Osteoarthritis and joint inflammation in dogs

 

What is osteoarthritis in dogs?

Osteoarthritis is joint wear and tear caused by old age, overload or inflammation. The joint fluid and cartilage deteriorate in quality. As a result, the bone surfaces collide and then create extra irregular bone. Osteoarthritis can make joints move less well and feel painful. This can occur in any joint and can be accompanied by joint inflammation (arthritis).

How do I recognize osteoarthritis in my dog?

You can recognize osteoarthritis when the dog is crippled. With this, they try to reduce the pain. Osteoarthritis can be hereditary and is common in large breeds of dogs such as the German Shepherd, the Labrador Retriever  and the Bernese  Sennen  dog. Dogs that suffer from obesity are also more likely to develop osteoarthritis because the joints are then overloaded. The complete recovery of osteoarthritis is not possible, but deteriorations can be prevented or delayed.

Treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs:

  • Avoid being overweight: Sometimes you need to give your dog a special diet food. Obesity puts a strain on the bones.
  • Adjust the movementpattern.
  • Give special dietary foods or dietary supplements such as organic sulfur, glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate.
  • Give analgesic anti-inflammatories: these are usually prescribed by the veterinarian, they help to reduce inflammatory substances in the joint.
  • physiotherapy

Joint inflammation in dogs

Unfortunately, more and more dogs suffer from inflammation of hip and elbow joints (arthritis) due to premature wear and tear (osteoarthritis). Due to hereditary disorders in the construction of the skeleton, joint surfaces are unevenly stressed and the cartilage wears out the joints. The wear and tear causes pain that makes your dog less active and can start walking crippled. Arthritis can also be caused by intensive exercise, obesity or bacterial infections.

Symptoms of joint inflammation in dogs:

  • Pain, swelling, redness and warm feeling of the joint
  • limp
  • Beeping, crying or aggressive behaviour

Treatment of joint inflammation in dogs

Initially, the veterinarian will give anti-inflammatory painkillers. You can make sure that your dog keeps moving, so that the muscles do not weaken and the joints get good support. When your dog is overweight, it is wise to reduce body weight, in order to reduce the risk of other joint inflammations.