The following article was written by Sarah Pilbeam. It is the first in a 2 part series on osteoarthritis in pets. This article discusses what arthritis is and next month we will have another article on what we can do about treating and preventing arthritis. At Companion Animal Vets we offer complimentary joint health checks in which we can check if your pet is predisposed to osteoarthritis and develop a joint health program to help maintain their joints in a healthy state.
As we move into the cooler months, many cats and dogs living with arthritis, (degenerative joint disease), may start slowing down or pulling up sore.
What is arthritis?
Arthritis is change to a joint that indicates it is not coping with it's load. These include:
- wearing away protective cartilage
- thickening of the joint
- laying down bone in abnormal places
Often these are only confirmed on xray, but may be suspected on palpation (feeling the joints by the vet).
Signs of arthritis can range from a formerly beloved daily romp losing its savour, or getting out of bed slow and stiff, all the way through to limping or guarding a particular joint.
Cats tend to be more subtle (I certainly wouldn’t notice if mine got any lazier). But you may notice a reluctance to jump on and off furniture or lower themselves over the litter box. In others grooming grows difficult and painful, and their coat becomes unkempt.
Cats’ elbows are a commonly affected joint. With dogs hips, knees, elbows and sometimes backs are particularly prone.
Predisposing Factors
Predisposing factors can be divided into four big categories
- Age: A twelve year old joint has had more time to accumulate wear and tear than a two year old one.
- Size: The more weight, the more stress and strain is put on a joint, the more likely it is to fail. This means that a lab trumps a shih tzu, but also that a trim lab is better off than a pudgy one!
- Genetics: osteoarthritis runs very strongly in certain breeds. Some prime examples are Great Danes, Labradors and Retrievers, Rottweilers and German shepherds.
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Joint damage: normal forces acting on an abnormal joint cause more shocks and stresses than they do on a healthy joint in which the cartilage would normally balance and absorb the forces. The joint can:
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be genetically abnormal
- e.g.: hip dysplasia or elbow disease
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have a history of trauma
- e.g.: cruciate repair, fracture
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be genetically abnormal
So if you have a ten year old rottie with hip dysplasia, who could stand to lose a pound or two, watch out!
Getting old doesn’t have to mean getting slow. Especially if you notice a high-risk pet slowing up, make sure you talk to your vet about 'getting around' when your pet is 'getting on'.
