Osteoarthritis is damage to the articular cartilage of any joint. It is the result of many factors including genetics, injury, nutritional, and more. The vast majority of arthritis we see in veterinary medicine is the result of degenerative joint disease and/or injury.

Typically OA is diagnosed primarily by clinical signs:

• Limping
• resistance to movement
• difficulty rising
• pain on palpation
• “slowing down”
• reluctance to do activities that previously were enjoyed.

Many times this can be confirmed with an x-ray, but sometimes x-rays do not adequately demonstrate the severity of the pain – each animal is different when it comes to pain tolerance.

OA can be treated in a variety of ways, and this list is not meant to be exhaustive, however, these are some of the most common modalities employed. In some cases adequately treating the pain that results from OA can mean life or death. Many animals are euthanized due to a poor quality of life as perceived by their owners – directly as a result of arthritis pain.

To help here are some options:

• Weight Loss: This is by far the most important factor in treating most cases of OA. Most American pets are overweight and each pound of weight adds 4 pounds of force. If a joint isn’t healthy that amount of extra force can be crippling. Finding the right Body Condition for your pet will undoubtedly help ease the pain of OA.
• Physical Therapy and Exercise: In addition to helping animals lose weight, proper exercise can maintain muscle tone and ease the burden joints carry. It is vital that pets keep moving – once the muscles have atrophied to a point where they can no longer rise on their own, many pets are euthanized. In most cases, short frequent bouts of exercise are far better than infrequent, long bursts of exercise.
• Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs): (Examples are Rimadyl, Deramax, Previcox, Metacam and others) These are drugs similar to aspirin or ibuprofen. They suppress inflammatory biochemicals that not only cause pain but actually damage the cartilage further. Some amount of anti-inflammatory is necessary in almost all cases of OA to prevent further progression of the disease. These drugs can have side effects so it is often recommended that lab tests be performed on a regular basis to monitor organ function. In addition to monitoring, adding in other supplements or medications may reduce the amount of NSAIDs necessary.
• Nutraceuticals: These are supplements that are not classified as drugs by the FDA but that have medicinal qualities. In many cases these drugs require time to take effect but in some cases they may allow for the reduction or complete removal of other drugs. Not all nutraceuticals are the same, and due to the lack of regulation, some products are worthless and some can even be considered dangerous. It is important to ask your veterinarian about the products that have been tested and are shown to be effective. Some examples are:
  • Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate: (Examples are Synovi, Phycox, Cosequin and others) These are cartilage components from sea mollusks that give the body building blocks to repair damaged cartilage. In some cases they also act as anti-inflammatories, too.
  • Omega Three Fatty Acids: (examples Vitamin E and Fish Oil) Many of these have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. They scavenge free radicals and are thought to aid in the slowing down of the destructive nature of arthritis.
  • MSM (Methyl sylfonyl methane): This is another anti-inflammatory derived from plant and animal tissues. It is thought to aid in the ability of cartilage to soak up water and act more “cushion-like”.
• Acupuncture: Many studies done on humans and animals have demonstrated that acupuncture, done at regular intervals is a non-invasive and very successful method of controlling arthritic pain. It can be a nice alternative to drugs in some cases or an adjunct when drugs aren’t enough.