One of the most common issues found in older dogs is arthritis. It’s not just something that affects humans, but something that you should try to recognise as a pet owner. When you learn what it looks like in your dog, you can do something about it sooner and help your pet to live a much more comfortable life.
Education is important as a pet owner and learning to understand when your dog is in pain can help you to put together a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. Help from veterinary clinics such as The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic is a good place to begin, but you have to begin at home, too. Yoru dog deserves the best possible care and here are the signs that they’ve been dealing with joint pain and arthritis.
- Your dog is getting older. Older dogs are more prone to development of arthritis due to wear and tear that happens over the years. Dogs are naturally bouncy, happy creatures but the pressure this bounce puts on their bones is a LOT! As they get older, they decrease in their levels of activity and you need to watch out for this because dogs will always slow down before they fully stop. Those physical activities they once enjoyed will no longer be the everyday occurrence in your home and you will notice it pretty quickly.
- They look stiff. Stiffness – especially after resting and sleeping – are common as indicators of arthritis in dogs. You may notice them struggling to get up or limping, moving more slowly and generally having a slowed gait. You might also notice their symptoms more pronounced as they try to move in the morning or in the late evening. If your dog has had a period of inactivity, that will also show a more pronounced limp.
- They no longer want to jump or climb. A good sign that your dog is dealing with the pain of arthritis is that they no longer want to jump onto furniture, climb the stairs or attempt to get into your bed anymore. These are activities that require significant movement of their joints but when they’re in pain, that isn’t possible anymore. Pay attention to this if your dog is beginning to avoid doing any of these.
- They are starting to walk unevenly. A change in gait is another serious sign of arthritis in your dog. You might notice they walk with a stiff or uneven gait and a noticeable limp. This change in movement can indicate pain and discomfort as they favor other legs over the one that is hurting the most. If you do notice this, booking an appointment with an orthopedic center is important. So that they can be scanned or X-rayed to find out the extent of the damage.
- Their joints are swollen. A physical sign of arthritis in your dog is swelling, especially if those swollen joints are warm to touch. Feeling their joints for any unusual swelling or warmth indicates some inflammation, and it can help you to ascertain whether arthritis is something that they are dealing with. Often this is a symptom that accompanies the pain and discomfort they’re feeling, so book an appointment as soon as you can.