Osteoarthritis in dogs: signs and therapy

by Dr. Lindsey Parker

Jan 5, 2024

Updated: Feb 25, 24

With the winter weather starting, you may start to notice your dog seems a little stiffer or even starts limping. Your dog may be more content cuddled up in their favorite spot, rather than wanting to go for walks. Why? Arthritis pain feels worse in the winter. This is due to the barometric pressure causing tissues to expand, which puts more pressure on the nerves.1

Osteoarthritis, particularly in the winter months, is a very common reason to take your pet to the vet. Up to 60% of dogs show evidence of osteoarthritis on x-rays in their lifetime.2 However, only about 25% of dogs are diagnosed with it.2 While the discrepancy in these statistics is not well accounted for, a contributing factor may be that the signs of osteoarthritis are often attributed to the pet getting older and not necessarily a condition itself.

What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is an irreversible and progressive degeneration of the joints that leads to loss of cartilage in the joint and thickening/scarring of the tissue around the joint.2,3 It is a very painful condition. In fact, it is the most common source of pain and disability in older animals.4 Osteoarthritis can occur as a primary or secondary disease. Primary osteoarthritis develops with aging. Secondary osteoarthritis is a consequence of trauma or some other factor that affects the cartilage or bone. Examples of this would be hip dysplasia, joint trauma, cranial cruciate disease, etc. Dogs most often suffer from secondary osteoarthritis.

Clinical Signs

Lameness (limping) is the most common clinical sign. This can be intermittent (happens occasionally), progressive (gets worse over time), or be persistent. The lameness may get worse if overexerted. It may also get better after a little bit of easy exercise such as a walk around the neighborhood. Another common sign is stiffness, particularly after rest. Decreased range of motion, swelling around joints, and muscle weakening may also be noticed. Scuffing of the feet while walking is another symptom (however, this sign needs to be evaluated to make sure there is not a neurologic cause). Other, less noticeable signs, include dog’s reluctance to go for walks, dogs walking behind their owners rather than in front, reluctance jumping into vehicles, and reluctance going up or down stairs, and difficulty finding a comfortable resting place.2

Diagnosis

Physical exam

The exam for osteoarthritis starts before the doctor even touches your dog. Evaluation of a dog’s gait, posture, sitting position, and difficulty rising from a sitting or lying position. Next, your dogs joints will be evaluated for range of motion, swelling, thickening around the joint, crepitus (a popping, clicking, or crunchy sound), and muscle atrophy. A neurologic exam may also be performed to make sure that there is not an underlying neurologic condition that is causing the symptoms.

Radiographs

X-rays can reveal findings such as increased fluid in the joint (effusion), bony spurs, or signs of underlying conditions such as hip dysplasia.

Other tests

Cytology – Fluid from the affected joints may be looked at for increased numbers of white blood cells that indicate inflammation. Kinetic test – Force plate gait analysis in dogs can help find where the lameness is within the joint. It can also show the severity of lameness, both before and after therapy.5

Treatment/Therapy

There is no cure for osteoarthritis. Treatment is aimed at slowing the progression and increasing quality of life of the dog by helping eliminate the pain.

Weight management

As dogs get older, their metabolic needs change. Many dogs require 30% less calories during their senior years than they did as an adult. Therefore, we see a lot of senior dogs become overweight. There is a direct link from obesity to osteoarthritis. This means that dogs that are overweight are more likely to get osteoarthritis. Therefore, the first line of therapy should be to get your dog to a good body condition score. While a score of 4 or 5 based on a 9-scale is ideal, we aim for dogs to be a score of a 4 to help reduce stress placed on the joints.

Exercise/Stability

While it may sound counterintuitive, moving helps the joints and strengthens the muscles around the joints. Regular low-impact exercise is encouraged for dogs with osteoarthritis. This mean regular walks (10-15 minutes of slow paced walking 3-4 times a day), swimming (or even better, underwater treadmill), and/or playing with interactive toys. However, high impact exercise like running or climbing hills should be avoided. Therapeutic exercises can help with stability. One example of these exercises is having the dog get up and sit down in repetition (usually 3 times in a row). Your vet can help you learn other stability exercises to help. It is also recommended to get non-slip rugs or yoga mats to help stop your pet from slipping on slick surfaces such as hardwood floors. They also make stair treads to help with grip.

