Are you wondering why your dog is possibly getting less mobile as they get older? Are they no longer acting like their normal selves for some time now? It could be due to long-term (chronic) pain. The predominant cause of chronic pain is osteoarthritis in dogs, which is also known as degenerative joint disease (DJD). Research has shown that canine osteoarthritis can affect over 20% of dogs over 1 year old! What’s more, an astonishing 80% of dogs over 8 years old can be affected too!
Being the most common form of canine arthritis, it is often referred to in general as ‘arthritis’. It is unfortunately an irreversible condition, and as a progressive disease, it is likely to get worse over time.
This article educates dog lovers about why canine osteoarthritis develops in the joint, risk factors, and common signs initially seen. We also go in-depth into how to delay or prevent the signs of arthritis. Lastly, we talk about what can be done if your canine companion starts to show signs of being arthritic. Ways to help include medications, lifestyle changes, exercise and weight management, complementary therapies and even small adaptations around the house.
How a healthy joint becomes arthritic
A joint is where two bones meet, which forms a lever to allow corresponding body parts to move. It functions together with ligaments, tendons, nerves, articular cartilage including menisci (shock absorbers), and synovial membranes which produce fluid (lubricant) for the joint.
Due to the poor blood supply within a joint, the healing of any injury or disease is challenging. Joints remain healthy from a balance of cartilage regeneration and degeneration, along with enough lubricant being produced within it.
Repeated or irregular stresses to a joint, along with traumatic injuries to the joint can cause inflammation and new bone growth within the joint. This often disrupts new cartilage and lubricant formation, and causes pain of varying degrees.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis in dogs can be seen due to pain from the affected joint. It could also be seen due to the bony remodelling and inflammation within the joint affecting normal movement.
Risk factors of osteoarthritis in dogs
Numerous factors can increase the chance of osteoarthritis in dogs. They include:
- Breed (including genetics and conformation)
- Intensity and type of exercise
- Excessive weight
- Abnormal development of a joint from an early age
- Injury to a joint or bone
- Age
- Nutrition
- Previous orthopaedic surgery
Common potential signs of arthritis
Every dog is different. Some may hide the pain of canine osteoarthritis until it is in the later stages, whilst others can show signs earlier on. Depending on how long and how well you know your dog, here are some of the common signs you may notice:
Mobility/posture changes:
- Slowing down or losing stamina, either when exercising or generally
- Reluctance to jump up (e.g. into the car or sofa) or go up and down stairs
- Limping/lame
- Walking stiffly, especially after resting
- Shifting weight from one leg to another
- Hunched position
- A change in stance/gait
- Weakness in one or more legs
- Enlarged or swollen joints
Behaviour changes:
- Not wanting to be groomed or touched on certain parts of the body
- Less happy or waggy as before
- Not keen to play with toys
- Excessive panting
- Restlessness
- Unexpected aggression
How osteoarthritis in dogs can often be diagnosed
Consulting with your vet will possibly involve discussing the activity levels of your dog over their lifespan, and an examination of their limbs and joints. It may even require further tests such as x-rays or even a CT scan. Depending on the symptoms, they may even need to perform additional tests to rule out other diseases.
Is there a cure?
Unfortunately, as an irreversible condition, there is no cure. However, with careful management we can slow down the progression of canine osteoarthritis. This in turn will allow our beloved canine companions to continue living normal, happy lives for as long as possible.
Slowing down or delaying canine osteoarthritis and reducing symptoms:
First and foremost, consult with your vet. They can examine your dog, devise strategies to reduce some of the risk factors of canine osteoarthritis and manage it. They may even refer you to other specialists such as veterinary physiotherapists if required.
Weight / Body Condition
Maintaining a healthy weight, body condition score (BCS), balanced diet and suitable exercise are the first steps towards helping reduce the symptoms of canine osteoarthritis. Ensuring your dog is an appropriate weight and BCS helps to avoid excessive pressure on affected joints. This can make it less painful and potentially cause it to progress slower than if they were overweight. More information on this can be found in my other blog post, and also on numerous professional dog food websites such as this one from Royal Canin.
Diet
Diet plays a huge role in ensuring an appropriate weight and BCS is maintained, whilst also providing adequate nutrients to nourish the joint. This in turn helps to reduce the development of osteoarthritis in dogs. You can read more about this and more in my Dog Joint Health blog post.
