How do you recognise osteoarthritis in your dog?

Artrosis: wear and tear on the joints, does my dog have it?

Most people are familiar with the fact that dogs can suffer from wear and tear of the joints, or osteoarthritis. In dogs, joints such as the knees, hips, elbows and the joints between the vertebrae of the back are most often affected. By wear and tear, we mean that the cartilage in the joints is worn out, reducing the cushioning in the joint. This will make moving the joints more painful because the �pads� have disappeared, so to speak, between the bone parts.

What can you see in a dog with osteoarthritis?

In dogs with wear of one or more joints, we often see symptoms less clearly at first than in dogs that have been suffering from osteoarthritis for longer and worse. Usually, the first symptoms are that the dog seems a bit stiffer and is less eager to jump in the car or climb stairs. The advantage for these dogs is, that owners can often recognise joint complaints well because it manifests itself in a similar way as in humans.

Dogs with osteoarthritis often get out of their basket slowly and then walk somewhat stiffly. After a few steps, the stiffness or lameness then seems to have disappeared, which is why we call this start-up lameness. This start-up lameness sometimes seems to get worse after the dog has been more active during the day.

As wear and tear increases, the dog will stay down more often because getting up is more painful. Owners often recognise this because the happy greeting of the dog, coming to you on returning home or in the morning no longer happens.

If the dog used to run through the house looking for action and entertainment, you will also see this decrease more and more. It often goes very gradually so that it is less noticeable, but if you think back to a year earlier, as an owner you will unfortunately often recognise this.

Veterinarian determines appropriate treatment for each dog with osteoarthritis

Most dogs with osteoarthritis can be treated well. That is why it is very important to go to the vet if you notice that the dog is less likely to get up, move or jump in the car. Any treatment for dogs with osteoarthritis is a tailor-made treatment. No two dogs have the same degree of wear and tear, and symptoms can also vary from day to day from one dog to another. In some dogs, it will be enough to give an adapted diet such as Hill s J/D or Sanimed Osteoarthritis. Other dogs will need to lose weight first, as excess weight contributes negatively to symptoms. In addition, there are of course dogs that need occasional or daily pain relief to make life bearable. Based on examinations and the owner's possibilities and wishes to contribute to this, the vet will look for a suitable treatment. Fortunately, nowadays there are many good options with medication, diet food, feed supplements, physiotherapy and possible surgery to give dogs with osteoarthritis a good active pain-free life.

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