CURRENT STATE OF DISEASE

Prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs is believed to be greater than 20%¹ and growing as dogs live longer and obesity is becoming more of an issue. It is likely that 2 out of every 5 dogs in your practice have clinical signs of OA².

OA is caused by many factors, including developmental issues, injury and obesity. Poor conformation often leads to OA early in life. Conformational changes impact both large (hip dysplasia) and small dogs (patellar luxations). So, both large and small dogs should be screened for OA. Dogs can show signs of pain due to OA much earlier than often recognized. Signs of OA may often be missed by pet owners as dogs hide signs of pain.

There is no cure for OA, however, early diagnosis and a multimodal management plan, including pain control, can help keep dogs active, manage weight, and support the quality of life of dogs with OA.

The content and tools on this site will provide veterinarians and veterinary nurses the latest on the Science of OA as well as resources to identify and treat dogs suffering from the pain of OA.

Osteoarthritis Checklist for Dog Owners

Download the checklist for osteoarthritis in dogs

Other Resources

The Canine Arthritis Management group is a syndicate of various individuals (specialists/GPS/nurse, etc.) focused on addressing the challenges of canine OA.

REFERENCES

1. Johnston SA. Vet Clin North Amer. 1997;27(4)699-723

2. Data on File, Study Report No. ORCAD1030, Zoetis Inc.