Dog suffer from arthritis just like humans do.  It is a disease that can cause severe mobility problems in your beloved pet.  Some dog breeds are predisposed to having canine arthritis compared to others.  Large breeds are more prone to develop this condition compared to others.

Small breeds can also develop this condition, depending on their genetic make-up.  Depending on your dog’s condition and type of arthritis, your dog may start to show signs of arthritis as late as 10 years or as early as 4 years.

Types of Canine Arthritis

There are many types of canine arthritis in dogs.  Each have different causes, but all create the same mobility and comfort problems that your dog has to cope with.

• Osteoarthritis: commonly a problem of old dogs, this is a degenerative joint condition that results from the destruction of the cartilage that protects the joint heads.  If this protective coating is destroyed, the bones would rub against each other, causing progressive erosion.

• Immune-mediated: a type of arthritis where your dog’s own immune system attacks the join’s protective coating.  This would result to an inflammatory response that can cause swelling, pain, and stiffness.

• Infections: some forms of arthritis are caused by microbial infections.

• Idiopathic: a type of arthritis where the cause is unknown no matter how intensive the clinical studies are performed.

Causes of Canine Arthritis

Each type of arthritis has different causes.  The following are among the common causes of canine arthritis documented through extensive studies and research.

• Age: as dogs grow old, their bodies degenerate and that includes their joints.  Although a common cause, some dogs can reach old age without experiencing arthritis, or some dogs can suffer the condition without necessarily being old.

• Genetics: some breed types are much more predisposed to experiencing arthritis compared to others.  Bad breeding techniques applied by indiscriminating dog breeders have also caused some changes in the genes of dogs that normally should be tolerant to arthritis

• Diet: poor feeding practices in dogs can cause arthritis in dogs.   Improper balancing of minerals and protein can cause some inflammatory problems that can lead to formation of arthritis.

• Hip Dysplacia: dogs that have this condition are certainly predisposed to having the disease.  Caused by genetic and/or environmental factors, a dog with this condition his observed with weak and painful joints.

• Obesity: since the problem is often located on weight-bearing joints, a dog that his obese will be predisposed to this condition because of the excess weight that is causing pressure on joints.

• Trauma: a highly active dog may experience some repeated trauma, or have a severe one that can damage a joint cartilage or two.  Trauma can include accidents, falls, a bad landing from a high jump, or a bad step while running.

Signs and Symptoms of Canine Arthritis

Even though there are different types of arthritis, generally they have the same signs and symptoms.  These signs and symptoms of canine arthritis can come either gradually or abruptly, depending on your dog’s condition.

• Your dog may gradually prefer one limb over the other, or limping.

• Your dog will start to show reluctance in walking or climbing steep hills or stairs. The dog also refuses or is having a hard time jumping and playing.

• Depending on your dog’s type of arthritis, stiffness may be noted in the morning upon waking up, or late in the afternoon.

• Standing up after sleeping is a problem, or after resting for a long time

• Refusing to be touched for the slightest pressure on the joints is extremely painful.

• Mood changes because of lack of mobility and change in lifestyle and pain.  Your normally cheerful dog will be highly sensitive, gloomy, and even irritable.

Relief Measures for Canine Arthritis

There are a lot of relief measures for canine arthritis, ranging from home remedies, medications, physical therapy, and surgery.  A mix of the treatments applied according to your dog’s health status for rehabilitation to be effective.

Home Remedies:

• Exercise your dog regularly.  It is not necessary to tire your dog out.  What’s important is to keep your dog active without causing harm on his joints.  Jogging, jumping, going through obstacle courses to beat a time limit are no longer suitable activities for him.  What you need to do is have him out for a walk for a certain length, or better yet take him out for a swim.  Swimming allows your dog to use all of his major muscle groups and without putting pressure on his joints.

• Manage your dog’s weight.  As obesity is the cause or one of the aggravating conditions, helping your dog lose weight will be one of the best management for canine arthritis.

• Dietary supplements: Supplements high in anti-inflammatory properties such as MSM can be very good to help lessen the inflammation of your dog’s joints.

• Proper sleeping conditions.  Provide a firm mattress that can support your dog’s weight without getting deformed.  Place it in a warm place away from drafts to lessen your dog’s stiffness while he sleeps.  Keep it elevated than usual so your dog will find it easy to lie down on it as well as get up from.

• Massage your dog: softly massage your dog’s paws in a smooth motion towards the heart.  This will help circulate your dog’s blood, sooth him, and as well as give you the chance to feel for any deformities or lumps.

• Heat application: heat packs are just perfect to help lessen your dog’s pain. Heat packs applied on your dog’s knees, shoulders, and hips for 20 minutes, 3 times a day is just like the paraffin wax treatment used for human arthritis and can relieve pain the same way.

• Acupuncture: see to it that the person giving acupuncture to your dog is highly trained for this procedure.  Ask your vet if he has undergone such training or he could refer you to someone who is capable of giving this treatment to your dog.  Depending on how effective the treatment is, your dog may have lesser pain medication or none at all.

Therapy:

This treatment will greatly limit the progression of joint stiffness due to canine arthritis.  Ask your vet for proper range of motion exercises that can be done to your dog to keep the integrity of your dog’s joints intact without causing harm and further degeneration.

Medications:

For pain management, you may need to use NSAID’s that are either over the counter or prescribed.  Just remember to ask for your vet’s advice on how to give them to your dog.  Never use your own medication to help your dog for its formulation is quite toxic for your canine friend

• Rimadyl^®:  This medication is to be used with caution for it can bring out serious side effects.  Liver and blood tests are to be done regularly to make sure that the drug does not adversely affect your dog.

• Adequan: given via injection twice a week, this drug relieves pain, helps cartilage repair, inhibit the action of inflammatory enzymes, and promote the production of synovial fluid (the fluid found in joints).  This is given to your dog up to 4 weeks to relieve pain and inflammation.

• Palprin6 – this is a buffered aspirin given in a chewable form.  What’s good about this drug is that the gastrointestinal irritation commonly experienced in aspirin is eliminated. Do note that this medication is only for canine use, so don’t be tempted to use it for yourself.

Surgery:

If the deformity or degeneration as well as pain, swelling, and motility problems are so severe, your vet may recommend corrective surgery for your dog.  Before you agree to this procedure, consider the health status and stamina of your canine friend.

Evaluate first if your dog can tolerate the procedure, and if your dog can handle the stress of healing without experiencing any complications.  After surgery, your dog still requires therapy to promote limb function.

As with any other types of disease in dogs, prompt and adequate management through proper diagnosis is the vital in solving canine arthritis.  Once you see the signs and symptoms of canine arthritis manifesting in your dog, do not hesitate to have an appointment with your vet.

Remember that treatment for each dog is unique.  What would work for one will not necessarily work for the other and vice versa.  These treatments are only aimed to help your dog cope with the difficulties of arthritis and not cure him totally of the disease.

Try and experiment with each treatment to see which of them your dog responds better to.  The earlier you treat your dog’s arthritis, the better prognosis your dog will have in coping with canine arthritis.

Note: this article is not intended to replace professional advice and recommendation of veterinarians.  This serves only as a guide or as an information supplement for canine arthritis.  Your vet is still the best person to diagnose and give treatment for your dog.