Arthritis

On the model see the severe changes in the highlighted hip joint from arthritis

Early signs of arthritis include stiffness when getting out of bed, an unwillingness to jump as high, or walk as far as before.

Always get your pet checked if you are concerned about arthritis as the long term prognosis is much better if treated early. The reason behind this is that the initial inflammation in the joint sets out a repeating cycle of cartilage destruction thus worsening the condition.

To treat arthritis we must stop this process using anti-inflammatory medication and then supplement the joint. If caught early then a short course of anti-inflammatory tablets can be used and the long term prognosis is much better. Once a problem is diagnosed always keep your animal on joint supplements or a special joint diet as this will improve the long term outcome and will reduce the amount of medication needed in the future.

Arthritis is acutely painful. Even though it may seem that it’s best to rest a dog with a problem, exercise is important as it enables the joint to secrete a fluid that maintains the function of the joint.

Treatments for arthritis include;
An anti-inflammatory such as;
Meloxivet, Rimadyl, Onsior and Cartrophen via a course of injections.
Some owners are concerned about long-term side effects of such medications but these are very few and far between with dogs generally being on them at a high dose for several years to see any problems. We rarely see any problems with these medications.
A joint supplement such as Glycoflex or Seraquin.
A joint diet such as Hills JD.
Hydrotherapy - this allows non weight bearing exercise.
Weight loss - if your pet is overweight then increased pressure on the joints will speed up the process of arthritis. See Pet Fit Club.
Acupuncture - this may help relieve chronic pain.

For severely arthritic joints a hip, elbow or knee replacement surgery may be an option, but will depend on the age and health of the pet and would only be undertaken by a specialist Veterinary Surgeon. These can be very successful and life changing for some animals.