Osteoarthritis (OA) is a condition affecting synovial joints and is characterized by variable degrees of cartilage degeneration, synovitis (inflammation of a joint that has syovia which is the lubricant liquid in a joint), pain and disability.  OA is also known as degenerative joint disease (DJD) and is a prevalent disorder in middle aged to geriatric dogs and, to a lesser degree, cats.  Due to certain breed predisposition's, it is also not unusual to see the disorder in some relatively young dogs. Relief of pain and disability and improved quality of life are the primary goals of treatment.  This treatment is primarily through the use of anti inflammatory and analgesic medications.

Many animal owners do not realize their pet has arthritis.  Arthritis pain can show with minimal signs in a lot of animals.  More than 4 million dogs suffer from arthritis pain at this very moment.  Many dogs and cats exhibit classical signs of arthritis such as limping and being very stiff after exercise.  But many animals simply do not show overt lameness but can still be arthritic.

Does your pet have arthritis?...Take our quiz

By taking the quiz below, you can help determine if your pet has arthritis (courtesy of the Pfizer company).  The test is geared toward dogs but cat owners can answer some of the questions also to see if their cat has arthritis.

1.    Does your dog tire easily or lag behind during walks?
2.    Does your dog limp or appear stiff after exercise?
3.    Is your dog/cat reluctant to climb stairs or jump up?
4.    Does your dog/cat have difficulty rising from a resting position?
5.    Have you noticed any changes in your dog's/cat's behavior?
6.    Has your dog/cat ever been injured?
7.    Has your dog/cat been diagnosed with elbow or hip dysplasia?
8.    Have you ever given your dog/cat medication for pain?
9.    Has your dog/cat ever been diagnosed with arthritis?
10.  Has your dog/cat gained weight in the past year?
11.  Does your dog/cat show signs of pain?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, your dog or cat may have arthritis.  Make an appointment with your veterinarian to have your pet seen and evaluated for possible arthritis.  If you pet is diagnosed with arthritis, your veterinarian will discuss which medications are best for your pet.  We have listed the numerous options owners have in choosing how to treat their pet for arthritis.

Non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs for use in arthritis

Non-steroidal Anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) remain the most common medications used to help relieve pain in  animals with arthritis. Not all NSAIDS can be used in your pet.  Some NSAIDS can cause liver failure, kidney failure, and death.  The most popular NSAIDS used for arthritis in veterinary medicine are carprofen, etodolac, ketoprofen, and piroxicam.  A popular over the counter NSAIDS that people give their dogs and cats is aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid).  For years, aspirin was the only medication veterinarians had to give pets with arthritis.  We now know that aspirin can actually cause further damage to the cartilage and that other products are better for dogs and cats.  Some NSAIDS have a higher potential to cause gastrointestinal ulcers also.  Most over the counters NSAIDS, such as acetaminophen, naloxone, ibuprofen etc. are toxic to dogs and cats and should never be given without consulting your veterinarian.  The newer NSAIDS, such as Rimadyl® and EtoGesic® have shown to be very effective against pain associated with arthritis and have less GI side effects.  Discuss the options with your veterinarian.

The use of steroids in animals with arthritis

Steroids have been used in the past to help alleviate pain due to arthritis.  However, steroids can have detrimental effects on the cartilage and thus cause more pain later on.  Steroids also cause excessive water intake and urination, weight gain and possibly diabetes.  Because of these negative side effects, steroids are very rarely used as a first line treatment for arthritis.  Steroids are usually only used in arthritic cases when all other drugs have failed.

Supplements that are disease modifying in arthritic animals

Disease modifying agents or Nutraceuticals is a fairly new concept in veterinary medicine.  These oral products are considered to be nutritional supplements and do not require US Food and Drug Administration approval.  Thus there are some good products out there and some not so good products.  The disease modifying OA agents are thought to have a positive effect on cartilage synthesis and an inhibitory effect on catabolic enzymes in arthritic joints.  The agents contain precursors for synthesis of hyaline cartilage.  Many people are researching these agents to see if they really help.  As of now, most veterinarians feel that these agents do help animals with OA.  The majority of nutritional supplements contain glucosamine and chondroitin.  Glycoflex® and Cosequin® are two good and common veterinary products for your pet.  We do not recommend an over the counter product because the FDA does not regulate these supplements and thus you could be getting a very poor product.  Plus, many of the over the counter glucosamine and chondroitin products come from shark cartilage which is not environmentally sound. Ask your veterinary if chondroitin and glucosamine are right for your pet.

Weight management in helping arthritis

Many arthritic patients are significantly overweight.  By helping your pet lose weight, a significant number of arthritic patients will have diminished pain and arthritic signs.  Special diets are used to help dogs and cat lose weight.  Dogs can also be overweight due to hypothyroidism.  Your veterinarian can talk to you and let you know if your dog should be tested for hypothyroidism.

Arthritis and Acupuncture

While we here at CVAH do not offer acupuncture to our clients at this time, we firmly believe that many arthritic pets can benefit from acupuncture.  We have names and numbers of veterinarians who can give acupuncture to your pet.

Physical Therapy for arthritic animals

We also have names and numbers of veterinarians who offer physical therapy for pets with arthritis.  A specialty clinic that we refer clients to for physical therapy is the Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado ( www.vrcc.com ).  They offer swimming/hydrotherapy which is an excellent treatment for arthritis.  Animals with arthritis need to keep muscles mass in order to help keep the joints stronger.  Swimming and low impact exercise are preferable.  Your veterinarian can help develop a physical activity planner for your pet.

We hope that you will take everything into consideration and relieve your arthritic pet from pain.