Supplements
Nutrients can also be in the form of supplements, such as ones containing omega-3 fatty acids, which are natural anti-inflammatories without any side effects. Preventing or reducing inflammation in joints is key to slowing down the progression of osteoarthritis in dogs. Joint supplements can also help delay canine osteoarthritis from commencing until a dog is older. It is advisable to start your dog on supplements such as omega-3s from a young age to help maintain healthy, pain-free joints for as long as possible. You can read more about all the different joint supplements available today, and if they work, in my joint supplements blog post.
I would always advise all my readers to research appropriately on the ingredients and concentrations that each brand of joint supplements contain, along with user reviews.
Anti-inflammatories
Anti-inflammatories help reduce pain in the joint, as well as slowing down the progression of canine osteoarthritis. Natural anti-inflammatories (which are normally in the form of supplements) do not put stress on internal organs such as the liver and kidneys. This means they can often be used in dogs with other health issues without any concerns. Always consult with your vet before commencing any new supplements.
Your vet will also be able to advise and prescribe anti-inflammatory and other pain medications for canine osteoarthritis if required. Human medications can be extremely harmful to pets, so consult with your vet before commencing any medication. Liver or kidney issues can be exacerbated with certain medications, so a blood test is always advisable before commencing any medications, and at least on an annual basis thereafter.
Pain medication
Inflammation in joints caused by canine osteoarthritis can result in progressive pain, which then causes some of the signs you see in the dog. In addition, the structural changes caused in the joint by the new bone formation from the arthritis can also cause pain when the joint is moving. If the osteoarthritis is between the spinal bones (vertebrae), the dog can sometimes exhibit neurological changes. Depending on the severity, it can also lead to neurological pain.
If your dog is in a lot of pain, your vet may prescribe certain pain medications in addition to anti-inflammatories. For example, human drugs such as gabapentin may be prescribed for neurological pain.
Recent studies such as this one on other human drugs such as amantadine, which is a drug used for conditions such as Parkinson’s and even to help with viral conditions, has been shown to work well to reduce pain caused by osteoarthritis in dogs. This can especially help those who are not showing much response to anti-inflammatories alone.
Exercise
The daily exercise of your dog may need to be adapted to prevent exacerbation of the signs of osteoarthritis in dogs due to over-exertion. For example, removing high impact exercises such as running and chasing balls. The duration of exercise may also need to be reduced. This could possibly be temporary depending on how the severity of the osteoarthritis. How a dog responds to any supplements, medications and other therapies which they receive may also help shape an appropriate exercise programme for them.
Your vet will be able to advise on appropriate exercise for your canine companion, depending on their symptoms.
Physiotherapy
Due to the pain caused by osteoarthritis in dogs, many dogs may become less active and avoid using certain legs, and also avoiding certain activities. This can cause muscle loss in certain areas, which in turn may make the signs worse due to the joint not being able to be moved properly with less muscle mass. In addition, the joints may become stiff and less flexible from being used less.
Veterinary physiotherapists can assist by examining your dog and creating a plan which can include exercise, massage and stretching techniques.
Certain types of exercise can help build up muscle again without affecting the joints. Massage can improve blood flow and reduce stiffness, and the stretching can help with improving flexibility of the affected joints. Many veterinary physiotherapists are also qualified in certain complementary therapies as described below.
Other complementary therapies for osteoarthritis in dogs:
Complementary therapies refers to other types of treatments that may help ease osteoarthritic pain and improve mobility along with other benefits. As some of the therapies may be relatively new in the veterinary world and may have limited research with dogs, the results may vary between patients.
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is the Greek word for ‘water healing’. It involves the use of water for exercises to reduce impact/pressure on the joints, whilst providing a form of resistance when the dog is moving in the water. It can either involve the use of a water facility such as a swimming pool, or even a special tank which contains a water treadmill for the dog to exercise on.
Hydrotherapy has shown to be invaluable for dogs with joint issues who need to maintain muscle mass and remain agile. Of course, not all dogs may like water so you must first judge whether your dog would be willing to do it.
There are now specialised hydrotherapy facilities available in several countries worldwide, so your vet may be able to refer your dog to one nearby.
Laser therapy
The use of laser therapy in dogs is relatively new. It involves light waves of specific wavelengths penetrating into tissues in the body for a variety of benefits such as:
- Reducing inflammation
- Improving blood flow to that area
- Relaxing muscles
- Speeding up any required repair and healing of tissues.
Some studies such as this one have found low level laser therapy to reduce chronic pain caused by osteoarthritis in dogs. Certain vet clinics and vet physiotherapists may offer it. It may be worth trying as it may reduce the need for certain medications if it works for your dog. It is not a one-off treatment, so will likely require regular sessions.
