Swim your dog back to full fitness
Arthritis
Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disease that may affect any joint but is commonly found in a pet’s hip, elbow, shoulder, stifle (knee) , Carpus (wrist), hock (ankle) or inter vertebral joints (in the spine). It occurs when cartilage in the joint is damaged, either following a traumatic event or with wear and tear that increases in athletic animals, obese animals, or when the joint is congenitally abnormal.
Cartilage decreases joint stress by reducing impact on the ends of the bones in joints, like a gelatinous shock absorber. When cartilage is damaged, a cascade of inflammatory changes occurs, eventually leading to destruction of the cartilage and subsequent damage to the underlying bone. Cartilage contains no nerves – if your pet is showing any signs of pain, the damage and changes in underlying bone have already begun.This often results in the bone surface becomes raw and swollen. The body responds by sending inflammatory cells to the joint. Over time, the bones produce sharp bony ends which result in pain and lameness (this is often the first clue and owners take their dog to the vets).
Above left is a picture of a replaced joint which is due to chronic arthritis.
If this is allowed to continue for a long time your dog reduces the exercise they do and muscle wastage occurs which doubles the negative effects.
Signs of arthritis include:
- Reluctance to take walks of usual length
- Stiffness (that may disappear once the pet has ‘warmed up’)
- Difficulty climbing stairs, climbing in the car, on the bed or a sofa
- Difficulty rising from rest
- Limping
- Abnormal gait
- Licking of a single joint
- Acting withdrawn, spending less time playing with family (which is often misunderstood as a sign of ‘aging’)
- Soreness when touched
- Rarely, aggression when touched or approached
While there is no cure for canine arthritis, there are several treatments available that can effectively reduce pain and inflammation, vastly improving your dog's comfort and happiness. One of these is the use of hydrotherapy where the warmth of the water and the buoyancy, relieves the pain and simultaneously increases the muscle development to support the affected joints.
There are also certain steps that you, as a pet owner, can take to reduce the likelihood of your pet developing arthritis. These preventative strategies include ensuring that your dog stays fit and exercises regularly, while also making sure that exercise and activities are not overly strenuous. This is where the use of hydrotherapy is especially useful as it provides non-weight bearing exercise which will aid weight loss and muscle tone. A healthy diet is also important, as is maintaining a healthy weight. All of these strategies together can lower your dog's risk of arthritis as well as increasing your pet's overall health.
If your dog already has arthritis, there are a number of effective treatments available that can help with the pain and swelling caused by joint disease. For obese pets, carefully monitored weight loss can significantly reduce pain by relieving some of the stress on the dog's joints. We are more than happy to discuss diet with you and help you and your pet follow a weight loss plan.
There are also certain anti-inflammatory, analgesic medications available that can help to relieve symptoms of arthritis(speak to your vet about these). Supplements can also be very beneficial, including glucosamine, chondroitin, Msm and certain others.