One of the major preventable factors which may predispose your dog to developing canine arthritis is being overweight or obese.
Obesity leads to far greater than normal forces being applied to joints during periods of moderate to intense exercise. Actions such as jumping out of the car boot for fat dogs can lead to severe joint trauma. Obesity is particularly problematic in larger breeds of dogs, as the weight their joints have to bear is already so high.
I'll do another entry with more information on obesity and its role in canine arthritis... watch this space.
Genetics can also play a part in the development of canine osteoarthritis, but it is a polygenic trait (carried on more than one gene), so modes of inheritance are not as straightforward as they are with many other diseases.
-Dr Caroline
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Diagnosis of Canine Arthritis
As with many disease processes, osteoarthritis in dogs can be classified as primary or secondary.
Primary osteoarthritis (OA) occurs independently in the body; that is, there are no predisposing events which cause the onset of the disease. Primary osteoarthritis is often referred to as “old-age arthritis” or “wear and tear arthritis”
Secondary osteoarthritis occurs as a result of another change within the body. Causes of secondary osteoarthritis include obesity, injury, infection of the joint, congenital abnormalities (present from birth) and joint surgery.
Diagnosis of canine arthritis is usually made on the basis of clinical examination findings, radiographic appearanceof the joint, other laboratory tests and individual case history, therefore it is virtually impossible to make a positive diagnosis of osteoarthritis without your dog being examined by a qualified veterinarian.
When a vet does a clinical examination on your dog, he or she will be looking for signs of the following:
Pain – this is present in nearly all cases of canine arthritis. A vet can manipulate joints that are suspected to be affected in order to elicit a painful response. The most obvious way of telling that your dog has a painful leg is when he or she is limping.
Stiffness – often a dog with canine arthritis will be stiff after getting up in the morning. This can be particularly noticeable in cold or damp weather
Swelling – swelling of the joint can come and go in osteoarthritis, when it is present, the affected joint will often be warm to the touch from the increased blood flow to the area.
Crepitus – whilst moving the joint through its normal range of motion, a vet will be able to feel for crepitus in animals afflicted with canine arthritis. Crepitus is a grating feeling or crackling sound which is caused by one bone grinding on another or on roughened cartilage.
Deformity – in advanced cases of cartilage loss, there may be changes in the overall appearance the affected joint. This is due to the growth of bony processes as the body attempts to stabilise the unstable joint and to the loss of articular cartilage.
-Dr Caroline
Primary osteoarthritis (OA) occurs independently in the body; that is, there are no predisposing events which cause the onset of the disease. Primary osteoarthritis is often referred to as “old-age arthritis” or “wear and tear arthritis”
Secondary osteoarthritis occurs as a result of another change within the body. Causes of secondary osteoarthritis include obesity, injury, infection of the joint, congenital abnormalities (present from birth) and joint surgery.
Diagnosis of canine arthritis is usually made on the basis of clinical examination findings, radiographic appearanceof the joint, other laboratory tests and individual case history, therefore it is virtually impossible to make a positive diagnosis of osteoarthritis without your dog being examined by a qualified veterinarian.
When a vet does a clinical examination on your dog, he or she will be looking for signs of the following:
Pain – this is present in nearly all cases of canine arthritis. A vet can manipulate joints that are suspected to be affected in order to elicit a painful response. The most obvious way of telling that your dog has a painful leg is when he or she is limping.
Stiffness – often a dog with canine arthritis will be stiff after getting up in the morning. This can be particularly noticeable in cold or damp weather
Swelling – swelling of the joint can come and go in osteoarthritis, when it is present, the affected joint will often be warm to the touch from the increased blood flow to the area.
Crepitus – whilst moving the joint through its normal range of motion, a vet will be able to feel for crepitus in animals afflicted with canine arthritis. Crepitus is a grating feeling or crackling sound which is caused by one bone grinding on another or on roughened cartilage.
Deformity – in advanced cases of cartilage loss, there may be changes in the overall appearance the affected joint. This is due to the growth of bony processes as the body attempts to stabilise the unstable joint and to the loss of articular cartilage.
-Dr Caroline
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Articular Cartilage in Dogs (Hylaine Cartilage)
Articular cartilage (aka hyaline cartilage) is a durable, rubbery substance that covers and cushions the ends of bones in the body.
