The most common ailment suffered by dogs is arthritis. We often have to deal with this degenerative disease, but don’t know what it is or which dogs it is most likely to attack. The fact is, there is more than one type of arthritis that attacks canines and there are breeds that are much more likely to contract the disease.

            Types of Arthritis

Osteoarthritis or Degenerative Joint Disease: Degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis) results from destruction of the cartilage that protects the bones that make up the joint. Cartilage destruction can be the result of normal stress on abnormal joints or abnormal stress on normal joints. Constant jumping over obstacles, stretching or tearing ligaments during strenuous exercise, or injuries in a fall or accident are examples of abnormal stress on normal joints.

Degenerative joint disease can be further subdivided into primary disease for which no known cause is evident and secondary disease for which a cause can be pinpointed. Among the causes of secondary degenerative joint disease are hip dysplasia, patella luxation (loose kneecaps), osteochondritis dissecans (OCD, the development of cartilage “flaps” in the joints when bone development is disturbed), trauma, and ruptured cruciate (knee) ligaments. Secondary degenerative joint disease can sometimes be prevented or halted by surgical repair of the joint before arthritis progresses.

Degenerative arthritis may not manifest until the dog has had years of abnormal stress. Since cartilage has no nerves, the damage can progress with no outward signs until the joint is severely compromised and the lubricating fluid has thinned and lost its ability to protect the bone surfaces.

Inflammatory Joint Disease: Inflammatory joint disease can be caused by infection or by underlying immune-mediated diseases. Inflammatory arthritis usually affects multiple joints and is accompanied by signs of systemic illness including fever, anorexia, an all-over stiffness.

Again, this type of arthritis is subdivided into infectious and immune-mediated categories. Infectious joint disease can be caused by bacteria, by tick-borne diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and by fungal infection.

Immune-mediated arthritis is cause by underlying weakness in the immune system and can be hereditary. Rheumatoid arthritis, a deforming type of immune-mediated arthritis, is rare in dogs. Systemic lupus and an idiopathic (unidentified) immune-related arthritis both can cause nondestructive joint infections.

Because infectious joint disease and immune-mediated joint disease call for different treatment protocols, diagnosis must be accurate. The immuno-suppressive drugs used to treat the immune-mediated disease may allow the infectious type of disease to thrive.

Hip Dysplasia: Canine hip dysplasia is a developmental orthopedic disease.  When a dog has dysplasia, it has an abnormal development of the ball-in-socket joint that makes up the hip.  In a dysplastic hip, the ball (the head of the femur, or thighbone) and the socket (the acetabulum, a portion of the pelvis), do not fit together snugly.  The result is a painful and damaging friction.  When a dog bears its weight on the joint, the friction strains the joint capsule, which is a fibrous tissue that surrounds the joint and produces joint fluid.  The straining  then damages the cartilage and leads to the release of inflammatory proteins within the joint.  Thus begins the cycle of cartilage destruction, inflammation, and pain the symptoms we associate with arthritis.

Among animals with hip dysplasia, the onset of arthritis will vary.  Some dogs will get it in early youth; for others, it may not present itself until much later in life.  Frequently, two types of hip dysplasia are described: acute and chronic.  The acute (early) stage, usually seen in young dogs, is characterized by intense pain in the hips and mild to severe lameness. This stage can last from weeks to months.  The chronic (late) stage of hip dysplasia is characterized by pain, decreased range-of-motion in the hips, and progressive arthritis.  Chronic dysplasia can develop in dogs less than one year old or it can take many years to occur. 

Hip dysplasia can result in a variety of clinical signs.  Dogs can have significant hip dysplasia and arthritis and show minimal or no outward signs.  Alternatively, hip dysplasia can and frequently does result in crippling arthritis.

Breeds Most Likely To Contract Arthritis

Dog Arthritis is most common among larger breeds, especially the German shepherd, rottweiler, Labrador retriever, golden retriever, mastiff, Saint Bernard, and others.  It can also be seen in smaller breeds such as the cocker spaniel and springer spaniel, as well as in mixed breed dogs.  Cats suffer from hip dysplasia, too, but their symptoms are usually minor.

Please explore our ARTHiONX for more information on our dog arthritis remedy.

VETiONX™ is your online veterinarian and pet health resource. We believe in humane animal care and proper pet health through modern medical and natural science. Our complete pet health mission drives us to constantly diversify, strengthen, and improve our world-class Vet products.

Our products are safe and effective and contain all natural ingredients. In the past 5 years, thousands of pets and animals have had success with our products. Our products are scientifically formulated and manufactured using the best practices available and meet with current FDA standards.

 [back to top]

Testimonials represent individual experience only, and are not to be construed as an advertisement or claim.