An Arthritis Management Plan That Will Reduce Pain, Improve Mobility, And Keep Your Pet Moving Longer
And likely extend their life, too!
The other day I was strolling through the neighborhood when I bumped into an elderly man walking his 2 senior dogs.
The whole crew was moving a bit slow, but one of the dogs was struggling more than the others. I couldn’t help but notice how stiff he was — like he was walking on stilts — hobbling, limping, and gingerly hopping down the street. He was a tiny guy, so he didn’t have much weight to carry, but it was clear that the sum total of maybe 5 kilos was still too much for him to bear.
When our pets reach old age, I commonly hear people say, “Yeah, he’s old, so he just doesn’t get around well anymore.”
But I’ve got news for you — your senior pet isn’t struggling to get around because they’re old, they’re probably struggling to get around because they’re weak and in pain.
Last week I wrote a piece on how to prevent arthritis in our pets. But what can you do when your pet already has it? Arthritis can be an extremely painful and debilitating disease.
While there are an increasing number of options for treatment, arthritis isn’t a reversible disease (in pets or people), so early intervention is important to ensure your pet’s longevity and quality of life.
You’ll typically need to employ a combination of therapies as their disease progresses. And depending on your situation, some lifestyle changes may also be in order.
Here are a few hacks for managing your pet’s arthritis at home that will improve their comfort and mobility, and keep them moving with you for longer.
Things you can do
Lifestyle changes
Handle with care.
Our arthritic pets are fragile and need to be handled gently. This is especially important for pets with end-stage arthritis. Think about the way you would interact with your 90 year old grandmother. Calmly, slowly, gently. No rough-handling (i.e. dropping them or allowing them to jump from a large height, rough-playing, etc.) like you could when they were younger.
People tend to be more conscious of this with old cats, but old arthritic dogs need to be handled gently too!
Exercise regularly.
Low impact activity like swimming is best.
It’s better to go on short frequent walks than it is to go on one long or intense one. Go at their pace — WALK SLOW! Use a harness instead of a collar so you’re not pulling your dog down the street by their neck. They often have degenerative disease there too and yanking on their necks can be painful!
If your pet has difficulty rising or is unsteady on their feet, you can use a Help ‘Em Up Harness to help them get up and around without throwing your back out. Especially helpful for big dogs!
Lose the extra weight.
If your pet is overweight (even just a little bit), weight loss is an absolute must. Again, this is the single most important thing you can do to manage your pet’s arthritis.
Consider switching to a senior care or joint support diet. Ask your vet first.
Get a grip.
Not you, the dog! Arthritic dogs often splay out on hard floors, slip on wet surfaces, and have difficulty rising to their feet.
Make sure to keep the fur in-between their paw pads trimmed down so they don’t slip as easily on their furry feet.
If you have hardwood floors in parts of your home, it’s helpful to create runways for them to get from one spot in the home to the other. You can easily do this with yoga mats or rolls of pantry liner.
If you’d rather not turn your house into a yoga studio, you can also purchase paw grips that stick onto the bottom of your pet’s feet.
Stick to one level.
If you live in a multi-floor household, they may not be able to do the stairs anymore. Make sure their food, water, bed, toys, and anything else they need is on one level. Make it the level where the family spends most of their time so your pet isn’t isolated. And if you can, carry them up and down the stairs with you.
Install ramps.
If they sleep on the bed, hangout on the couch, or join you in the car, you can purchase (or build) a tiny stair block or ramp up to the places where they can’t jump anymore. Even if they’re still able to jump, this high impact activity can be painful and damaging, so best to avoid.
Make it cushy.
Older and arthritic pets are achey and often suffer from muscle loss, which results in more boney exposure. Make sure they have extra thick and cushy places to rest so they’re comfortable.
Physical therapy / rehabilitation
A great way to build muscle, reduce pain, and improve mobility is through regular physical therapy or rehabilitation services. If your pet really has trouble getting around, you can have a therapist come to the home to perform treatments to start. Some of the treatments can only be performed in a rehab facility, but there are a number of exercises you can continue at home between appointments too. Ask your pet’s rehab specialist about this.
Underwater treadmill
Acupuncture
Laser therapy
Controlled mobility exercises
Massage
Shockwave therapy
Supplements & neutraceuticals
Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM
Important supplements for both the prevention and treatment of arthritis. Fish oils (Omega 3 FA) have the most scientific backing. I’ve written about these extensively in a recent article I wrote about the supplements I give my own dog each day, so I won’t bore you with the details again.
