Arthritis In Aging Pets

Since our pets are staying healthier and living longer, degenerative joint disease, or arthritis, is the number one cause of chronic pain in the dog and cat. The condition itself is the result of long term stresses and instability of a joint either as a result of an old injury or of the natural development of the joint in that individual. We see older pets in our office almost daily that are showing some evidence of arthritis that is causing decreased activity and pain. Symptoms of arthritis at first are slight stiffness when first getting up, reluctance to walk and difficulty rising. A lot of owners think their pet is not in pain since they don’t cry or believe that their older pets are getting around more slowly just because of normal old age. Most animals won’t cry and will act normally except for the signs of stiffness or limping. Chronic pain not only causes the animal to suffer but it can also affect the pet’s behavior and can result in aggression, depression or anxiety. If your veterinarian determines that your pet has arthritis, there are many excellent medications and supplements specifically designed for this.
The most commonly used medication is called a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug or NSAID for short. These medications are effective in relieving pain due to inflammation that is occurring in the arthritic joint. Special NSAIDS for dogs and cats have been developed as an improvement over aspirin and other NSAIDS for humans. Most human NSAIDS have side effects that can be problematic in animals. Typically a short trial of one of these is prescribed to see if the effect is worth continuing. If the effect is good, then the medication can be continued. As with people, some individuals respond better to different NSAIDS than others. Some blood testing is recommended prior to long term use and approximately every 6 months thereafter. Always remember that aspirin and other over the counter NSAIDS are toxic to cats and only give your cat medication prescribed by your veterinarian. Other medications such as opioids or steroids can be discussed with your veterinarian.
Joint supplements can be used alone or in conjunction with other medications. Unlike NSAIDS, these products do not produce rapid results but require one to two months to see improvement. Certain joint supplements supply the necessary building blocks needed to repair damaged cartilage and may also have some anti-inflammatory properties. Medications such as glycosaminoglycans can inhibit harmful enzymes causing joint cartilage destruction, stimulate cartilage repair and increase joint lubrication.
Exercise, such as walking or swimming, is good for arthritic animals as it helps to decrease weight and improve muscle tone but it must not be done to excess where the pet is in more pain later. Weight loss, if necessary, is essential for arthritic pets and a lot of animals would not need any arthritis pain medication if they could just lose the extra weight. Physical therapy can also be beneficial. Remember, treatment for degenerative joint disease, or arthritis, is likely to involve a combination of medications in addition to physical activity which should be closely supervised by your veterinarian.
Submitted by Dr Madonna Fugent, Best Friends Animal Hospital, 5110 Clark Road, Sarasota, 941-927-4567.