain and the correct treatment can greatly enhance their twilight years.
What is arthritis? The word means inflammation of the joint. There are many joints in the body, although usually those in the limbs are affected. It can affect one joint, or many joints, the lining of the joint which is called the cartilage will become inflamed and eroded.
How do we know our dog has it? Well the main sign is of course stiffness and limping, many owners with a limping dog make the comment that ‘He’s not in pain – he doesn’t cry or whimper’, but the fact is that he would not limp unless he was uncomfortable. Often the first sign is that the dog carries its leg a bit, or is seen to hobble on a walk. When he comes home he will flops down in his bed for a sleep, and can hardly walk when he tries to get up later in the day.
How is it diagnosed? The most sure way of diagnosis would be to take an X-ray, just occasionally much more serious conditions such as bone cancers can be mistaken for arthritis in their early stages. Often in older dogs I make my diagnosis on the owner’s description and the clinical signs I see when I examine the dog. While it is not 100 % accurate you would be fairly certain of the diagnosis if such dogs respond to medication.
How is it treated? Well perhaps I should use the word control as opposed to treatment. There are three aspects to consider, medication, control of weight and control of exercise.
Medication. Modern anti-inflammatories are safe and effective, I use a product called Metacam quite frequently now and have had very few problems associated with it. Metacam is a liquid which is added to the dog’s food once a day so is very easy to administer. There are also newer products available which act directly on the cartilage, these help to keep the inside of the joint as supple as possible, and are given by injection. Never give human medication to your pet, especially painkillers without referring to your vet first. I have known my clients give alternative medicines to their animals, while some of these may have beneficial effect most have not undergone trials to see if they work. It is fair to say that these alternative products are unlikely to control the pain associated with arthritis as well as the ones your vet will prescribe. My personal view is that if you want to experiment with such drugs do it on yourself and not a dumb animal, you can then assess the pain levels and see if it works.
Weight control is crucial, and cannot be over-stressed. An overweight dog is an unhappy dog, especially if it has arthritis. It has a sore leg, it will not walk on it properly, it lies around, it is fed the same quantity of food, and so it gets fat. Because it is fat, it will not exercise, so its leg hurts more when it does. We have the classic vicious circle. ‘He doesn’t eat a lot’, ‘ He only has one meal a day’; there are many excuses I hear. With arthritis we have to have a slim dog, quickly, and without question! Your vet can suggest special diet foods and diet plans but the crux of the matter is common sense, feed your dog less till he starts to lose weight.
Exercise, initially in the course of the disease, exercise needs to be restricted. Rest will prevent further damage and allow recovery to start. Then lead exercise can be started, with the aim of returning to full activity. In advanced cases it is important to maintain joint mobility. This is done by regular, controlled movement, but not to excess. Common sense in the home, and watching your dog’s behaviour will tell you much about how he’s feeling, and you can adjust things accordingly.
The important thing to get home about arthritis treatment is that once you start it you must continue for the rest of the dog’s life. While there is no means of preventing arthritis setting in but I would imagine that a dog which was kept slim all its life and had enjoyed adequate exercise would be less likely to suffer it at an early age.
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Sensible movement and exercise is important, like you said, especially for mobility. You also have to watch the dog that will overdo it, like mine, will pay for it later in stiffness.
Thanks for the comment Tracey,
You are quite right if a dog overdoes exercise then this can predispose to arthritis in later life.
You see this with shooting dogs like Labradors who have worked all their lives and also breeds like border collies.
While there is medication which can help it is better as you say not to let it happen in the first place.
Regards,
Scott