People often thought in the olden days that their
dogs just became lazy as they advanced in age, little
realizing that for the best friend of man, it was
not laziness but painful joints that prevented them
from much activity. Today, the most common reason
owners of older pets seek veterinary attention is
not laziness but lameness. And a minor examination
reveals arthritis, more specifically osteoarthritis
affecting the canine friend.
Although the real cause of arthritis is not known,
it may be a good idea to study the symptoms and then
take appropriate steps. Of the two most common forms
of arthritis, i.e. the Rheumatoid arthritis and the
Osteoarthritis, the former disease condition is extremely
rare while the latter tends to affect pets mostly.
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As most breeds wear a heavy coat, the inflammation
caused by osteoarthritis does not become immediately
visible – it can though be felt by touching
the affected joint. Another negative point relates
to the cartilage lacking nerves as a result of which
the pain is not felt till it goes beyond repair. This
is what happens – as the cartilage gets damaged,
the surrounding joint tissues including the joint
capsule, bone segments and ligaments all suffer damage
but on top of all is the cartilage damage, a loss
that is irreversible, causing permanent lameness.
Regular screening of the hip joint and the spinal
column may prevent such physical handicap for the
poor dog.
• The joint cartilage is made of chondrocytes
or cartilage cells and surrounding tissue matrix.
• The composition of the matrix is made of a
type of protein called the collagen, proteoglycans
and watery substance.
• Several different proteoglycan molecules are
there in the joint cartilage including chondroitin
sulfate (GAG in cartilage) as well as keratan sulfate.
• Glucosamine, generally used for osteoarthritis
treatment is a precursor chemical needed for GAG synthesis.
Now, when the animal walks, plays or runs, there
is stress on all the components of the joint. And
with years of stress and resultant wear and tear,
the cartilage breaks down giving rise to osteoarthritis.
With prolonged wear and tear, the cartilage cells
hardly get any opportunity to synthesize enough proteoglycans
that could heal the cartilage. As the cells become
further damaged, inflammatory chemicals are released
through the blood, causing inflammation, pain and
further damage to the cartilage and the animal becomes
unable to walk.
Most conventional therapies are unable to provide
permanent cure. These drugs cannot be used on a regular
basis as they have far reaching damaging effects on
the liver, kidney and other vital body organs, apart
from the fact that they induce bleeding of the stomach
walls. They may be administered rarely and only when
the animal shows signs of extreme uneasiness.
Follow the following steps to avoid arthritis in
dogs. Remember a dog is a man’s best friend.
• Regular scanning of the hip joints and the
spinal chord
• Weight control. Obesity makes the condition
in dogs worse as well.
• Regular exercise but not over exercise.
