Many of us are far too familiar with the term “arthritis.” Well, so are many of our dogs.
The arthritis most of our dogs get is known as osteoarthritis, or OA. It is a challenging disease involving inflammation and degeneration of one or more of the joints.
Dogs with OA experience inflammation, which may cause tenderness and pain in various joints. OA can trigger physical and emotional pain that may interfere with daily activities.
Your veterinarian can diagnose osteoarthritis with an examination, and can confirm and localize this disease with X-rays.
It is a progressive joint disease, in which early diagnosis and treatment significantly slows down its advance.
Treatment of canine osteoarthritis has involved various therapies, including medications such as steroids (unusual); nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS) such as Galliprant or carprofen; CBD; and supplements such as glucosamine.
Other treatments used are acupuncture; rehabilitation laser; physical therapy; hydrotherapy (underwater treadmills); massage; chiropractic manipulations; transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS); extracorporeal shockwave treatments; injections to lubricate the joints, such as Adequan; and even surgery to repair or replace joints.
Helping an overweight dog lose weight is important as obesity is extremely hard on a dog’s joints.
Owners with dogs with OA follow their veterinarian’s advice by taking their pals on walks every day, limiting high-impact activities such as playing frisbee or endless ball fetching, swimming their dogs, and feeding them a good diet.
They buy soft dog beds, use harnesses instead of collars on walks so as not to create pain in arthritic necks, and raise up food and water bowls to head level, to prevent their pals from constantly bending their necks to eat and drink.
A large number of us have bought stairs for our beds and ramps for our cars to allow our pals to get up and down from the furniture and in and out of our cars more easily.
There is a new injectable biologic treatment for OA that was approved by the Food & Drug Administration about a year ago in the United States but has been used for two years in Europe, with positive feedback.
The treatment is called Librela and is made by Zoetis. Librela is a monthly injection that has given many dogs relief from the pain of OA.
Librela injections can only be given by your veterinarian, but may eliminate the need to give your dog a daily pill.
You may see improvements in your dog as soon as one week after the first injection, but it could take two monthly injections to reach maximum effect.
When you take your pal to the veterinarian because you suspect OA, sharing your pal’s medical history is so important. By medical history I mean your observations such as:
- Your pal is having trouble getting up
- No longer wants to take long walks
- Gets lame with or without exercise
- Has a change in behavior, such as not wanting to be hugged and/or petted, or being aggressive
- When your pal poops, he walks while he goes rather than standing still in a squatting position
- Has a tough time going up or down stairs
- Has a stiff gate especially in the morning or after exercise
Click here for a Librela questionnaire and renderings that will help you access your pal for osteoarthritis.
There is not one cause of OA, and it is not only from “getting old.”
Some of the factors of OA are a history of an injury, such as a ligament injury, broken bone or muscle trauma, prior orthopedic surgery, having had an infection in a joint, being overweight, having a history of abnormal joint development such as hip dysplasia, torn cruciate (knee), luxating patella (knee) and poor nutrition.
Various dog breeds also have a certain type of body conformation.
Most dogs with osteoarthritis experience a combination of these factors and their OA develops and progresses as they age.
Librela injections have helped many dogs with OA. Speak to your veterinarian and see if your pal is a candidate for them.