Osteoarthritis in Dogs and Cats

Osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints

Does your dog have trouble getting out of his basket in the morning? Your cat can no longer jump on the furniture?

Maybe they have osteoarthritis.

This condition corresponds to a “wear” of the cartilages with modifications and irregularities of the underlying bones. When it comes to your pet’s health, be careful about the embedded fully ticks on dogs. Ticks are considered deadly dangerous for your animal’s health. Therefore, when you have found any ticks on them, try to eliminate them with the help of a tick remover for cats.

The causes of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis can be primary (it typically appears with age without a specific cause being identified) or secondary. It is then the consequence of trauma or diseases that the animal may have suffered at the level of the joints: genetic bone malformations, cartilage lesions, ligament tears, bone diseases, overweight or excessive physical activity and not appropriate to the physical condition of the animal, are factors that will induce stress on the cartilage and inflammation of the joint. The cartilage is damaged, and the underlying bones proliferate osteoarthritis sets in.

Symptoms

In dogs, osteoarthritis is manifested by “cold” pain and stiffness. He finds it difficult to get up and move around in the morning or after a long rest during the day. A lameness of one or more limbs is possible.

Old dogs can be handicapped on a day-to-day basis due to osteoarthritis. They can no longer go up and down the stairs, climb into the car…

The cat that suffers from osteoarthritis changes its locomotion habits. He no longer jumps, he moves less.

Osteoarthritis is certainly more common in dogs than in cats, but the latter are nevertheless very often affected! However, the symptoms are generally less easy to detect by the owner.

The treatment

If your dog or cat has any of these symptoms, you should consult your veterinarian. He will give you adequate treatment, to relieve your animal.

Depending on the case, several solutions can be envisaged

Anti-inflammatory treatments, especially in the event of an acute osteoarthritis crisis,

Treatments by injections, to improve irrigation and lubrication of the joint,

Protectors of the cartilages, nutritional supplements administered in maintenance to prevent the degradation of the cartilage

A suitable specific diet.

Means of prevention

The best would be to be able to avoid these osteoarthritis problems which create a lot of discomfort for our little 4-legged friends.

For this, there are different means of prevention

• Pay attention to your pet’s weight!
• An overweight dog or cat will put more stress on their joints and will be much more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis.
• Feed it appropriately
• There are veterinary kibbles specially formulated to prevent osteoarthritis and protect the cartilage. They contain a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate which help protect joint cells as well as essential fatty acids which have anti-inflammatory properties and help reduce pain. These veterinary kibbles, therefore, have a direct beneficial effect on both pain and cartilage maintenance. If this food is not used, it is possible to supplement the food ration with chondroprotective (cartilage protectors).
• Ask your veterinarian for advice: he will be able to tell you about the best diet for your companion!
• Treat your animal well as soon as it presents locomotor disorders
• Be careful not to leave a limp or soreness lying around.

Poorly treated osteoarticular diseases or trauma will very quickly generate osteoarthritis!

So be vigilant and attentive to the slightest symptom that your dog or cat may present.

• Do not breed animals with bone malformations.

The best known of these malformations is “hip dysplasia” and it is recognized that this malformation has a strong hereditary component. Screening is therefore recommended, thanks to x-rays which can be done around the age of one year on average.

These X-rays have a double interest: they allow not only to eliminate affected animals from breeding but also to take if the animal is diagnosed as dysplastic, the necessary measures to prevent the rapid onset of osteoarthritis.