Common Joint Issues in Dogs & How to Manage Them

Joint Disease in Dogs is Common

Osteoarthritis in dogs is a very common disease. It affects 20% of adult dogs and 80% of geriatric dogs. Young dogs can also be affected by arthritis if a predisposing condition is present such as dog hip dysplasia or a dog joint injury. Arthritis in dogs is a chronic and progressive disease meaning that there is no cure and over time it will continue to progress and worsen. That’s why preventative care as well as treatment and management are important when it comes to caring for your dog with arthritis.

Hip dysplasia in dogs is the most common joint condition in medium to large breed dogs, with a prevalence of more than 70% in some pure breeds. Any dogs is at risk of hip dysplasia but breeds such as German Shepherds, Saint Bernards, mastiffs, rottweilers, Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, old English sheepdogs and bulldogs can be more prone to hip dysplasia than others. The first signs of hip dysplasia can be seen in puppies but generally seen in dogs less than 2 years old.

Different Types of Joint Disease in Dogs

There are different types of joint disease in dogs and generally they don’t have only one cause but many underlying causes such as breed and genetic predispositions, activity levels, weight of the dog, and unpreventable injury.

Common joint diseases in dogs seen in practice by veterinarians include hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, luxating patellas (knee caps), cruciate ligament tears and injuries, bone fractures and breaks, conformation issues, spinal disease, neck pain, and of, course arthritis.

Common Signs & Symptoms of Joint Disease Seen in Dogs

There are many signs and symptoms of arthritis that a dog can show. Note that dogs may not show all symptoms of arthritis but maybe just one or two. It is important to pay close attention to your dog especially when they are playing or exercising, and when getting up and down from their bed, so you can spot the early symptoms of arthritis in your dog.

The most common symptoms include difficulty getting up and down, walking stiffly, limping or lameness in one or more legs, reluctance to go up or down stairs and reluctance to jump up onto something or down from something like the couch, joint pain and sore joints, licking at one joint or more because of pain, loss of interest in playing, walking and aggression when touched on certain body parts because they are in pain.

Managing Joint Disease in Dogs

There is no cure for arthritis so once it has developed we have to do our best to treat and manage the pain and inflammation going on in arthritic joints to keep our dogs comfortable for as long as possible. There are multiple things we can do when it comes to helping a dog with arthritis.

1. Gentle lead exercise is important to keep arthritic joints moving and prevent them from becoming stiff. Regular gentle exercises also prevents dogs from over exerting themselves and causing a arthritis flare up, and it also helps to maintain a good weight. Dogs that are overweight are putting more pressure on their arthritic joints making it harder for us to keep them comfortable.
2. A soft, warm dog bed especially in winter is important for a dog to help rest arthritic joints while sleeping. Ensure the bed is not too high so it’s easy for your dog to get in and out of it.
3. Treatment of arthritis also includes medications such as anti-inflammatories and pain relief medications, plus supplements and specific dog foods. Medications may come in the form of tablets, oral liquids or regular injections performed at the vet clinic.
4. Some dog foods are specially designed to help support dogs with arthritis too as they generally contain high levels of omega 3 fatty acids from fish which help settle pain and inflammation. Special joint health foods are also designed to keep animals at a lean, healthy weight to help make managing arthritis easier for your dog. 
5. Supplements can naturally provide relief from pain and inflammation. There are many options available such as powders, liquids, oils, tablets or chews. PAW Osteosupport Joint Care contains 100% green lipped mussel, which is packed full of omega 3 fatty acids which are a naturally occurring anti inflammatory. It is a powder in a capsule that can easily be sprinkled onto your dogs food every day. PAW Fish Oil 500 is a liquid that can be added to your dog’s food everyday to help relieve pain and inflammation associated with arthritis, because it too also contains omega 3 fatty acids. Other powerful naturally occurring anti-inflammatories and pain relief ingredients are curcumin, which is the active ingredient in the spice turmeric, and also Boswellia. Both curcumin and Boswellia can be found in PAW OsteoAdvanced Joint Health chews, which can be given as a daily treat to help relieve the symptoms associated with osteoarthritis in dogs. PAW OsteoAdvanced also contains green lipped mussel as well as glucosamine and chondroitin, making it a powerful triple action anti-inflammatory chew, that also provides the support to repair damaged cartilage in arthritic joints.

Preventative Care

Genetics and joint abnormalities such as hip dysplasia, as well as injuries, cannot always be predicted so even our best efforts may not be enough to prevent arthritis from developing in our older canine companions. Slow growth as a puppy, maintaining a healthy and optimal body condition and weight, plus regular exercises give us the best chance of at least delaying the onset of arthritis in our pet dogs.

Using a supplement such as PAW Osteocare Joint Protect chews that contain glucosamine and chondroitin is an excellent way to support joint health in dogs especially those that are prone to developing arthritis in the later years. Preventative care is especially important for highly active dogs, overweight dogs, dogs that have had joint surgery or dogs with any joint or conformation issues such as hip and elbow dysplasia. Glucosamine and chondroitin are the building blocks of cartilage and provide the joints with the care they need to prevent arthritis from developing particularly in the early stages of arthritis, these ingredients help to repair the damaged cartilage and keep the cartilage in arthritic joints healthy.