Arthritis in Dogs
Arthritis is one of the most common problems affecting older pets and can be an extremely debilitating disease. The causes are many, but ultimately end in the same result. The joint becomes inflamed and cartilage damage results. This causes pain and a decreased range of motion.
With regards to treatment, there is no “wonder drug” available that single handedly achieves the miraculous “cure”. Instead it is the additive effect of often multiple drugs or approaches that achieves the best result.
There are 2 important factors to understand before going into the treatment:
- The earlier a diagnosis is made and the earlier treatment is begun, generally the better the outcome.
- Treatment will be ongoing and lifelong – it may be necessary to add other drugs into the treatment from time to time.
Our approach to arthritis is one of “evidence based”. This means that our recommendations are based on positive evidence being produced on the effect of certain treatments/drugs through proper studies. There are many drugs/nutriceuticals that are recommended for arthritis that may not be included below. The reason for this is that their effect has not yet been proven. The latest procedure “Stem Cell Therapy” also falls into this category and we have attached a handout on our stand-point regarding this procedure.
Treatment recommendations may include one or more of the following:
Reduction of weight
This will reduce the effort and pressure on the joints. This alone can often be the biggest factor in a successful outcome. To achieve weight loss both exercise and diet need to be addressed. Mild to moderate amounts of activity will help to keep the joints free but be aware not to over exercise as that will exacerbate the arthritis. Reducing weight can be achieved by using a commercial weight loss diet fed to the ideal weight of your dog. Otherwise reducing the food intake by ¼ and using bulkier fibrous foods to ensure satisfaction after eating. Avoid fats and too many carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice and pasta.
If your dog is very overweight (>15%) you can use Royal Canin Obesity Management to reduce the weight and then make the transition to Royal Canin Weight Control or an appropriate Royal Canin Neutered dog or cat product to maintain an optimal weight.
Another dietary option, should weight be optimal, is Royal Canin Mobility formula.
Zydax/Cartrophen
Zydax is a newer drug development following on the back of the success of Cartrophen over the years. Zydax is a purer concentrate and delivers much more consistent results. These are injections given to help improve the joint and decrease cartilage destruction. This therefore helps to directly address the problem rather than just using a “band aid”. The injections are given once a week for 4 weeks with the response being seen at weeks 3-5 weeks. Injections are then repeated monthly to yearly, depending on the severity of the arthritis, and can also be given prior to winter.
Anti-inflammatories
These drugs can be used for arthritis often as an add-on to other therapies where the arthritis is moderate to severe or where your pet is in obvious discomfort or pain. They can be used periodically or as an ongoing part of the treatment. There are a number of anti-inflammatories we can use so if one does not seem to be effective, your dog may respond better to another. If your pet is on these drugs continuously/chronically, it is necessary that a clinical check is done every 6 months. Blood tests will also form part of this check. This is necessary firstly to fulfill the medico-legal requirements that are set out for chronic medication dispensing, and secondly to monitor your pet for any side-effects (primarily liver/ kidney) that may occur and be sub-clinical (i.e. not yet obvious).
Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids:
Cold Fish Oils have been shown to be very effective in the treatment of arthritis and daily supplementation at higher than normal doses is generally part of most arthritis treatment.
Natural supplements:
The one supplement that is most widely known is glucosamine/chondroitin. Whilst the market segment for this is absolutely massive and some human arthritis sufferers swear by it – the efficacy of this supplement has not been proven at all. As a matter of fact, recent, independent studies are showing that these generally do not aid in the treatment of arthritis at all. Whilst our approach is to recommend other products above glucosamine/ chondroitin, we certainly do not exclude it totally in the treatment until such time that it is proven beyond doubt to not be of any benefit.
Green Lipped Mussel extract on the other hand, has shown to be of benefit in the treatment and thus is recommended as part of the ongoing plan and approach. These are available at our clinic (PAWS Osteosupport Capsules) and should be given everyday.
Pain Killers (Analgesics):
It may be necessary to use specific pain killing drugs (e.g. Tramadol/Tramal) to ease any discomfort your pet may be in. Often these drugs are extremely beneficial but are generally only used when and as may be indicated.