With advances in veterinary medicine preventing and treating many serious diseases, our pets are living longer.  This means that chronic, age-related issues such as arthritis are becoming more prevalent. In fact, arthritic pain is often a major determining factor in deciding when a pet is euthanized due to a poor quality of life.    

While the clinical signs are generally seen in older dogs, arthritis actually begins early in life as joint cartilage is worn and damaged through everyday use. The heavier and more active a pet is, the faster their cartilage wears down.  Because cartilage doesn’t heal fully after it is damaged and we are not currently able to reverse arthritis, prevention is extremely important. Once arthritis has begun, all we can do is manage the pain and prevent further damage to the rest of the cartilage.                 

Early nutrition plays a very important role in the development of arthritis.  In young, growing animals, it is important to match their mineral, energy and protein requirements to the proper growth of the pet; large breed dogs in particular. Normally, the bone underlying joint cartilage acts as a shock-absorber.  When the animal grows too fast, the cartilage and underlying support bone do not develop properly. As a result, the cartilage is more easily damaged during weight bearing, when the two bones contact each other.  

Nutrition is equally important in adult animals.  Obese pets are prone to arthritis because of the increased amount of force when the two bones connect as the joint compresses with weight bearing, as well as wear on the cartilage. In fact, obesity is the number one cause of arthritis in our pets these days.  On the other hand, a lack of nutrition affects joint and bone health just as seriously. Extremely thin, malnourished animals are prone to arthritis because the cartilage doesn’t get enough nutrients to maintain itself, and the joint fluid loses it’s ability to lubricate the joint surfaces, increasing wear.  

Proper nutrition is a balance that is individual for each animal.  It requires monitoring their body condition, not just their weight, as every pet has a different skeletal size and muscle mass.       

There are numerous diets and supplements to maintain cartilage health and prevent obesity. Because large breed puppies are more prone to developing problems in their cartilage from fast growth, they require different food than a small breed dog. Where small breed puppies and kittens do well switching directly from puppy or kitten to adult food between 8 months to a year, large breed puppies need to be switched to an adolescent diet partway through puppy-hood.  This is because small breed dogs grow at a fairly steady rate, while large breeds grow quickly for the first four to five months and then slows until the animal is adult size. Large breed puppies also reach their adult size later, at 15-18 months.      

All pets need to be kept in healthy body condition so that they are not carrying extra weight on their joints.  A good adult pet food, fed according to the pet’s ideal weight will maintain it. For active adult pets, there are weight maintenance diets that also contain glucosamine and chondroitin.  These supplements have been shown to maintain joint fluid and cartilage health, preventing arthritis. Omega fatty acids, in particular Omega-3 are another supplement that can prevent arthritis.  These oils have mild anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects that help combat the inflammation of arthritis. There are veterinary formulations available that contain all three. Consult your veterinarian as to which formulation and dosage is best for your pet. By ensuring your pet gets its proper nutrition and preventing obesity early in life, you can keep your pet active, happy and pain-free as it ages.  

If your pet develops arthritis, there are pain medications available that are specially formulated our pets.  It is important that we don’t give them human pain medications as these can be fatal to pets.  Talk to your veterinarian about pain control options.

In the past few years, new treatments have become common for arthritis. From Cartrophen to Platlet-Rich-Plasma joint injections, and even new classes of pain medications, we can tailor a treatment program that suites both you and your pet’s needs!