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Arthritis in Dogs: 7 Ways You Can Ease The Pain

By Creature Clinic · · Updated

overweight dog running in grassy field
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Arthritis in dogs, also known as osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease (DJD), is a very common degenerative condition of the joints in dogs.

There are actually a few different types of arthritis, but the focus of this article is osteoarthritis.

It tends to occur most commonly in the hip, elbow, stifle (knee), carpus (wrist), and intervertebral joints (spine), although it can raise its ugly head any place in the body where you have a joint and some cartilage.

Arthritis in Dogs, What Causes it?

Arthritis can occur for a variety of reasons, including trauma, abnormal loads on joints, and congenital abnormalities like dysplasia. Commonly it is simply due to wear and tear of the cartilage within the joints. For this reason it tends to strike older dogs most frequently. Cats are also afflicted, but tend to be better at hiding their discomfort. I will discuss our feline friends in another post.

So cartilage is a lovely shock absorber, and when it’s damaged or absent, we end up with bones rubbing against each other, which is seriously painful (it makes me shudder just thinking about it!) and creates inflammation.

On an X-ray, a normal hip has a lovely round ball that sits nicely in its socket. A subluxated hip is one where the ball isn’t sitting all the way in the socket.

In severe DJD, the balls are no longer round at all and don’t sit in their sockets. There are a lot of changes to the bone as a result of chronic instability and abnormal loads. Interestingly (or frustratingly!) the changes we see on xray don’t always correlate well with the degree of discomfort the patient is in.

Sometimes fairly normal looking hips are painful, and while occasionally dogs with atrocious radiographs seem to get around pretty well.

Elbows tend to be a little more subtle than hips. On X-rays, an arthritic elbow sort of looks like fluffy bone where there should be a nice smooth surface, and the easiest way to appreciate it is to compare it to a normal one.

What are the Signs of Arthritis in Dogs?

There are a lot of possible signs that your dog’s joints are causing pain, such as stiffness after rest, reluctance to climb stairs or jump, limping, slowing down on walks, and licking at joints. Some of them are often mistakenly attributed to inevitable old age changes by owners. If your dog is showing any of these signs, make an appointment with your vet so you can work together to improve your 4-legged friend’s quality of life.

So here is my overview of the seven things I discuss with pet owners for helping their arthritic dogs. Don’t forget that even though I’m very awesome and mostly know what I’m on about, my written advice is general and is no substitute for your own vet.

Maintain Appropriate Body Weight

Say NO to Portly Pups and Hefty Hounds!

If there is just one thing you can do for the well being and comfort of your dog, keep those numbers on the scales in the healthy range. It’s just common sense that the greater the load on the joints, the harder they have to work, and therefore the more painful life is for the arthritic dog.

Work out the healthy weight range for your dog then get to work on achieving it. Some very caring pet owners simply don’t realize that their dog is a little tubby, so here is a great body condition score chart from WSAVA that provides a general guide.

My rule of thumb when examining a dog is that I want to be able to feel their ribs, but generally not see them protruding, and when looking down from above I want to see a nice waistline rather than a barrel shape!

Your vet can work out a daily calorie target for your dog and help you plan a safe rate of weight loss.

You don’t have to be cruel to be kind, its just a matter of taking responsibility for your dog’s nutrition and getting everyone in the household on board. It’s well worth the effort – remember, food does not equal love.

Pull on Those Walking Shoes!

As you can imagine, lying around all day is not great for stiff, sore joints. Moderate exercise is critically important. The question is, what does ‘moderate exercise’ mean?

Well, the answer varies depending on the dog. For my Border Collie, Anika, it’s a fairly brisk 40 minute walk every day. During this time she happily trots along in front of me, baby and toddler, but if I ask her to do much more she starts to lag behind.

Not bad given it’s her 12th birthday today! (Excuse me while I go and ugly cry for a bit, my baby’s getting old!)

Ok, tissues away, where was I…For many other dogs, that sort of walk would be WAAAY too much. Some may benefit just from ambling down to the mail box and back. If you have access to hydrotherapy, some dogs (particularly those recovering from surgery) may really benefit from swimming or walking on an underwater treadmill.

