Arthritis in dogs: causes, symptoms, treatment

For any dog, one of the most pleasant and joyful moments is a long walk in the fresh air. However, sometimes this event becomes difficult and painful for the pet. This happens, as a rule, due to pain in the joints of the animal. In this case, it is extremely important to understand in time that the pet has arthritis in order to cure the disease as soon as possible. So how do you recognize arthritis in an animal, and what measures should be taken?

 Arthritis in dogs

What is arthritis and why does it appear?

Arthritis is a pathological change that occurs mainly in the joints. This disease provokes the emergence of quite severe pain of a chronic nature in an animal, which significantly impairs its quality of life.As a rule, dogs suffering from arthritis, move a little, most of the time they lie, and do not really like long walks.

There are several reasons for the development of arthritis in an animal:

  1. Aged pet age. Arthritis is most commonly seen in older dogs. This is due primarily to the fact that with age, the joints of dogs lose their former elasticity.
  2. Presence of genetic predisposition to this disease.
  3. Excess weight. Large body weight greatly increases the load on the joints, as a result of which they wear much faster.
  4. Mechanical damage and injury. Arthritis can begin to develop due to bruise, dislocation, sprain, or excessive stress.
  5. Infectious and viral lesions of the joints.

It should also be borne in mind that large breeds of dogs have the greatest susceptibility to joint disease. External conditions can accelerate the progress of arthritis, for example, the frequent movement of an animal along a slippery surface. The greatest impact on the development of the disease have a great weight and age.

Varieties of Arthritis in Dogs

Arthritis in dogs can occur in several different forms. Variety depends primarily on the cause of the disease. Today, the following forms of arthritis in dogs are distinguished:

  1. Traumatic arthritis. The root cause of the development of this disease are various kinds of mechanical damage. These include strong bruises, sprains, sprains, fractures, etc. The fact is that such damage leads to a significant increase in the load on a healthy joint. Due to a metabolic disorder in the body, the cartilage tissues gradually begin to break down, and the articular part becomes inflamed.
  2. Functional arthritis. This form of the disease is somewhat similar to the first. The only difference is that in this case arthritis develops due to excessive stress on the joint. Such a disease can be observed in animals that often undergo lengthy training.
  3. Metabolic arthritis. Also, this type of disease is often called dystrophic. Such arthritis develops due to impaired metabolic processes in the body. For example, inflammation of the joints can occur due to pyrophosphate.In this case, calcium phosphate crystals appear in the synovial fluid, traumatic articular tissues. Inflammation can also occur with hemochromatosis - too much iron in the body. In addition, the cause of arthritis can be rickets - a disease in which the metabolism of phosphorus and calcium is disturbed. This violation leads to softening of the bone tissue and, as a result, changes in the shape of the bones. Such a process is traditionally accompanied by inflammation in the joints.
  4. Purulent arthritis. This form of the disease develops after the appearance of injuries in the periarticular tissues. From these tissues, bacteria enter the joint, which provoke the inflammatory process, as a result of which pus accumulates in the articular sac.
  5. Genetic arthritis. In this case, genetic diseases become the main cause of arthritis. These include the hereditary decrease in the stability and strength of cartilage, dysplasia and some other ailments.
  6. Rheumatoid arthritis. This type of disease is traditionally considered an autoimmune disease. The reason for the emergence of this form of arthritis are bacteria, similar to cartilage and bone cells.As a result, the body's defense system begins to destroy these bacteria, and in the same time damages healthy bone and cartilage tissues.

How does arthritis develop in dogs?

The most obvious and very first sign of the development of arthritis in a dog is a clear decrease in the activity of the pet. In addition, during the development of the disease in an animal, the following symptoms may occur:

 How is arthritis in dogs

  1. Pet may refuse long walks, and sleep begins to take more and more time in his routine.
  2. The animal tries to protect the diseased limb, protecting it from excessive loads. You can see how the dog is quite hard, carefully and a little slowly gets up. In addition, the pet may feel uncomfortable when someone touches the sore paw.
  3. Often the animal begins to limp or move on straight limbs. Gait in patients with arthritis of dogs becomes quite awkward.
  4. Due to a decrease in motor activity, the animal quickly gains excess weight.
  5. The pet has more severe pain and noticeable discomfort during periods of abrupt changes in atmospheric pressure.

You should not try to independently determine the type of disease in your pet. Arthritis is a rather serious disease that can lead to tragic consequences. That is why the signs and treatment of the disease should be determined only by a veterinarian. If you find these symptoms in a dog, you should immediately contact a veterinarian. The specialist will examine the limbs of the animal and determine which of the joints are inflamed and swollen.

After the discovery of the first signs of arthritis in a pet, the veterinarian will necessarily take an X-ray to confirm the diagnosis finally, and then select a treatment regimen. If the picture shows that fluid is also present in the joint, the specialist will pump it out with a syringe, then send the resulting biomaterial to the laboratory for research.

What complications can occur with arthritis?

The most serious complications of arthritis include the loss of motor activity and the ability to use the patient's limb. The inflammatory process leads to a change in shape in the joint,what makes every move painful for the animal. Due to a decrease in the activity of the pet, muscle tissue gradually decreases. Over time, the surface of the non-working joint becomes stiff, which makes it impossible to move at all.

If bacteria penetrate the articular tissues during the inflammatory process, their development may lead to the removal of the limb in general.

How to help an arthritic pet?

To alleviate the suffering of a sick animal, it is necessary to provide him with suitable conditions. First, the pet must always be kept warm. To do this, you should equip him with a good bed on a warm mattress. Slippery floor coverings should be covered with extra carpets so that the animal does not accidentally slip. Pet should also be protected from excessive loads, for example, walking upstairs.

 How to help an arthritic pet

During the cold period, you should wear a warm jumpsuit on your dog. Excessive cooling can lead to increased pain in the joints. You should not walk for a long time with an animal, a quiet short walk will be enough.

How to treat arthritis in a dog?

The treatment regimen for arthritis in dogs includes three areas: eliminating the inflammatory process, ridding the animal of pain, and repairing lost bone and cartilage cells. You can get this result with the following events:

  1. Regular intake of drugs containing hyaluronic acid, glucosamine and chondroitin. These substances help restore damaged tissue and slow down the development of the disease.
  2. Taking painkillers. Often experts prescribe Carprofen or Ketoprofen. The use of these funds should be carried out only under the supervision of a physician, since their incorrect intake may lead to the development of stomach diseases.
  3. Hormonal agents. As a rule, animals are prescribed Hydrocortisone, Prednisolone or Dexamethasone. Such drugs can quickly eliminate inflammatory processes.
  4. Various warming gels. Such tools also remove pain well, but they cannot be used when pus appears in the joint. As a rule, dogs are given gels for horses.
  5. Physiotherapy. The animal will need to be massaged, this will help improve the circulation of blood in the muscle tissue and in general in the limb.In addition, such an event contributes to the removal of toxic substances. Swimming is also a great option.
  6. Operational measures. This option may include replacing the joint surgically or removing the affected limb.

It is important to understand that these funds are not universal. Pick up drugs and treatment regimen should only the attending physician. It is very important to correctly determine the form of the disease, because some funds are prohibited to use in certain forms of illness.

Video: How to detect arthritis in dogs?

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