ARTHRITIS

What is arthritis

Arthritis is a degenerative joint disease whereby pain and stiffness develop as a result of wear and tear of the joints involved. 

In the normal joint, the bone surfaces, which meet and rub together, are covered by a thin layer of cartilage - and elastic substance acting as a self-repairing, shock absorbing layer.,  The moving parts of the joint are encased within a bag (capsule) filled with synovial fluid, which acts as a lubricant.  Wear and tear, which occurs throughout life, may reach a stage where areas of the cartilage become worn, exposing the underlying bone and leading to pain and /or impaired movement.

Your dog's hips, knee, and backbone are the most susceptible joints.  In some individuals and in certain breeds, abnormal wear can start quite early in life.  This may be as result of an injury or an inherited condition. 

What are the telltale signs of the problem?

Impairment of mobility is usually associated with pain and stiffness in the joints.  It is often only after the pain is relived and your pet has suddenly renewed mobility that you come to realise just how stiff he/she had become.  Lameness in only one leg is usually fairly obvious, but if lameness affects more than one leg it may be much more difficult to recongnise.

Similarly, generalised stiffness, or stiffness when getting out of bed in the morning or after exercise, may not be immediately obvious.  Some dogs may not seem lame at all, showing only a mildly odd gait or a lack of desire to go for a walk.  However, as this impaired mobility manifests itself, it is usually accompanied by a decrease in your dog's quality of life.

Clues to look for that indicates arthritis include:

·        licking or self injury

·        reluctance to walk or play

·        difficulty in getting up from a sitting position

·        difficulty climbing stairs

·        difficulty jumping into car or chair

·        limping or stiffness

·        change in character or aggression

·        reduced interaction with people

·        reduced appetitive

·        increase in anxiety/clinginess etc.

Diagnosis of arthritis

Ø      Examination of your dog (while awake) by a veterinary surgeon may give some indication of abnormal joint swelling, pain, stiffness and grating sensation during joint movement which could indicate arthritis. Often radiographs (x-rays) under sedation are necessary to confirm arthritis and determine the severity and extent of the condition.

Ø      Keep your dog warm, either with a coat or changing the environment. Good bedding and a warm place to sleep are essential for your best friend.

Ø      Gentle exercise is better than no exercise at all as it keeps the joints free and stops them getting stiff. High impact exercise like chasing a ball or jumping should be avoided.

Ø      Obesity can be a problem too.  Joint problems are aggravated by excess weight.  The more excessive the weight, the more the aggravation.  If a joint is not working efficiently, carrying excess weight causes both additional pain and increased damage to the joint. 

Ø      Whilst exercise may assist in the control of bodyweight in the young active animal, the degree of exercise advisable in dogs with poor joints is unlikely to have an appreciable effect on bodyweight.

Ø      Feeding your dog smaller portions of less-fattening food and cutting out all the tit-bits is the most practical and economical way to control dietary intake and body weight. There are also a variety of commercial weight control diets available.  Your vet can advise on feeding these diets to ensure weight loss.

Treatment options

Arthritis is usually a controllable rather than curable disease.  There are many therapies that are designed to minimise discomfort and delay or prevent progression the disease.

Cartrophen in a injectable medication that helps to repair damage to joints associated with arthritis by stimulating production of joint fluid and helping to repair cartilage damage on bone surfaces.  It also has a direct anti-inflammatory effect to reduce pain associated with arthritis.

Cartrophen injections are given once weekly for 4 treatments.  The benefits from the injections usually last for 6 - 12 months.

For the few dogs that don't respond to cartrophen injections then there is now a wide range of new safe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that are aimed at helping to reduce pain and stiffness and improve quality of life for your dog.  These drugs are given daily for as long as necessary and come in tablet and liquid preparations.

Anti-inflammatories such as Metacam are now safe to use 365 days a year, though we tend to use them in pulses as necessary. At a few dollars a week they are a very cheap and effective way of dealing with the pain of arthritis.