Arthritis and Our Pets
It can be as uncomfortable for our dogs as it is in humans - but there are ways of managing the disease to ease your pet's pain.
Arthritis simply means 'inflammation of the joints' and is a common problem for many dogs. Most of you will no doubt know of a dog suffering from arthritis that has shown the textbook signs of pain, discomfort and stiffness.
Inside a dog's joints, bone surfaces are normally covered with a thin layer of very smooth cartilage, lubricated with a small amount of joint fluid that allows the two surfaces to glide freely over one another with minimum friction. In dogs with arthritis, cartilage within the joint undergoes change or damage, becoming less smooth and resulting in the bone surfaces rubbing together. This causes discomfort to your dog, as well as further damage to cartilage.
As a direct result of this increased friction, new bone starts to form around the joint making the joint stiffer, which limits its movement even more - a condition known as degenerative joint disease.
Typically arthritis is a problem seen in older dogs, but the condition can develop from an early age following problems with bone and joint development. Depending on the cause, arthritis may affect one or any number of your dog's joints. Most cases develop as a result of abnormal rubbing within the joint caused by joint instability (e.g. after ligament damage), damage to or abnormal cartilage development, or damage caused by trauma (e.g. fractures). Like humans, signs of arthritis can often vary throughout the animal's life and result in the early onset of joint problems in older age.
As the disease nearly always causes pain and stiffness, dogs may not be as keen to exercise as they were in the past and may show lameness or obvious stiffness (especially after long periods of rest). Commonly this stiffness improves with commencement of exercise, with cold and/or damp conditions usually worsening symptoms. Some dogs may even lick continually at an underlying painful joint - occasionally causing unwanted patches of saliva staining - but rarely do joints appear hot or swollen; more commonly changes are subtle and undetectable to the naked eye. Some patients will show obvious signs of pain, whereas others may just become slower or grumpier.
If your vet suspects your dog is suffering, they can sometimes tell which joints are affected by any pain and/or discomfort by examination, including joint flexion and extension. But to investigate properly they usually suggest further tests (e.g. x-rays), which help confirm and locate arthritic change, and sometimes identify any underlying causes too.