Arthritis in Dogs: Symptoms and Treatment 

Arthritis or Osteoarthritis: What’s the Difference?

If your dog suffers from arthritis (joint inflammation), one or multiple joints can become inflamed. Typically, arthritis causes the affected joints to swell painfully and redden.

In contrast, osteoarthritis involves the progressive and unstoppable degradation of joint cartilage. As a result, the underlying bones rub together, causing inflammation in the joint over time and the painful growth of bony outgrowths (bone cysts).

Symptoms of Arthritis in Dogs: What Signs to Look Out For?

Commonly, inflammations are typically associated with the following symptoms:

• The organ swells up.
• The tissue reddens.
• Your dog reacts painfully.
• The inflamed area becomes warm.
• The organ loses its function.

Depending on the cause, you might notice additional signs:

• Your dog sleeps a lot.
• Your dog’s appetite decreases.
• Your dog is limping or doesn’t want to move.

Diagnosis: How to Detect Arthritis in Dogs?

If your dog’s joint is swollen or it’s limping, you should have it examined by a veterinarian. Vets can often quickly recognize arthritis through external symptoms.

To confirm their suspicions, veterinarians use the following diagnostic methods:

• A blood test: In cases of arthritis, the number of inflammatory cells in the blood increases.
• Imaging techniques: An X-ray can differentiate between arthritis and osteoarthritis, as well as other joint problems.
• Joint fluid analysis: Using a needle, vets can obtain joint fluid (synovia) to test for inflammatory parameters.
• Arthroscopy (joint endoscopy): By opening the joint, the vet can inspect it more closely with a small camera known as an arthroscope.

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Treatment: How is Arthritis in Dogs Treated?

Vets treat joint inflammation in dogs depending on its cause. To alleviate inflammation in the joint, the vet administers anti-inflammatory and pain relief medication to your dog.

Should the vet diagnose a bacterial infection, your dog may also need antibiotics. If that’s not enough, the vet might have to open the joint under anaesthesia and clean it out. In rare cases, the joint may need to be stiffened, which can protect your dog from more severe damage.

Alongside targeted treatment, supportive measures can promote healing. For example, you can cool your pet’s joint with the aid of bandages or speed up the healing process with physiotherapy. Additionally, in everyday life, you should try to relieve your dog’s joint problems and avoid painful movements like jumping.

If your dog is overweight, you should also reconsider its diet. You can seek advice from your vet or easily calculate the feeding amount yourself. Furthermore, it’s advisable to include more exercise in your everyday routine.

Prognosis: What Are the Chances of Recovery?

If you have your dog examined and treated promptly, the chances of recovery are generally good. However, if your dog suffers from chronic symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, the prognosis is less favourable. But, by managing your dog’s weight and providing pain-relieving medication, you can significantly improve its quality of life.

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Causes: What Triggers Arthritis in Dogs?

Various causes can lead to inflammation in your dog’s joints. For a better overview, here are the triggers of arthritis in dogs summarized:

1. Open Wounds

If your canine friend injures itself so severely that one of its joints is exposed, bacteria and dirt can penetrate and cause inflammation. But not only open wounds can lead to arthritis in dogs. For instance, if your dog has bad teeth, germs can also travel from the root of the tooth into the bloodstream and reach the joints. Bacteria can penetrate open wounds and find their way into the joint space.

2. Non-infectious Causes

A so-called aseptic arthritis occurs when your dog bruises or crushes a joint through twisting or falling. Furthermore, overweight or excessive athletic strain can adversely affect the health of dogs. The body may respond to these stimuli with an inflammatory reaction.

3. Immune-mediated Causes

For reasons yet to be explained, the body in rheumatic dogs attacks its own joint cartilage. This is an autoimmune reaction that often leads to multiple arthritides throughout the body, known as polyarthritis.

4. Infectious Causes

Some pathogens are known to cause arthritides in dogs. For example, in dogs, these include Borreliosis or Leishmaniasis.