Arthritis is a sneaky condition. It tends to creep up over time and our pets won't always show obvious signs until they are in considerable pain. 

The disease is caused by the wearing down of the cartilage that covers the bones at the end of a joint. This 'cushioning' cartilage helps joints move freely and without discomfort but as it wears down, the ends of the bones become exposed and can rub together. You can imagine the pain this might cause your pet! 

It is very important to understand that your pet won’t necessarily limp or yelp or whimper if he is in pain.

Most of the signs of arthritic pain are subtle and here's what you should watch out for if you own a dog (we'll cover cats in more detail below): 

• Hesitant to jump into the car or up on furniture
• Slowing down on walks or a reluctance to walk as far 
• A bit slow to get going after getting up 
• Lowers his body slowly when going to lie down 
• Behavioural changes e.g. grumpy when touched on the back
• Slipping on floorboards or hesitant to use stairs

Don’t be tempted to put these changes down to 'he's just getting old' as your pet may be in significant pain - he just can't tell you!

Thankfully there is now a number of things we can do to slow the progression of the disease and keep your pet pain free.

Phone us to arrange an arthritis check up and we'll be able to work out a suitable treatment plan for your pet. 

If we’ve diagnosed your pet with arthritis we will work with you to come up with the best management plan to keep your pet pain free.

The key to success is a multi-targeted approach as this can help reduce the need for large amounts of medication and lessen the potential side effects of any one treatment.

Things YOU can do: 

• Keep your pet’s weight in a healthy range  - ask us for a diet recommendation
• Exercise your pet in moderation to keep the joints moving and muscles toned
• Think about getting a portable ramp to help your dog in and out of the car
• Provide an additional piece of furniture so your dog or cat doesn't have to jump so high to reach his favourite spot

Medical treatments might include:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): these help to reduce pain and inflammation quickly and may be used in the short or even long term.

Disease-modifying drugs: given as a regular injection, these help to relieve pain and help to preserve joint cartilage - ask us for more information.

Nutriceuticals: supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin may be helpful in improving your pet’s joint function and may help slow down the progression of arthritis.

Diet modification: a diet high in essential fatty acids (with added nutriceuticals) can help reduce inflammation and improve your pet’s mobility. Ask us about the specific arthritis prescription diets we have available.

Don't forget, it’s absolutely essential you return with your pet for regular check ups so we can monitor their pain and mobility and adjust the program if necessary.

Have you ever wondered what might happen when you leave a dog home alone for 3 hours with an ink pot? We think you'll laugh (and shudder at the same time) when you see what this husky got up to...

Thank goodness we weren't the ones cleaning this mess up! 

Click here to see the photos and read more about this aspiring artist.