Arthritis in pets

What is arthritis?
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis in cats and dogs and is caused by the wear and tear of the pet’s joints through ageing. This results in the erosion of the cartilage joint lining and extra bony proliferations that restrict the movement of the joint causing severe pain for the animal.

Some dogs will develop arthritis after an injury
Some breeds of dogs are more prone to arthritis as they have underlying abnormalities such as hip or elbow dysplasia, which is hereditary, and leads to the joint wearing abnormally. This means that these animals may get arthritis even when they are young. However, dog breeders are being encouraged to help eliminate hereditary hip and elbow problems by having the joints of the parent dogs radiographed and scored and then only breeding from animals without the problem.

How do I know if my pet has arthritis?
The most obvious signs that your pet has arthritis are painful joints (which may be swollen), limping or that your pet has difficulty getting up and down from a resting position. Your pet may sleep more and be less interested in playing. Their character may change so that they are more anxious or aggressive. If you are unsure then have your pet checked by your local vet who may want to perform some x-rays to see the severity of the problem and to make sure there is no other reason for the symptoms.

How can I help my pet with arthritis?
There are many ways to help your pet cat or dog if they are found to suffer from the symptoms of arthritis:

• Have your vet prescribe anti-inflammatory pain killers. These may have to be taken by your pet for the duration of its life and can be in the form of tablets to put on their food or via injections.
• Provide your pet with a warm soft bed away from draughts.
• Massage your pet’s joints gently.
• Using a supplement with glucosamine and chondroitin may help lubricate the surfaces of your pet’s joints.
• If your pet is overweight then this puts more strain on the joints so weight loss and maintenance at a slim weight can help a great deal.
• Acupuncture may help so if you want to try this find a vet who does acupuncture routinely on arthritis patients.
• Hydrotherapy has been shown to help once your pet is in a settled phase of arthritis (once the pain and inflammation is under control). Gentle swimming under the guidance of qualified people can help maintain muscle tone which helps your pet remain stronger.
• Short frequent walks are better than rare long walks. This also helps maintain muscle as many arthritic patients loose muscle as they use their limbs less when in pain.