Specialist insurance for dogs
Specialist insurance for dogs
Just like humans, arthritis can be extremely uncomfortable for our furry friends. This blog will explore everything you need to know about arthritis in dogs, its symptoms, treatment and prevention.
Arthritis is a common problem for many dogs. It’s caused by joints inflaming, causing pain, discomfort and stiffness. When dogs experience arthritis the cartilage within their joints changes or becomes damaged, causing the bones to rub together.
When the bones rub together, the increased friction causes new bone to form around the joints making them stiff and difficult to move.
While arthritis tends to be an issue for older dogs, it can develop in their earlier years due to issues with bone and joint development. Arthritis can affect one joint or multiple. It’s usually a result of abnormal rubbing of the joints caused by:
You can treat your dog with arthritis at home through various ways such as physical therapy and massages.
There are a few ways you can help your dog manage arthritis naturally, such as:
There are a range of treatments for arthritis, such as medication, that may be required throughout its lifetime. Other treatments for dogs with arthritis include:
A few early signs of arthritis in dogs include:
Osteoarthritis is estimated to affect a quarter of the dog population making it the most common form of arthritis in dogs. Osteoarthritis occurs when joint cartilage is lost, the joint capsule thickens and new bone is formed around the joint. It can be caused by orthopaedic diseases, like cranial cruciate ligament disease, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, OCD and patella (knee cap) dislocation.
In some dogs there may be no apparent cause for osteoarthritis, but it can relate to genetics, age, body weight, gender, exercise and diet.
Osteoarthritis symptoms can include:
There are a few ways osteoarthritis in dogs can be treated, such as:
When osteoarthritis is properly managed dogs can live a long and happy life.
Whilst it’s difficult to prevent arthritis altogether, if you take care of your dog from an early age and monitor their physical health you can help prevent arthritis occurring early on in life.
When choosing a dog breed that’s predisposed to arthritis you could ask for health screening information, such as hip scoring your dog's parents. If your pet has an increased risk of arthritis you should also take them for regular checkups at the vet.
Other ways you can aim to prevent arthritis are by:
Vets usually carry out an examination to determine whether your dog has arthritis. This tends to involve testing your dog's joint flexion and extension. Further tests like X-rays may also be required to locate which joints are arthritic and if there are any underlying conditions. Blood tests will also be used to identify any medical conditions.
When trying to understand if your dog has arthritis there are a few signs you should look out for:
Yes, dogs can get arthritis just like humans! This can occur due to general wear and tear, pre existing conditions or at an early age due to the bone or joint not developing properly.
Arthritis is a long term condition that requires lifelong management. It tends to slowly worsen over time but most forms of the condition, if well-managed, shouldn’t affect your dog’s lifespan.
Yes, you can walk a dog with arthritis, however it should be little and often. You should also keep these walks as regular as possible, meaning you should walk them for roughly the same amount of time each day.
Septic arthritis usually only affects one joint. However, if it stems from bacteria spreading through the bloodstream it can affect multiple joints and potentially cause life threatening sepsis.
Arthritis can affect dogs as young as one year old. According to The Vet Times arthritis can be found in 20% of dogs under the age of one and 80% of dogs over the age of eight.
Swimming is a great form of exercise for arthritic dogs as it soothes their muscles and prevents them from causing injury.
Depending on the breed, arthritic dogs can be walked up to 30 or 60 minutes a day, and should avoid high impact activities like running or jumping.
End stage arthritis can be very painful and can cause a limited range of movement and restlessness while standing up.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints. It has very similar symptoms to other forms of arthritis, however it specifically degrades cartilage. This is due to the body mistaking the protein it makes for foreign protein, causing it to eradicate them.
Rheumatoid arthritis is fairly uncommon in dogs, but does tend to affect toy dog breeds like Miniature Poodles and Shetland Sheepdogs.
No! You should never treat your dog with human medication as it can cause a harmful or fatal reaction.
Some dog breeds like Labradors, German Shepherds and Bernese Mountain dogs are more likely to get arthritis due to their genes.
Are you looking to insure a dog with arthritis? Complete our medical screening process today to see if we can cover your dogs pre existing conditions.