The main functions of articular cartilage are to facilitate the movement of one bone against another and to act as a ‘shock abosorber’. It has a very low friction co-efficient and has properties that make it able to withstand enormous forces. It is a smooth, white with a bluish tinge, glistening tissue and is also commonly known as hyaline cartilage.
Osteoarthritis causes the progressive degradation of this cartilage cushion on the ends of bones, leading to pain, stiffness and sometimes inflammation when the joint is moved, as the bones begin to grind on each other.
The main functions of articular cartilage are to facilitate the movement of one bone against another and to act as a ‘shock abosorber’. It has a very low friction co-efficient and has properties that make it able to withstand enormous forces. It is a smooth, white with a bluish tinge, glistening tissue and is also commonly known as hyaline cartilage.
Osteoarthritis causes the progressive degradation of this cartilage cushion on the ends of bones, leading to pain, stiffness and sometimes inflammation when the joint is moved, as the bones begin to grind on each other.
Synovial Joint in Dogs - Info
When trying to understand how any disease is affecting an animal, it is vital that one first understands what is “normal”. This section looks in reasonable depth at the normal structure and function of synovial joints in the dog.
The body contains 3 main types of joints. These are:
• synovial joints (diarthroses)
• cartilaginous joints (synchondroses and symphyses)
• fibrous joints (sutures, syndemoses or gomphoses)
Synovial joints are the most common and most moveable types of joints in the canine body. The main distinguishing feature of a synovial joint is a capsule which surrounds the joint and is filled with a straw coloured, viscous fluid called synovial fluid. Synovial fluid functions to lubricate the joint, making normal movements smooth and pain-free.
There are 3 components of a synovial joint:
• The Fibrous Capsule (Articular Capsule)
• Synovial Membrane
• Articular Cartilage
(It is the destruction of this articular cartilage that leads to the pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis in dogs).
Common examples of synovial joints include the knee (stifle), the hip, the elbow and the shoulder. It is these synovial joints that are affected by osteoarthritis (DJD).
The body contains 3 main types of joints. These are:
• synovial joints (diarthroses)
• cartilaginous joints (synchondroses and symphyses)
• fibrous joints (sutures, syndemoses or gomphoses)
Synovial joints are the most common and most moveable types of joints in the canine body. The main distinguishing feature of a synovial joint is a capsule which surrounds the joint and is filled with a straw coloured, viscous fluid called synovial fluid. Synovial fluid functions to lubricate the joint, making normal movements smooth and pain-free.
There are 3 components of a synovial joint:
• The Fibrous Capsule (Articular Capsule)
• Synovial Membrane
• Articular Cartilage
(It is the destruction of this articular cartilage that leads to the pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis in dogs).
Common examples of synovial joints include the knee (stifle), the hip, the elbow and the shoulder. It is these synovial joints that are affected by osteoarthritis (DJD).
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Canine Arthritis Overview: Pics and Info
Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common type of canine arthritis, is also commonly known as “old dog arthritis” or “Degenerative Joint Disease” (DJD). Osteoarthritis in dogs is a chronic, progressive, degenerative disease of the synovial joints which results in damage to the articular cartilage and other changes to the joints. Osteoarthritis can occur at any time of life, but incidence tends to increase with age.
Dogs with osteoarthritis typically present with a limp, which is often more pronounced in cold or damp weather and will tend to deteriorate over time. The following signs also suggest that your pet may have arthritis and warrant a trip to the local vet:
• Reluctance to walk, run, climb stairs, jump, or play
• Walking strangely or limping
• The appearance of swelling around a joint
• Inablility to keep up with you on walks
• Difficulty getting up after sleeping or lying down
• Yelping when touched near the affected joint
-Dr Caroline
Dogs with osteoarthritis typically present with a limp, which is often more pronounced in cold or damp weather and will tend to deteriorate over time. The following signs also suggest that your pet may have arthritis and warrant a trip to the local vet:
• Reluctance to walk, run, climb stairs, jump, or play
• Walking strangely or limping
• The appearance of swelling around a joint
• Inablility to keep up with you on walks
• Difficulty getting up after sleeping or lying down
• Yelping when touched near the affected joint
-Dr Caroline
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