Given that arthritis is a very common condition and one of the most common sources of chronic pain that vets have to treat, it is important that you be alive to the prevention, detection, and treatment of the condition. As a prospective pet parent if you wish to avoid the chances of having to deal with an arthritic pet you could try and avoid the large breeds that are more susceptible to the condition; however it’s a tradeoff as small pets come with their own set of genetic and hereditary predispositions to certain ailments. Arthritis is basically the wearing out of the protective cartilage that covers the extremities of bones of a joint.

Dogs are active creatures; injuries and accidents are always a mistimed jump away. The problem with pets is that unlike humans trauma to the bones leads very quickly to arthritis – more specifically secondary arthritis which can set in within weeks of an injury.

If you notice your pet walking with a limp, favoring a particular leg, sitting and standing with discomfort, hesitating before jumping, avoiding obstacles, appearing to have stiffness or soreness in the joints, being lethargic and less alert then you should get it checked for arthritis. Do not wait for the condition to regress further. Even if the pet displays any of the symptoms even for a week then take it to the vet. Your chances of managing pet arthritis improve with early detection and treatment.

Because arthritis is primarily an inherited condition, there is no cure for it and you cannot really prevent it. However; by inculcating proper lifestyle habits in your pet dog and giving it correct medication you can delay the onset of arthritis and also make it less painful and stressful if and when it appears.

Regardless of a dog’s age, if it shows clinical signs of arthritis you should commence medical management. Do not wait for the condition to become chronic. Timely medical management may help stave off costly surgical procedures. Whatever the case, be sure to get pet insurance coverage for arthritis.
Keep your dog lean; overweight dogs are more susceptible to the condition. Keep your pet dog at its recommended weight. A good balanced diet and exercise are the way to go; not complicated but apparently a little difficult to practice when you consider that almost half the pet population in the U.S is overweight.

Get your pet dog to follow a low-impact exercise routine – this can include leash walking, swimming, slow jogging etc. The exercise should provide a good range of motion and stimulate muscle growth. The exercise routine will depend upon the age and weight of the dog and the degree to which the condition has progressed.

Your dog may benefit from an elevated feeding and water bowl. Your vet will be able to demonstrate how to massage your dog so as to ease the stiffness in its joints. The vet may also prescribe an NSAID (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) to ease swelling and pain in the affected joint.

Two supplements that are widely used in treating the condition are glucosamine and chondroitin. Tetracyclines such as doxycycline and minocycline protect cartilage from enzymes that try to break it down.
Creatine, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C are some oral supplements that a vet can prescribe for an arthritic dog.

Hip dysplasia affects the hip joint which is a ball and socket type of joint and it attaches the hind leg to the body. In this condition, the joint structure is not normal because of weak surrounding muscles and connective tissue. The bone surfaces that touch each other, are under normal circumstances, well lubricated and very smooth. However, when separation of the articular bones (bones in contact) or subluxation occurs we consider the case to be one of hip dysplasia.

Hip dysplasia is a hereditary condition with many dog breeds; so much that many pet insurance companies may refuse coverage for this condition. A dog may have hip dysplasia in one or both hips.

As mentioned above, the condition is not always manifest only in older dogs. Even young puppies can show the pain and accompanying limp and discomfort that comes with hip dysplasia. Osteoarthritis is a fallout of this condition. The main symptom of hip dysplasia is that movement becomes very painful for the dog. The animal may be forced to alter its gait and be unwilling to carry out movements where the hind legs have to be stretched fully. As the condition deteriorates, the animal needs medical help without which it may even find it difficult to stand up on its own as it begins to lose muscle tone.

It is worth noting that hip dysplasia is primarily considered to be a disease of purebreds with very low incidence in mixed breeds. It is also quite rare with the smaller breeds. According to vets, genetic predisposition to the disease is the single biggest indicator whether a dog is at risk from hip dysplasia. Therefore, it is important that pet owners first confirm with the breeders whether they practice strict selective breeding to minimize the risk of a pup getting hip dysplasia due to faulty genes. However; removing the disease from any given breeding line is very difficult because even if a dog does not exhibit the condition, it continues to be a carrier and the condition can show up in later generations.

Research shows that dogs that are overweight and those genetically inclined to obesity are candidates for hip dysplasia sooner or later and it eventually leads to osteoarthritis. Pet parents that indulge their puppies and get them all roly-poly particularly in the first ten months are pushing them to hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis. The best diet for dogs is one that offers a balance of calcium, fats, and all other nutrients so that bone growth is not compromised.