New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel (Perna canaliculus)
Sounds weird, works wonders. Green lipped mussel extract is chondroprotective (protects joint cartilage), an antioxidant, and has both direct and indirect anti-inflammatory effects on the joint.
Contains the chondroitin and omega 3 FA’s found in other supplements, as well as additional joint-protective elements.
When used in combination with other joint supplements (glucosamine, chondroitin), placebo-controlled studies show that it significantly reduces pain and objectively improves mobility in 4-6 weeks, but some dogs show improvement much faster than that!
Flexadin Advanced (Undenatured Collagen Type II)
This joint supplement is also pretty good for patients with mild to moderate arthritis. It contains a specific type of cartilage that modulates the inflammatory response in the joint, preventing further damage to joint cartilage and alleviating pain in arthritic patients.
We usually see improved comfort after 4 weeks, which can continue to improve for several months thereafter!
Things your vet can do (to name a few)
Pharmaceuticals and immunologics
NSAIDs
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) such as Rimadyl, Metacam, Previcoxx, etc. are another historical cornerstone of arthritis treatment.
While these drugs are very effective at treating the inflammation associated with arthritis and alleviating pain, they carry serious side effects that can be dangerous when administered long term.
❗️Dogs that receive NSAIDs for more than a few days are at risk of liver and kidney disease, as well as gastrointestinal ulceration which can result in acute death. NEVER give an NSAID to a dog that is vomiting, having diarrhea, or is not eating. If your pet experiences any of these signs while taking an NSAID, stop the drug and contact your veterinarian immediately.
‼️Cat’s kidneys can be particularly sensitive to the side effects of NSAIDs and they should NEVER receive more than one consecutive dose of Metacam (meloxicam). The FDA has identified numerous cases of cats developing acute kidney failure after receiving more than one consecutive dose of the drug. Last week, I saw a case where both of the cats in the home were prescribed several days of meloxicam for different reasons, and BOTH of the cats went into acute kidney failure. Sad! AVOID!!!
Gabapentin
Though there is limited evidence to support the use of gabapentin specifically for orthopedic pain in animals, it is proven useful for the treatment of neurogenic pain, which may be implicated in cases of arthritis.
I typically use this in pets who cannot receive NSAIDs, and I find it to be particularly helpful for cats.
Opioids
Not useful for treating inflammatory pain persé but can be helpful as part of a multimodal treatment plan for animals with severe chronic orthopedic pain.
Many old school vets prescribe will prescribe Tramadol, but there is limited evidence to support the use of Tramadol in treating pain in animals.
Adequan
An injectable treatment of Polysulfated Glycosaminoglycans (PSGAGs). This is a healing and protective agent that naturally occurs in the joints. It helps repair damaged cartilage and interferes with destructive and painful pathways in the joint.
Treatment usually starts with a series of injections performed twice weekly for four weeks. If the pet shows significant benefit after four weeks, we make a plan to continue injections long-term.
Approved for the treatment of arthritis in dogs and horses, but can also be useful for cats!
Librela
A relatively new (but often very effective) injectable treatment given once monthly for treatment of orthopedic pain in dogs.
Librela is an antibody that works against Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), which is a key driver of arthritic pain.
Because this is a new drug, there are limited studies available, and there have been some reports of neurologic consequences in certain dogs. Make sure you discuss with your vet in detail if this option is right for your specific pet.
Joint injections
Hyaluronic acid
Steroids
Platelet rich plasma [PRP]
Stem cells
Radiation therapy
This isn’t performed very commonly, but studies show that using radiation therapy (the same kind that is used to treat cancer) is very effective at alleviating arthritic pain in pets.
Only catch is that they need to go under anesthesia for treatment.
Arthroscopy & Surgery
Different options available to prevent arthritis in young pets with specific conditions, and to treat disease after it’s already begun. I won’t get into all of it here.
As you can see, we’ve got options.
Every pet requires a unique approach and your pet’s plan will likely require adjustments as they continue to age and their disease progresses.
I don’t ever want to have to put your otherwise healthy pet to sleep because they’re too painful to stand up anymore. So keep them slim and intervene early.
If you notice your pet is becoming a bit stiff, reluctant to jump, slipping or sliding, slowing down, occasionally hopping, or just walking a bit funny, don’t blow it off!
These can all be early signs of degenerative joint disease. And the earlier we intervene, the better.
Keep it moving,
Dr. Sami
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