OsteoArthritis (OA) in Dogs

1 IN 5 DOGS SUFFERS FROM ARTHRITIS

EARLY DETECTION AND TREATMENT CAN HELP
IMPROVE A DOG’S QUALITY OF LIFE.

CANINE KNEE JOINT SHOWING ARTHRITIC CHANGES THAT OCCUR WITH TIME

These are the signs of OsteoArthritis to look for in your dog:

HEALTHY JOINT: Your dog can walk, run, play and climb freely.
Bone is strong and dense
Cartilage is intact
Ligaments and tendons are resilient

EARLY OA: Your dog has some pain and may start lagging behind on walks.

Bone deterioration begins
Cartilage starts to break down
Ligaments and tendons weaken

MODERATE OA: Your dog is slow to rise and climbs with dificulty.

Bone deterioration worsens
Cartilage erodes Ligaments and tendons inflamed

ADVANCED OA: Your dog needs help rising and has trouble walking.

Bone-to-bone contact
Cartilage breaks off Ligaments and tendons lose elasticity and are severely inflamed

TO PROPERLY EVALUATE THE STAGE OF ARTHRITIS,
WE WILL OFTEN RECOMMEND X-RAYS WITH THE DOG SEDATED

TREATMENT OF OSTEOARTHRITIS

Early OA may require some weight loss and anti-inflammatory medications like Metacam, Rimadyl or Previcox. Omega-3 Fatty Acids in the food can help decrease the joint's response to pain.

Moderate OA requires anti-inflammatory medication like Previcox along with a combination of mild pain relievers such as tramadol, methocarbamol, amantidine, or gabapentin. Injections of Adequan, an FDA approved drug to help reduce inflammation, increase joint fluid, restore the sponginess of the cartilage in the joints, can be started and may need to be given intermittently.

Advanced OA requires all of the above treatments plus the addition of stronger narcotic pain relievers like Buprenorphine sustained release injections.