Therapeutic ultrasound
Different to laser, therapeutic ultrasound actually uses sound waves of certain frequencies to reduce inflammation in tissues, and hence also reduce pain. This mode of therapy has been around longer than laser, and could also be offered by your vet or vet physiotherapist. Again, results may vary depending on the dog.
Acupuncture
Similar to how it has been used for humans for thousands of years, veterinary acupuncture uses needles inserted at specific points. This is done to stimulate the nervous system to release anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving substances to ease the effects of arthritis in dogs. It can also loosen up muscles that have tightened due to certain limbs not being used properly by the affected dog.
Canine acupuncture is now becoming more popular in the western world. More and more veterinary acupuncture practitioners are qualifying annually to help with various issues such as osteoarthritis in dogs. It could also be another therapy which may benefit your dog, but again will likely require regular sessions to continue being effective.
There are many other therapies also available these days, such as veterinary chiropractic and osteopathy, amongst others. Speak to your vet to find out what may be available in your area. If there is a specific therapy you may be interested in, I would recommend researching further on it. With some therapies, the only way to know whether they may benefit your dog is to try them.
Some veterinary insurance companies may even cover the costs of certain complementary therapies if your dog is insured, so check with them if you think your dog may be covered.
Adapting the home to help your arthritic dog:
If your dog lives indoors, there are numerous things you can change around the house to help your arthritic dog live an easier life. We’ll go through some of the things you could consider doing, but the list may be endless.
Flooring
Many homes nowadays have slippery floors such as tiles or wood/laminate flooring. Unfortunately, dog’s paws are not able to grip these surfaces. This makes it especially difficult for dogs with mobility issues to stand up or walk on them, due to weak muscles and reduced flexibility. These slippery floors can also cause injuries if a dog slips badly or falls. It can even cause inflammation in the joints due to the repeated stress on them.
Steps
Depending on how severe the canine osteoarthritis is, a dog may struggle to climb up steps due to weakening of muscles, reduced movement and also possibility reduced balance and coordination. In addition, coming down stairs also puts stress on joints, especially of the front legs due to an imbalance of weight between the limbs.
I would advise restricting access to stairs if your dog doesn’t need to go up and down them. You could do this using baby stair gates. If you have a small dog, you could consider carrying them up and down the stairs.
If your dog has to to go up the stairs then you could consider installing a ramp (with enough grip) to help them. Be aware that they may still struggle if the stairs are steep. Another way to help them is to use a special harness so you can support them as they climb up.
Bedding
Due to the pain and inflammation, dogs may struggle to get comfortable and sleep. This makes it essential for them to have adequate cushioning/padding to lay down on.
Some dogs may find it easier getting on and off their bed if it is a certain height. You could try different options to see what suits them best. It is also important to not have trip hazards present around the bed, such as the sides of a basket.
Furniture
When they were younger, your dog may have jumped on and off furniture such as sofas and chairs, and possibly joined you on the sofa. Canine osteoarthritis may have reduced their mobility, risking injury if they fall or step badly. I would recommend enforcing them to sit or sleep on alternative bedding which is easier for them to get on and off from lower down.
Trip hazards
Dogs affected by canine osteoarthritis may have reduced coordination, balance and ability to clear obstacles. Your house may have many items which your dog could trip over, such as children’s toys, shoes etc. If this is the case, I would recommend removing them to enable to move around easily without risk of injury.
Travelling in vehicles
If your dog has accompanied you on car journeys throughout the years, they may now need assistance to get in and out of the car. For example, a ramp could be used to help them walk into the back of the car, or they may need to be picked up. It is important not to allow them to jump down from the car after, as it could jar their joints and worsen the inflammation and pain.
New treatments and medications for osteoarthritis in dogs
There are several new breakthroughs for managing osteoarthritis in dogs. From in-joint injections such as platelet rich plasma and stem cell therapy, to using monoclonal antibodies to block out pain receptors in joints.
You can read up about these exciting new options in an upcoming blog post. Sign up to my newsletter to ensure you’re one of the first to read the new blog post.
My Labrador was found to have canine osteoarthritis at the age of 6. Although it is only mild, I have taken several steps to ensure she remains pain free for as long as possible. For example, I have:
- Started giving her daily joint supplements.
- Adapted her exercise so that there is minimal impact exercise.
- Ensured that she remains at an ideal weight and body condition.
- Made changes around the house as described above.
She is now living a happy, pain-free life. Although she does sometimes start limping if she has over-exerted herself, it just needs a few days of rest and medications to get her back to normal. I monitor her on a daily basis to check if any other changes need to be made to help her, but so far so good! Stay tuned for updates and more tips on how you can help your dog.