Osteoarthritis - One of the Most Common Diseases in Dogs

Osteoarthritis is a painful disease that frequently affects small animals, and very frequently older pets. While arthritis is an inflammation of the joints, osteoarthritis is the most common skeletal disease in dogs. It is also called degenerative joint disease and it is a progressive deterioration of the cartilage in moveable joints. The changes in joints cause pain, stiffness and a reduction of flexibility. The cartilage is eroded and there are areas of deposition of bone which are abnormal.

There are breeds of dogs that tend to develop arthritis because of genetic make-up. German Shepherd, for example, are prone to it and to hip dysplasia as well.

Secondary osteoarthritis occurs when an injury to the joint, an infection, fracture, trauma or excessive stress have been present.

Owners usually notice the problem when the dog becomes lame. If only one joint is affected the problem is more easily noticeable. When more than one joint is affected, the dog might just walk more carefully and slowly, or becomes less active. This is why it is more difficult to spot.

The classic signs of osteoarthritis are stiffness and difficulty of movement after rest or sleep. The animal moves better after some time, so owners might not be able to recognize the problem. Sometimes they only become aware if the dog cannot jump into the car anymore or go up the stairs. Dogs are more irritable and nervous and generally less active as they feel chronic pain.

Veterinarians can diagnose osteoarthritis even without using x-rays or other tests. By checking for swellings in the joints or evidence of pain they can tell if the dog is suffering from this condition.

For dogs suffering from osteoarthritis, it is important that they do not become overweight. This could lead to more stress for the joints. A moderate amount of exercise is necessary even for dogs who have this disease. The dog will tend to be less active and try to rest most of the time and having a less active lifestyle, weight can easily become a problem.

Pet owners will have to look for foods that promote weight loss and encourage exercise for their dogs. Easy and short walks will be very helpful. The more frequent such walks, the better. However, long hikes at the weekend are not a good idea when you have a dog suffering from osteoarthritis.

There is medication to treat osteoarthritis, but the disease will not be cured. The drugs used for osteoarthritis only offer alleviation from pain and help the animal function normally. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed for osteoarthritis can have side effects though. The most common are gastrointestinal problems.

If the dog has problems with kidneys, liver or heart, medication can cause blood clotting or gastric ulcer. The benefits of administered drugs should be weighed against the additional problems they may cause. There is also the possibility of surgical treatment when the arthritis is limited to one joint and it has proven to be highly successful for arthritic problems of the hip joint. Surgery should be considered only if other methods of treatment were inefficient.