What is Helpful for Dog Joints and Hips?

 Problems of the hip and joint in dogs

Just like us, dogs experience a range of different hip and joint problems. The problems include everything from arthritis to hip dysplasia.

As a dog owner, seeing your canine friend struggle to move freely and knowing that it is in pain is not just worrying but confusing as well, especially when you have to try to work out what is causing the struggle in movement.

If your dog exhibits these signs, there is no question about booking an appointment with your veterinarian. If your dog has not yet caught up with these problems, do not sit pretty because hip and joint health for dogs doesn’t have to wait until the canine is in trouble.

It helps knowing a little bit more about a few different hip and joint problems in dogs and how to either prevent them or manage the pain and inflammation associated with them.

Common hip and joint problems in dogs

The most common hip and joint problems in dogs include osteoarthritis dissecans (OCD), arthritis, panosteitis, hip dysplasia, and Legg-Calve-perthes disease.

Osteoarthritis dissecans (OCD)
OCD in dogs usually occurs when cartilage, which is the tough tissue that cushions the joints, develops abnormally and then separates from the underlying bone. This causes a limp in the affected dog’s leg.

The exact cause of OCD is not clearly known. The problem usually occurs in the dog’s shoulder joint, but it also affects the elbow, hip, and knee. Joint care for dogs with OCD usually ranges from strict rest, use of joint medicine for dogs such as Antinol for dogs and even surgery, depending on the severity of the cartilage separation.

Arthritis
Arthritis is one of the most common problems for dogs. Statistically, it affects four out of every five dogs over the age of eight. Arthritis in dogs usually involves both inflammation and cartilage loss and is caused by a range of factors, including injury, abnormal joint development, and genetics.

There are some obvious signs to look out for when detecting whether your canine friend has arthritis. This includes the dog being stiff and slow to stand up after lying down or being unable to do the active things it used to do easily.

Thankfully, there are a number of remedies to help with arthritis-related joint pain relief for dogs. These include supplements that you can use to support the dog’s joint health.

Unfortunately, supplements administered toward joint health for dogs won’t stop your dog from developing arthritis, but they can help to delay its onset or progression, as well as help to manage any associated pain and inflammation.

Panosteitis
Panosteitis, which is sometimes known as ‘growing pains," affects young and rapidly growing dogs. It usually resolves on its own by the time the dog is two years old.

The underlying cause of panosteitis isn’t quite known, but larger dog breeds tend to be more prone to the problem. The most common symptom of these hip and joint problems in dogs is sudden, unexplained, and painful lameness in one or more of the dog’s legs, which tends to come and go and can even shift from one leg to another.

What is helpful for dogs with panosteitis is restricting their exercise and using joint medicine for dogs, such as Antinol, which is excellent at managing pain and inflammation.

Hip dysplasia
Hip dysplasia is an abnormal development of a dog’s hip joint. It involves the ball and the socket that make up the dog’s joint not fitting together properly. Instead of sliding smoothly, the ball and socket in dogs with hip dysplasia usually rub and grind against each other. This causes significant pain for the dog, and eventually leads to the development of arthritis in the dog’s hip.

A combination of genetics and lifestyle factors usually play a role in the emergence of hip dysplasia in dogs. Symptoms of the condition usually depend on how severe the problem is, with common signs being stiffness, decreased range of motion, and difficulty jumping or climbing stairs. Dogs with hip dysplasia often have overly large shoulder muscles as a result of compensating for the back legs.

Hip dysplasia is typically treated with a combination of lifestyle changes, including weight loss, anti-inflammatory medications, and surgery. Supplements used in joint care for dogs, such as Antinol for dogs, can also help to protect and nourish the dog’s cartilage.

Legg-calve-perthes disease
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is another condition that affects dogs’ hips. While the exact cause of this condition is also unknown, the problem results in the hip joint’s ball starting to break down, eventually leading to arthritis and causing the hip to collapse.

In contrast to hip dysplasia, which usually affects both hips, legg-valves-perthes disease affects only one. Treatment options for the condition are usually similar to those used to take care of a dog with hip dysplasia.

Need more information about joint pain relief for dogs?

As a parting shot, don’t try to deal with your dog’s hip and joint problems on your own. Always talk to your veterinarian about any hip or joint concerns you have with your dog. In that way, we will be ensuring that our canine friends continue to comfortably give us company in the many ways they do while we take good care of them.