Dogs | Metacam

METACAM for dogs

Effective anti-inflammatory and pain relief for dogs

WHAT IS DOG ARTHRITIS?

What is dog arthritis?

Canine arthritis, also known as osteoarthritis, is an inflammatory joint condition that causes your dog pain and reduces their mobility.

Arthritis affects the whole joint and causes joint swelling, cartilage breakdown and excess bony growth.

Arthritis comes in waves—it flares up, then subsides, and then flares up again. Your dog may need more pain relief and lower levels of exercise during flare-ups.

WHY DOES MY DOG HAVE ARTHRITIS?

Arthritis is extremely common. It affects up to 1 in 4 adult dogs, and is the #1 cause of chronic pain in dogs. It can affect dogs of all ages, although middle-aged and older dogs are at a greater risk.

There is very rarely a single factor that causes canine arthritis. In most cases, it occurs as the result of a combination of factors:

Dog breed—some breeds are at a greater risk of developing arthritis than others. These include golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Greyhounds, collies and some spaniel and terrier breeds
Dog size - large breed dogs and dogs that are overweight are at a higher risk as a result of the extra load they put on their joints
Joint conformation (shape) - a dog’s body weight should be evenly spread across the joint. Some dog breeds, however, have leg shapes that result in uneven weight distribution or may develop abnormally shaped joints (e.g., hip or elbow dysplasia)
Joint injury - an injury can cause abnormal stress through the joint, even after the injury appears to be healed
Joint overuse - excessive running and jumping over an extended period can result in joint stress, even without obvious injury

Integrated Care Plan

How is canine arthritis diagnosed?

There are normally 3 steps in the diagnosis of arthritis:

1 - You observe changes in your dog’s behaviour and mobility

You may have noticed that your dog is behaving differently, or that they seem stiff when exercising.

2 - Your veterinarian examines your dog

Your veterinarian may suspect arthritis based on your observations.

They will also consider your dog’s age and breed, and perform a clinical examination to assess your dog’s posture, gait, muscle mass and joint flexibility, to arrive at their diagnosis.

3 - Tests are conducted to confirm the diagnosis

In order to rule out any other conditions that can cause joint pain, your veterinarian may take some X-rays of your dog’s joints. These X-rays will also allow them to assess the severity of the disease.