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How can you help your pet’s joints stay healthy? Joints play an essential part in keeping your pet mobile & active. When joints age, they can start to degenerate – known as osteoarthritis. This is a chronic & progressive condition describing degeneration of one or more joints, from elbows to hips or even joints in your pet’s spine. Just as in humans, it is a very common condition - every year up to 2 million dogs & cats are expected to suffer from this disease & approximately 20% of older cats & dogs are affected. How do I know if my pet is suffering from osteoarthritis? Different pets have different pain thresholds. In some, they tell you they are sore by limping on a leg. You may notice your pet is slower on walks or less likely to initiate play. Other pets are more stoical – you may only notice them licking at one or more joints, often their carpii (the wrists), or perhaps being a little irritable. If both your pet’s left & right front or back legs are painful, then limping won’t relieve any pain & you may not notice any obvious signs, but your pet may be reluctant to get up after lying down for long periods. It is particularly hard to see subtle signs in cats, but you may notice your cat has a matted coat from being less able to twist round & groom itself properly. What can I do to help my pet? First, it is important to check with your vet to see if it is likely that your pet is affected by this condition. Your vet will be able to assess the range of motion of your pet’s joints, feel for changes in the bone structure & for any clicks or crunches when manipulating your pet’s joints. In some instances, your vet may decide an x-ray is warranted to confirm diagnosis. If your vet suspects osteoarthritis, there is a range of treatments available. 1. Joint supplements Many people take joint supplements but it is important to give your pet one that contains the right ingredients that your pet will effectively absorb, and in the right composition. Not all high-street products are appropriate, so remember to read the ingredients carefully, or contact your vet for specific advice. Joint supplements have no known side effects and so can be safely given to pets regardless of other medications they may be receiving or other medical conditions that they may have. a) Glucosamine is a naturally occurring compound essential for normal growth and repair of joints and cartilage, which helps shock absorption in the joint. The best form for your pet is a glucosamine hydrochloride. This is the highest quality and purest form of glucosamine. Other glucosamines available are in the sulphate form, but these are synthetically produced and result in a less pure form of glucosamine – meaning for every gram your pet is receiving, the percentage of useable glucosamine is less than for a hydrochloride form. b) Chondroitin helps to maintain the fluidity of synovial fluid, so protecting the joint and also being another building block for cartilage growth and repair. As a rough guide, your pet should receive the above in the following quantities: Weight of pet <10kg 10-20kg 20-40kg 40kg + Glucosamine 250mg 500mg 750mg 1000mg Chondroitin 200mg 400mg 600mg 800mg Other supplementary products may be in joint supplements such as: Zinc - important for healing in the body & required for production of collagen – collagen is the main supportive protein found in cartilage, ligaments, tendons & connective tissue. Vitamin C - a powerful antioxidant, required for the production of collagen Boswellia Green lipped muscle 2. Anti-inflammatories If your pet is particularly sore, or the changes are marked, your vet may decide that antiinflammatory drugs are required. Often if your pet is receiving a joint supplement, they will need a lower dose of anti-inflammatories to achieve the same effect, which can lower the risk of side effects to your pet. Remember that the anti-inflammatories that we give dogs and cats are different to those that we take ourselves. Unlike with joint supplements, it is essential that you do not give your pet ‘human’ anti-inflammatories as these can be extremely toxic to your pet. Even small doses of paracetomol can be fatal to cats, and ibuprofen can cause significant toxicities to dogs and cats. Anti-inflammatories fall into a category of drugs called non-steroidal antiinflammatories (NSAIDs). These work by decreasing production of inflammatory agents in the body that are responsible for the development of pain. They are prescription drugs meaning you will have to see your vet for such medicines to be prescribed. Most dogs & cats tolerate these drugs well over prolonged periods of time, but they can result in gastrointestinal irritation (with vomiting, diarrhoea or even the production of stomach ulcers). If your pet suffers from such side effects, your vet may suggest trying a different drug in the same family of drugs, as different drugs may suit different individuals, just as with ourselves. NSAIDs can also reduce the blood supply to the kidneys. If your pet’s kidneys are already struggling, for example if your pet is in renal failure, this can result in progressive worsening of their kidney function. Your vet may therefore suggest regular blood and urine checks to keep an eye on your pet’s kidney function. Although most pets will tolerate these drugs well, they are not appropriate for all patients. 3. Pain killers such as opioids Opioids are other painkillers that we can use in animals – these have no anti-inflammatory action but can ease discomfort from the joints. They are often used as a last resort when patients are already on high doses of anti-inflammatory drugs and are still uncomfortable, or in those patients that have side effects with other drugs. These are also ‘prescription only’ drugs, requiring a veterinary examination to allow them to be dispensed. In the tablet form, they are not licensed for use in dogs and cats, but your vet can prescribe these ‘off license’ provided you consent to their use. One such example is the drug tramadol which appears to be well tolerated in dogs and cats, but at higher doses can cause some drowsiness. As they are ‘off license’, only short prescriptions (up to 1 month) can be prescribed at a time. Is there anything else I can do for my pet? Behavioural modification Gentle exercise will keep your pet moving, but remember not to overdo it, and to keep daily exercise regimes constant rather than one long walk every weekend. Frequent short bouts of exercise are best. Keep your pet slim – extra weight will put an extra strain on your pet’s joints. If in any doubt, contact your vet for advice as to whether your pet is the correct weight. We offer free weight clinics with one of our nurses, Lorraine, to help keep your pet in optimal condition. Easy access to food and water – if your pet is developing any osteoarthritis in the neck, your pet may struggle to put his/her neck down to reach the food or water bowl. Feeding on a small step or box may help relieve this. Help your pet groom – if your pet is struggling to keep in condition, gently groom your pet regularly. For cats, make sure your pet can get in the litter tray easily – high rimmed trays may prove more difficult as your pet ages. There are other complementary treatments that may help your pet, but it is always best to consult your vet first. Acupuncture – this is an alternative medicine originating from ancient china, involving the insertion and manipulation of tiny needles into trigger points in the body. Not all pets will respond to acupuncture but we have seen a good response in a number of our chronically affected patients receiving acupuncture for osteoarthritis. Hydrotherapy – this is often an enjoyable way for your pet to receive physiotherapy. Exercising in water allows build up of muscle strength without putting weight on the joints. Correspondingly this increased muscle support can help the joints function more easily.