Arthritis is a degenerative joint disease and is the number one cause of chronic pain in dogs and cats. The condition is the result of long-term stresses on a joint, either resulting from an old injury or from natural development of a poorly conformed joint and of course aging. Dogs and cats are more stoic than us & tend to suffer in silence. That's why arthritis can go unnoticed until its quite advanced.
The symptoms of arthritis can be hard to distinguish. Animals with arthritis might avoid the activities they used to enjoy, stop jumping on the furniture, or they might nip or seem upset when touched. Some animals may become depressed or change their eating habits; others may simply seem grumpier than usual. Cats litter box habits often change. These symptoms can also indicate other serious problems, such as cognitive dysfunction or certain cancers.
It’s important to recognize the signs and begin treatment in the earliest stage; we advise joint support with nutraceuticals at the first hint of any mobility problems, while there is still a chance at disease modification and well before the damage becomes severe and irreparable. The first step is making sure the disease is diagnosed correctly using a proper medical history and thorough physical exam. If the diagnosis is in any doubt, it may be necessary to do further testing such as x-rays, which are necessary before we can properly apply pain relieving laser treatments.
Though there is no cure for this debilitating disease, there is much we can do to manage the condition and control the pain through medical treatments, laser therapy, specific diets and exercise.
Arthritis refers to inflammation of a joint and this can be caused by several different mechanisms. The joint itself can be subdivided into several different components, The bones covered in articular cartilage; the synovial membranes which join the surfaces together (joint capsule) and the synovial fluid which provides the lubrication and a lot of the nutrients for the joints. Peripheral to these structures are the ligaments, tendons and muscles which support and mobilize the joints.
The disease can be subdivided into two principal categories,
· Degenerative
· Inflammatory
I will concentrate principally on the degenerative arthritis called osteoarthritis. Compared to the dog, cats are fortunate to suffer relatively infrequently from osteoarthritis although it is still the most common long term manifestation lameness in the cat.
Osteoarthritis is a non-inflammatory, often inherent condition of movable joints that result in changes to the cartilage surfaces and their surrounding tissues with cartilage erosion, new bone formation and remodeling with the new depositions of bone to develop changed and irregular surfaces leading to joint pain, stiffness, swelling and limitation in movement with deterioration with age.
There is little doubt that certain breeds have an inherited predisposition to osteoarthritis. This is known as primary osteoarthritis and conditions such as hip dysplasia in the German Shepherd dog and Burmese cat would be a good example. Questioning breeders on whether arthritis has been known in their breed lines prior to purchase of a pedigree pet is recommended. Mixed breed animals suffer this condition much less frequently.
Secondary osteoarthritis is more common and arises from some insult of the joint such as a traumatic injury resulting in joint instability such as the tearing of cruciate ligaments or abnormal concussive stresses on the joint surfaces caused by obesity or markedly excessive activity.
The secret of successful treatment is early diagnosis and careful management. Treatment can be divided into three areas:
· Weight control/supplementation/excercise/specific diet.
· Surgical. Only suitable for specific cases where instability could be corrected by ligament repair or when other solutions have proven ineffective. An example would be where severe arthritis of the hip may respond to surgery.
· Medication. This is a vast topic and depends on the individual case and the severity of problem. It can be divided into conventional and alternative therapy
There are many options available to pet owners when it comes to offering your pet relief from arthritic pain. There are nutraceuticals - which are extracts of foods that have medicinal effects in the body. Another option is NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) which are primarily what we call COX-2 inhibitors whose mode of action is to inhibit prostaglandins and in turn inhibits inflammation/pain!
Non-conventional therapy:
· Laser therapy provides a sterile, pain-free, locally applied, non-invasive, drug-free treatment option.
. Nutraceutical extracts containing chondroitin and glucosamine associated with manganese salts. This group of natural products, extracted from a range of animals from shark fin to cockerel comb has scientific support to suggest benefits to joint function so long as the disease is not too far advanced.
COSEQUIN - glucosamine and chondroiton sulfate,
available for dogs and cats. Comes in capsule form as well as flavored
capsules for cats.
Osteo-3 - a
formulation of glucosamine, creatine, MSM, grape seed extract, vitamin E, omega
3's, and green lipid mussels. Available in chewable tablets and granules
for dogs.
Sasha's
Blend - 100% all natural marine concentrates, GAG's
(primary ones being glucosamine and chondroiton). Available for both dogs
and cats in powder form.
Glycoflex
- glucosamine, HCL, MSM, Perna mussels, vitamin E,
grapeseed extract. Available for both cats and dogs in a chewable format.
Flexadin
- glucosamine and devils claw. Available in tablet form for
dogs only!
Bio-Iso_G
- chondroiton and gluicosamine, MSM. Also
available with a "plus" formulation that contains
devils claw
and yucca. Available for dogs in a liquid form.
Conventional therapy:
This is largely divided into four groups:
· Use of NSAIDs (non steroidal anti inflammatory and pain relief drugs) There are many products available for dogs, but very few are licensed for use in the cat and none for long term use due to potential toxic effects. Occasionally they can cause stomach upsets and should be discontinued if vomiting, diarrhea or loss of appetite occur. They should be used under very careful veterinary supervision if there is any suggestion of blood disorder, kidney, liver, heart disease or gastro-intestinal ulceration. Drug interactions can occur (e.g. with steroids). Given short term by injection but more normally by the oral route, with food.
Rimadyl (Carprofen) - available for dogs only. Injectable, table and chewable form.
Dramaxx (Deracoxib) - available in beef flavored tablets for dogs.
Metacam (Meloxicam) - available in oral flavoured liquid or as an injectable for both cats and dogs.
· Polysulphated glycosaminoglycans (PSGAGs) have anti-inflammatory activity and help modulate cartilage and synovial membrane metabolism. Usually given as weekly injections for a month and then every few months.
· Hyaluronic acid derivatives have similar functions to PSGAGs.
· Steroids can be used to suppress inflammatory changes on the joint surface but should only be used where there is inflammatory erosive osteoarthritis present.
William M Golbeck BSc DVM
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