First Coast Pet

Posts Tagged ‘arthritis medicine for dogs’

Dog Arthritis and its causes can be broken down into two main categories and two subcategories:

1.  Degenerative Joint Disease:

              Degenerative Joint Disease develops from acute or chronic trauma to a joint.

                                Acute Traumatic Arthritis – marked by a sudden injury or accident of some sort.Dog arthritis occurs when the injury disrupts the joint and causes an inflammatory response.  The degree of the injury will determine if the inflammation can be stopped before deterioration of the joint (degenerative joint disease) sets in.  

                                 Repeat trauma-induced arthritis – brought on by any repetitive stress on unstable joints.Poor conformation or hip dysplasia will create unstable joints or the activity itself, such as extreme sport, will lead to instability.A puppy with young, developing joints will sustain trauma to those joints if subjected to repetitive activity such as long jogs.Obesity puts excess stress on the joints over time.Unfortunately, extensive damage to the joint will occur before any visible signs of discomfort become apparant.This is true because cartilage does not contain any nerves.Pain sets in only after extensive damage has occurred to the cartilage. 

                Stress or trauma, whether it be acute or chronic, causes the joints to release large amounts of an enzyme that breaks down cartilage.  This is a normal enzyme that would normally maintain a balance of buildup and breakdown of cartilage,  however in the case of arthritis, the break down occurs too rapidly.

                Degenerative Joint Disease cannot be entirely reversed but it can be managed with weight control, exercise, and arthritis medicine for dogs.Natural pain relief in the form of nutritional supplements and homeopathic remedies are included in these medicines.  Glucosamine for dogs is a particularly popular and effective way to help manage the pain of dog arthritis.  The safety of glucosamine for dogs is also an important factor.

      2.   Inflammatory Joint Disease:

            Inflammatory Joint Disease is less common than degenerative joint disease and develops from either an infection or an autoimmune disorder causing inflammation in a joint.

                     Infective Arthritis – can occur if a joint becomes infected as a result of a wound, such as a bite or penetrating object.  The other possible route of infection is from the bloodstream.Your veterinarian will aggressively treat this with antibiotics and maybe even cleaning directly into the joint.

                     Autoimmune Arthritis – normally affects multiple joints.  Rheumatoid Arthritis is an example of an autoimmune arthritis.In an autoimmune disorder, the body does not recognize its own tissues but rather reacts as if it was a foreign substance.The cause of autoimmune arthritis is still unknown for dogs. 

             Inflammatory joint disease requires immediate attention from a veterinarian and medications available only from a veterinarian.

Canine Hip dysplasia is the single most common cause of primary arthritis in dogs. Here we will examine the condition of hip dysplasia and the process leading to arthritis.

The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint.Normal hip joints come together to make a smooth and snug fit between femur and pelvis.Dogs with hip dysplasia may have two different anatomical problems present.First, the ball and socket do not fit together snugly and second the ball or the socket are not shaped properly and smoothly. 

So why does this lead to arthritis?Hip dyplasia starts a cycle of destruction.The abnormal shape of the bones means that they will rub against each other, wear away the cartilage and produce inflammation.Inflammation causes further degradation of the cartilage.Cartilage regrowth may be too slow to stay ahead of cartilage damage.The rate of loss is faster than the rate of gain.The more damage caused to the protective cartilage the less able the joint is to protect itself therefore leading to even more damage.

How your dog developed  hip dysplasia has two possibilities.  It is  a genetic condition,  meaning a dog may be born with the problem.It is also possible that environmental conditions may contribute.  Injury or overexertion at a young age, while the joints are still developing.You wouldn’t want to take your three monthh old great dane on your daily jogs with you.  That repetitive motion on a young, forming joint is detrimental.

The symptoms of hip dysplasia all point to the reluctance to use the hip joint properly.Have you noticed that your dog is bunnyhopping instead of running or is reluctant to go up stairs or has even stopped jumping up to greet you.The unused muscles in the hip area may shrink or atrophy over time making the hip bones more prominent.

There is no cure for hip dysplasia.  The condition is controlled with weight control, proper exercise and arthritis medicine for dogs.  Medication can come in the form of nutritional supplements such as glucosamine for dogs or anti-inflammatory drugs obtained from your veterinarian.  In severe cases hip replacement surgery may be considered.

If you suspect arthritis you should talk to your vet right away so you can begin treatment as soon as possible.  With the proper management it is possible to slow down the arthritis and control the pain.Don’t forget arthritis can be caused by other factors.  You may notice symptoms of arthritis in your dog but it does not necessarily mean that it was caused by hip dysplasia.Arthritis may also be caused by an injury or even old age.  In any event, your arthritic dog may benefit greatly from supplementation to support the joints.