Signs of Canine Arthritis
 
Could Your Dog Be Suffering From Canine Arthritis?
The answer is “yes.” About 20 percent of all adult dogs in the U.S. suffer from canine arthritis. This disease develops gradually over time, causing your dog pain and often preventing him from performing even the simplest of movements (standing up, climbing stairs or walking).

If your dog is suffering from arthritis, you will most likely see one or more of the following signs:

Reluctance to walk, run, climb stairs, jump or play
Lagging behind on walks
Reluctance to extend rear legs
Sluggishness
Tiredness
Low activity
Aggressive or withdrawn behavior
Other personality or behavioral changes

Risk Factors

Canine arthritis can affect all breeds of dogs, but there are certain risk factors you should be aware of, including:

Overweight dogs
Large or giant breeds
Over the age of 5
Breed inherited traits, such as hip dysplasia
Levels of high activity for long periods of time
Joint trauma

Canine arthritis occurs in your dog’s joints. A healthy joint consists of cartilage that covers and protects the ends of the bones in a joint. The cartilage has no nerves; when it touches the cartilage of another bone, your dog feels no pain.

However, arthritis causes the cartilage to wear away. This exposes the bone, which has many nerves. So when two bones touch each other, your dog feels pain. This pain can greatly affect your dog’s quality of life.

Early Treatment
 
Your veterinarian will first examine your dog’s medical history, followed by a thorough physical examination. Afterwards, your veterinarian may conduct one or more diagnostic tests:

Lameness Exam
An examination that helps identify joint lameness, pain, tenderness and swelling.

Radiographs (X-rays)
Your veterinarian can use x-rays to look for changes in joint structure.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
An MRI produces a picture of the joint in order to determine how far arthritis has progressed.

Arthroscopy
Your veterinarian inserts a tube-like camera called an arthroscope into the joint.  This surgical procedure has become increasingly available to diagnose arthritis.