The key is to watch them and recognize what they can do comfortably without overdoing it and ending up much more sore. If you need some guidance with this your vet can help. If you have a couple of steps your dog needs to navigate regularly and they are having trouble with, it’s pretty easy for someone handy to knock together a little ramp.

Keep ’em Cosy: Provide Shelter from Wind, Rain and Cold

Particularly during cold weather, it’s so important to protect your dog from the elements. Here in Melbourne we don’t get snow, but I know I wouldn’t want to be lying out in the open overnight during winter, even if I did have a nice thick fur coat.

Protection from rain is important, but we also need to realize that if the wind is blowing straight into the dog house, it’s going to be freezing in there. Obviously, the best place for a furry family member to be sleeping is inside, but if your dog sleeps outside, it’s up to you to ensure they are warm enough.

Check kennels regularly to ensure they are clean, dry and comfortable.

A Comfortable, Padded Place to Sleep!

I don’t mean a cell, although I do question Ani’s sanity on a pretty regular basis!

This one is pretty straightforward. A bit of padding under stiff, sore joints can make things a lot more comfortable. Memory foam beds are a good option as they mold and contour to your dog’s body, reducing pressure on those arthritic joints.

It’s also helpful if the bed is easy to get in and out of. Sounds obvious, but it’s important that it’s not too high, too soft, or has sides that make it difficult to climb onto.

Consider Dietary Supplements

So we’re mainly talking glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. You may have heard of them if you yourself or someone you know has arthritis, as many humans use these products too. Glucosamine is usually made from shellfish shells, and chondroitin from cattle, pig or shark cartilage. New Zealand green-lipped mussel is a separate supplement often used alongside them.

They are thought to support that all-important cartilage structure, although research results in dogs are mixed. An example of a veterinary product is Cosequin. Products designed for humans can be bought over the counter, but are not all created equal, so it is worth discussing this with your veterinarian.

Omega-3 fatty acid (OFA) supplements may also be beneficial. Rather than adding several fish oil capsules to your dogs meal every day, another way to get a great dose of OFAs into your dog is to feed a diet that already has them built into it, such as Hills j/d.

A Big Word for a Little Injection: Glycosaminoglycans

A name many will be familiar with is Adequan (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan), which is FDA-approved for dogs and given by intramuscular injection, according to the Adequan Canine site. Others here in Australia include Cartrophen and Synovin, which contain pentosan polysulfate.

These drugs are described as ‘disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs.’ Side effects are uncommon, but they can affect blood clotting, so your vet will check whether they suit your dog.

They’re alsorelatively inexpensive. Interestingly, the exact way that they work has yet to be elucidated. There are also no big, well-designed clinical trials that confirm their effectiveness (that I have been able to find). Having said that, there is loads and loads of anecdotal evidence amongst vets and dog owners, and I believe I have seen great results in many patients.

The usual course with the pentosan products I use in practice is one injection a week for four weeks, then repeat courses or boosters depending on the patient. Adequan’s schedule is different, so follow your vet’s directions for whichever product your dog gets.

Anti-Inflammatories and Pain Relief

Drugs are available that can reduce inflammation and suppress pain in dogs with more advanced diseases. The main category is a group called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The FDA notes that vets often prescribe NSAIDs for dogs with osteoarthritis, but they are not without potential side effects. If used improperly or in the wrong patient, they can cause stomach ulceration or damage the kidneys.

Side effects can be minimized by monitoring your dog’s blood work regularly. Other forms of pain relief that may be beneficial include Tramadol, Gabapentin and Amantadine. A newer option is Librela (bedinvetmab), a monthly injection that Cornell describes as a monoclonal antibody for osteoarthritis pain. It’s super important not to give human drugs such as ibuprofen, naproxen or acetaminophen to our pets, as they can cause illness or even death.

So Here’s the recap

  • Keep your dog lean.
  • Keep up gentle, regular exercise.
  • Provide warm, dry shelter.
  • Offer a padded, easy-to-reach bed.
  • Ask your vet about joint supplements.
  • Ask about joint injections.
  • Use vet-prescribed pain relief, never human medicines.

For info on another very common disease in older dogs, check out my article on canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome.

Do you have any other tips or techniques for helping an arthritic dog? I’d love to hear what has and has not worked for you!

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