What causes dog arthritis? Can I prevent it and keep joints healthy?

When I have patients with arthritis or starting arthritis I always recommend starting a glucosamine supplement. This can be bought over the counter or online. A great animal one is Cosequin. All the directions are on the bottle. This will help lubricate his joints. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

The best way to determine if your pet has a joint problem is by starting with a trip to the veterinarian. The veterinarian will be able to examine your dog to determine the location(s) of pain and if any changes in the joint are apparent. With osteoarthritis, veterinarians may identify a decreased range of motion in affected joints, as well as stiffness or signs of apparent pain. X-rays are needed to confirm a diagnosis of osteoarthritis with visible bony changes, particularly in the early stages when fewer signs may be apparent during a physical exam. If needed, the veterinarian will prescribe any necessary pain medications. Do not give your dog any over-the-counter human pain medication (including aspirin), as many are toxic to dogs. Other treatment modalities, such as Omega-3 fatty acids, specialty diets, glucosamine and chondroitin supplements, acupuncture, physical therapy or laser treatments, may also be useful. Although there is no cure for osteoarthritis, recognizing early signs helps you treat your dog’s pain as early as possible. Early signs that your dog is experiencing joint pain may include hesitating going up and down stairs, reluctant to jumping into the car or on the couch, lagging behind or tiring easily during walks, preferring to lie down than to sit or stand, or stiffness after resting. As the pain worsens, your dog may show other signs such as limping, whimpering when jumping up or down, whimpering when the area is touched or even growling or snapping when the area is touched. ### Elanco and the diagonal bar logo are trademarks of Elanco or its affiliates. Galliprant is a registered trademark of Aratana Therapeutics, Inc.

It looks like Charlie could have some carpal valgus, usually due to a joint deformity that causes bowing of the front legs. There is an increased risk for arthritis in dogs with joint valgus, although some dogs go through their lives with no symptoms. I would watch for limping, stiffness, or reluctance to use stairs or jump which could signify pain due to arthritis. While there is no cure for arthritis the symptoms can be alleviated with pain medications and supplements. Continuing the glucosamine is a great idea, and I would recommend trying to keep Charlie pretty lean since being overweight can make joint issues worse.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Walking Gandhi may flare up his arthritis so shorter walks may help lessen this. Also, I would recommend a joint supplement if you have not already. Exercise is great for Gandhi still and providing appropriate joint support and helping reduce any arthritis pain would be recommended. I would consider the below products and discussing arthritis management with your veterinarian. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Dasuquin for dogs 2. Welactin omega 3 fatty acid capsules for dogs 3. Adequan injections with your veterinarian 4. Hills J/D food (requires a prescription) 5. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as Meloxicam and Carprofen for flare ups of arthritis.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about your baby! The good thing is that arthritis has some treatment options that can be quite effective. That diet is excellent. However, the metabolic aspect of it is for dogs who need to lose weight. If Koko Rae is already in a good body condition, you can get the Science Diet j/d that is great for joints but does not have the metabolic component for weight loss. That diet alone can make a huge difference. Deramaxx is usually used on an as needed basis for pain control. You could also consider joint supplements such as Dasuquin and Cosequin. All these things can help her tremendously. Good luck and have a wonderful day!

Hi Annette! Managing arthritis can be tricky since Joe's kidneys did not seem to tolerate some of the more traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) like Metacam. I'm glad to hear that Joe is taking a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement, like YuMOVE, as this can protect his joint cartilage against further damage. Make sure that you are keeping him at a healthy body weight, as overweight dogs have more stress placed on their joints. Other strategies for managing arthritis include talking to your vet about a trial with Adequan injections for further cartilage protection or new classes of NSAIDs (such as Galliprant) that are much more sparing of the liver and kidneys. Acupuncture and water therapy can also be beneficial for some dogs with arthritis. I hope this helps!

You can start with taking your dog to a veterinarian for an exam to rule out other causes of pain and stiffness and to determine how bad the arthritis is. Your vet will then recommend either NSAIDs for dogs which will take inflammation and pain, or just glucosaminoglycanes with SAME or both, fish oil and mild exercise. This should give your dog a good quality of life.