Commit yourself to the great responsibility of adopting a dog, it will certainly bring you many benefits derived from the very strong emotional bond that is created between the owner and the animal.
Throughout the life of our dog we can observe many changes that occur as the physiological and normal process of aging progresses, one of the anatomical structures of our animal that can suffer the most over the years is the musculoskeletal system.
- In this article by Animal Expert we will explain the symptoms and treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs.
- The most common joint disease that our pets suffer.
Canine osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease in dogs and mainly affects middle-aged and older dogs.It is estimated that 1 in 5 suffers from this condition, or approximately 45% of dogs of large breeds.
It is a complex and progressive disease that causes the degeneration of the joint cartilage (fundamental to avoid friction between the two bone ends of the joint) and the formation of new bone tissue in the joint margins, which can cause severe pain.
The most affected joints are
Osteoarthritis is usually caused by a secondary cause, such as trauma, inflammation, obesity or intense physical exercise, however, some breeds such as the German shepherd or the labrador retriever have a genetic predisposition.
The symptoms of osteoarthritis in dogs are varied and our animal may manifest one or the other depending on the degree of the disease, which can range from mild to severe.Osteoarthritis may manifest from the following symptoms and signs:
If you notice any of these symptoms in your dog, you should immediately go to the veterinarian to assess the situation and indicate the most appropriate treatment. To verify the diagnosis of osteoarthritis, the veterinarian will perform a thorough physical assessment but may also make an x-ray imaging.
The treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs should be aimed at relieving pain, improving the mobility and quality of life of our animal and preventing future cartilage degeneration; for this purpose, a treatment not only pharmacological, but also hygienic. Dietary.
The complete treatment of osteoarthritis can be performed as follows, the veterinarian is the only person who indicates to determine what type of treatment the dog should follow:
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any type of diagnosis, we suggest taking your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Degenerative Diseases section.