Starting treatment for arthritis in dogs early really helps
With the start of the really cold weather of winter, most of us can empathise with the prospect of ageing joints becoming more troublesome to get working on cold mornings. So too for our pets. For dogs though, the importance of getting out regularly isn’t just a matter of exercise. For them these “patrols” are the very stuff of life. Meeting their canine friends on the recreation ground, the racecourse or up the Welcombe hills are just as essential for them as anything we regard as important in our daily lives. It’s a lot more than a social. Losing that ability to get out on walks due to wearing joints not only affects dogs physically, their mental health suffers as well.
Being aware of the very early signs of developing arthritic changes is essential in helping to turn the problem around. In well over half of cases the main presenting sign mentioned to vets is the difficulty in getting up after rest. If this is accompanied by other signs such as lameness, difficulty in climbing stairs or getting into a car, then the possibility of this being all due to osteo-arthritis probably isn’t difficult to conclude. But often there are just small changes that develop slowly over a long time which can easily be missed, or excused as being ‘natural’ in the older dog.
Part of the reason for annual (and often bi-annual) health checks in older dogs is try and pick out the very early signs of developing osteo-arthritis.
The nature of osteo-arthritic pain
It’s generally accepted that pain associated with osteo-arthritis has an insidious onset that intensifies over time, becoming more persistent. Initially, pain may only be present during movement and weight bearing, but as it progresses there may be continuous pain, exacerbated by normal joint use. Chronic pain associated with osteo-arthritis can become all pervasive and affect everything, including sleep.
Human osteo-arthritis sufferers most commonly describe the associated pain as a persistent ache. Characteristically, the pain is worse when the affected joint is used, and in the evenings. Although the pain is reported to be eased somewhat by rest, patients with more severe disease, or those who have had symptoms for a longer time, report pain during the night.
So why does joint pain get worse over time?
When joint injury occurs, through a fall or a knock, the damaged cells release a whole host inflammatory mediators which can have a wide effect on the pain receptors local to that joint. But unfortunately it doesn’t stop there. It is also possible for the surrounding tissue to show an exaggerated pain response as a result of the branches of the pain receptors being sensitised. This ‘peripheral sensitisation’ is a key contributor to pain associated with osteo-arthritis.
Sadly it doesn’t stop there either. When the peripheral pain receptors are persistently stimulated they send barrages of impulses up in to the spinal cord leading to a dramatic increase in the size and length of response. This further amplifies the pain signals going to the brain.
When this central sensitisation occurs the area affected becomes enlarged, explaining why uninjured tissue around the affected joint also becomes painful.
Get in early on pain control
At this advanced stage of joint pain we really are dealing with trying to salvage things for a dog. Long before this situation becomes obvious to all, our job as Vets (and owners) is to pick out those very early signs we talked about at the beginning of this article. If we do that then there really is every prospect of turning the problem around. Early in the course of treatment we introduce anti-inflammatory medication to stop this ‘cascade of problems’ developing. Of course it’s just one element in the battle to help a dog become more comfortable. Others include weight control and exercise.
Weight control
Overweight animals are at increased risk due to the extra strain on joints, and they may also be less inclined to exercise. If we to do nothing else for an overweight, arthritic dog other than lose some weight, then that would be a massive plus in the effort to help painful joints.
Lower fat, lower calorie diets can result in weight reduction, but these diets need to be carefully supervised as fast weight-loss could also lead to loss of valuable muscle tissue and vitality, resulting ironically, in a dog being less mobile. Slow weight-loss programmes are designed by veterinary staff to help maintain the vital muscles for mobility whilst helping, over time, to shift the excess fats that are causing such a burden to the creaking joints.
Exercise moderation
Exercise at a gentle pace helps to control weight gain and keeps supporting musculature in the good condition necessary to ensure stronger, more flexible joints. Lead walks are an obvious way of helping to ensure a controlled pace of exercise.
© copywrite Dai Gittins MRCVS.
