How to maintain joint health in the ageing canine

Many dogs develop some form of joint disease during their lives. This may be mild, even unnoticeable to the owner, or it can be debilitating, severely affecting the pet's quality of life. There are numerous factors that can affect the joints of dogs, potentially leading to osteoarthritis (OA). Such factors include previous injury/trauma for example a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament or a fracture involving the joint or congenital disorders such as patella luxation or cervical spondylomyelopathy.

OA can result in numerous clinical signs in the form of reduced range of movement (ROM) in joints, pain, stiffness, crepitus, muscle atrophy, reduced proprioception, swelling of joints and weakness (Mullan and Main, 2007; Davies, 2012). Such signs can, in turn, result in reduced exercise tolerance, loss of appetite, aggression and limited function, which culminates in a detrimental change to the animal's quality of life (Cottriall, 2014). As ageing canines are likely to have multiple medical problems (Davies, 2012), it is essential that veterinary examination is undertaken and a veterinary surgeon consulted prior to undertaking any of the modalities discussed within this article.