Signs of arthritis – see if your dog needs help
Osteoarthritis(OA) is a PAINFUL chronic degenerative disease of one or many joints. This means it is gets worse over a period of time (months or years). It can affect young dogs too and not every old dog has it. All breeds can have it and depending on their lifestyle can be affected greatly.
What to look out for in your dog
Many owners first notice that their dog seems stiff after activity or when the dog first gets up after resting for a period of time (for example, upon waking up in the morning). This means they are in pain. The dog will often warm out of stiffness when beginning an activity, but may be slower or need more encouragement to get going. They may refuse to perform strenuous activities altogether. Although most will try and with a bit of excitement their aches may be forgotten until later. They will not cry out in pain and they do not know how to control their activities to reduce pain. So look for the subtle signs.
Changes in behaviour are important often early indicators. Examples include growling at other dogs, avoiding the kids, increased sniffing on a walk, lagging behind on a walk even on the way home.
Dogs may be reluctant to jump into the car or go down stairs. They may lag behind on walks or wanting more sniffing time. Slower to get up from lying or slower to lower down into sitting or lying. They may also seek warmth and softer, comfortable surfaces. another sign is to lick or chew at the affected joint.
Remember dogs do not normally cry when in pain, so it is important to recognize other signs of OA pain. You only need one of the above signs or any other change in your dog to consider pain as an element.
What makes it worse
Insufficient pain control or too much vigorous exercise, or no exercise, or continued obesity has been proven to make the disease progress faster in dogs that already have arthritis. First provide pain relief – speak to your vet. Thereafter one of the main ways you can help your dog is to control his weight so he/she has a waist and you can feel their ribs and to provide the right amount of the right kind of exercises for your dog – work with your physio to optimise this.
The cure
The only cure for an arthritic joint is a joint replacement. In dogs hip and elbow joints can be replaced. Joint replacements are done these days, early for young dogs with hip dysplasia or in older dogs when pain can not be controlled well enough.
Otherwise there is no cure for arthritis but there are multiple ways of managing the conditions for the short and long term benefit of your dog. Working closely with vets, nutritionists, physiotherapists and hydrotherapists provides a multi-professional approach to be gold standard care. For a helpful map of where to start go to https://caninearthritis.co.uk/#managing
How you can help your dog with arthritis
Firstly speak to your vet. There are many medical pain relief options to start with.
Then ask your vet to refer your dog for Physio and we can help your dog and you.
Plus do the following – Every 5% difference you can make in a good way adds to the well-being of your dog. So it’s not all about pain meds and exercises but often includes changes to the home environment. This could include:
1. reduction of slippy surfaces your dog has access to – a slip is painful and slippy floors are hard work for aching joints and muscles;
2. a firm but comfy bed – a bed that is too soft is hard work to get up out of. A big enough bed to stretch out on as being curled up can mean painful uncurling of joints later;
3. not having access to stairs;
4. using ramps or steps or being lifted (careful to your back) to get in and out of vehicle – please still have a harness on your dog to guide them up steps or a ramp into a vehicle as this prevents a slipping accident.
There is equipment out there to help you and your dog including ramps, harnesses, lifting harnesses, rubber booties, mobility aids and support – ask your physio.
Other resources
How Physiotherapy helps arthritis in dogs
Physiotherapy aims to help your dog achieve pain free quality movement. This involves therapy to get your dog to use all of his/her body in movement in order to reduce pressure on limbs and spine. The earlier in their senior years that they have physio the better as we can slow down the onset of stiffness, soreness and muscle loss.
If your dog has or has had pain in a leg joint, back or muscle they will offload that area and put more reliance and pressure onto the other limbs. Over time these limbs taking the strain start to have difficulty doing this and may get painful or have restricted movement. This often causes tight and sore muscles as they overwork and go into spasm. And weak muscles in the offloaded parts.
Physiotherapy includes
- Therapy to reduce pain and discomfort (veterinary pain meds may also be part of this)
- Therapy and home program to Improve proprioception
- Improve the muscles that stabilize and support the joints in the limbs and spine.
- Improve muscle strength in weaker muscles so that whole body is used in movement.
operation. For example dogs who have been diagnosed with hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, cruciate ligament injury, patella luxation or have less than ideal conformation, including those operated on for these issues will ALL develop arthritis. The earlier it is addressed the more comfortable they will be long term.
