Introduction

Arthritis in dogs, or Osteoarthritis (OA), is extremely common in domestic dogs. It is not particularly difficult to diagnose. While it cannot be “treated” or reversed, there are a number of things that owners can do to manage the disease in their dogs. In most cases, owners notice that their aging dogs are lame, reluctant to rise, and just generally slowing down. Those are all signs of osteoarthritis.

How Arthritis is Diagnosed

The usual initial data base for most canine patients includes blood work (a complete blood count and a serum biochemistry panel) and a urinalysis. Those tests do not provide any diagnostic information about the condition of dogs with arthritis. A complete physical examination will help to localize the site of joint pain. Radiographs (commonly known as x-rays) are an effective way to assess changes in the joint capsules, soft tissue thickening, narrowing of joint spaces, cartilage changes, bone changes, mineralization of soft tissues, intra-articular calcified bodies and other physical changes associated with arthritis. Unfortunately, the degree of abnormalities seen on radiographs does not necessarily correlate to the severity of clinical disease. Another procedure, called bone nuclear scintigraphy, can help localize degenerative joint disease as well. Sampling of the synovial fluid (the fluid lining the joint capsule) can help assess the degree of inflammation, and whether any infection is present. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are also available to assess the nature or degree of osteoarthritis.

Special Notes

Osteoarthritis in dogs is almost always irreversible and progressive. However, there are ways to manage this condition and maintain affected dogs’ quality of life.