How Does A Vet Determine If A Dog Has Arthritis? 10 Common Signs Of Arthritis In Dogs At Houston, TX

Arthritis in dogs.

Arthritis is a prevalent health concern in older dogs that can substantially impair their quality of life. It is a health condition that can affect any joint in a dog’s body and cause pain and suffering. Arthritis can affect any joint, but the shoulders, hips, elbows, and knees are usually affected.

Dog arthritis symptoms.

The following are arthritis in dogs’ symptoms:

• Stiffness and difficulty rising from a sitting or lying down position.

  If you observe that your dog finds it difficult to do the everyday things it usually would enjoy doing or that your dog acts indifferent, is no longer cheerful, and finds it hard to get from lying down, it might be arthritis.

• Limping/Favoring a leg.

  You may notice that your dog favors one leg over the other legs due to pain/lameness in the other legs. It may be a result of arthritis.

• Difficulty ascending stairs; leaping up on couches and chairs.

  You may observe that your dog has trouble climbing or descending the steps, leaping on the couch as he used to, and wants to lie down. He may have arthritis.

• Has less desire to go for walks or participate in any activity.

  Is your once-active dog losing interest in running and playing around? Has he lost interest in going for dog walks? Arthritis could be the cause of these changes.

• Irritability.

  Irritability in your once sweet dog could be a response to pain caused by arthritis. Just as human become irritable and intolerant when in pain, so does it applies to a dog in distress.

• Bawls when touched.

  If your dog suddenly begins rejecting your affection or bawling in pain when you pet him, you may have touched an area affected by arthritis.

• Change in routine/behavior.

  You may observe that your dog spends more time in quiet sections of the house or prefers not to be bothered. This behavior change could be a result of arthritis.

• Licking and chewing at a particular spot

  An arthritic dog may pay special attention to sore joints. You would observe that it frequently licks or chews on one or more locations that could be causing pain.

• Tiredness

  The pain your dog is feeling could quickly tire him out and make him exhausted.

• Decrease in muscle

  Your furry friend may prefer not to do anything due to the pain felt whenever your dog does an activity. Inactivity would eventually result in muscle atrophy/decrease in muscle.

How Does A Vet Determine If A Dog Has Arthritis?

To determine if your dog has arthritis, a veterinarian will perform a physical exam and examine the joint locations for the pain to determine arthritis. X-rays and blood tests may be needed to rule out other conditions like bone cancer. These diagnostic tests will demonstrate how severely the joints have been impacted and will assist guide the therapy plan. In some circumstances, an examination of joint fluid may be recommended to rule out infectious or immune-related diseases.

Treatment for arthritis in dogs

Your vet can prescribe arthritis medication for dogs to help relieve pain in your dog. Aside from dog arthritis medicine, our vets at Safari Veterinary Care Center, led by Dr. Steve Garner, have successfully treated arthritis using stem cell therapy. It is why we are also referred to as stem cell safari.