Joint supplements

These are called chondroprotective agents. They help protect the cartilage in the joint and have some anti-inflammatory effects.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin are the most well-known chondroprotective agents. Results take 4-8 weeks to develop using these.4

Products with green lipped mussel and Boswellia Serrata have also been shown to be extremely helpful.4
Polysulfated Glycosaminoglycan (Adequan). This is the only FDA approved chondroprotective agent in dogs. This is an injection that may be more expensive than oral chondroprotective agents; however, they are faster acting and provide longer lasting results.

Omega 3 fatty acids. Fish oils are great for joint, heart, and skin health. Studies show that use of fish oils may reduce doses needed of NSAIDs.6-10

NSAIDs

NSAIDs are a very important part of therapy. NSAIDs that have been approved for long-term use in dogs in the USA include carprofen, deracoxib, etodolac, firocoxib, grapiprant, and meloxicam. It is important that you never give your dog human NSAIDs – particularly ibuprofen. This medication is toxic to dogs and can lead to death. NSAIDs work by blocking an enzyme responsible for inflammation and help with pain. NSAIDs do have some side effects, mostly related to the GI tract – these are most likely to occur in the first 3 weeks.11 Rechecks and regular blood work may be required for long term use. Most of them should also be used with caution in dogs that have kidney problems. Your vet will help you determine which one would work best for your pet.

Librela

This is a monoclonal antibody that works by inhibiting canine nerve growth factor, a key canine osteoarthritis pain moderator. This is a monthly injection.

Other therapies to consider

Acupuncture, physical rehabilitation, shock wave therapy, therapeutic laser, and electrical nerve stimulation, and surgery and a few others are options to consider.

While there is no cure for osteoarthritis, we do have a lot of options when it comes to helping reduce pain and improve quality of life in our canine companions. Hopefully, by catching the symptoms earlier and instituting therapy sooner, we will keep our pets happier and pain-free longer.

FAQ

My dog is limping, but he doesn’t seem painful. Why?

If your dog is limping, he is painful. He may not react to a certain area when you touch him, but that is likely because the pain affects more than one area.

Will my dog need to be on medications lifelong?

f they have osteoarthritis, it is likely they will need some sort of pain medication for the rest of their life. However, with implementing other therapies, we may be able to get them on a reduced dose/schedule.

Dr. Lindsey Parker

Dr. Lindsey Parker graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2020. She has worked as a general practitioner and relief veterinarian in El Paso, Texas and Northen Virginia. Dr. Parker is passionate about preventative care and believes client education is the foundation for great care. Her husband’s military career has taken them all across the country. Dr. Parker likes to spend time with her husband, son, and two dogs.

Arthritis and Osteoporosis Treatment Center. 4 Jan 2023.
Bland SD: Canine osteoarthritis and treatments: a review. Vet Sci Dev 2015 Vol 5 (2) pp. 5931, 84-89.
Canapp DA: Canine osteoarthritis. Clinician’s Brief 2013 Vol 11 (8) pp. 21-23.
Koh, Ronald: Integrative Medicine and Rehabilitation for Osteoarthritis. Southwest Veterinary Symposium 2021.
Lundgren, Becky: Arthritis in Dogs and Cats: What Can Be Done? Veterinary Partner. 4 Jan 2019.
Roush JK, Cross AR, Renberg WC, et al: Evaluation of the effects of dietary supplementation with fish oil omega-3 fatty acids on weight bearing in dogs with osteoarthritis. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2010 Vol 236 (1) pp. 67-73.
Moreau M, Troncy E, del Castillo JRE, et al: Effects of feeding a high omega-3 fatty acids diet in dogs with naturally occurring osteoarthritis. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2013 Vol 97 (5) pp. 830-37.
Fritsch DA, Allen TA, Dodd CE, et al: A multicenter study of the effect of dietary supplementation with fish oil omega-3 fatty acids on carprofen dosage in dogs with osteoarthritis.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2010 Vol 236 (5) pp. 535-39.
Roush JK, Dodd CE, Fritsch DA, et al: Multicenter veterinary practice assessment of the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on osteoarthritis in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2010 Vol 236 (1) pp. 59-66.
Perea S: Nutritional management of osteoarthritis. Compend Contin Educ Vet 2012 Vol 34 (5) pp. e4.
Gruen ME, Myers JAE, Tena JKS, et al: Frunevetmab, a felinized anti-nerve growth factor monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of pain from osteoarthritis in cats. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Vol 35 (6) pp. 2752-62.