Arthritis Treatment

Treatment Options for your Arthritic Dog

There are many different treatment options available for your arthritic dog.  Crucial factors to consider are the age of your dog, the stage and severity of arthritis and your dog’s general health. Every dog will respond to each treatment differently, so please discuss the best treatment methods to manage your dog’s arthritis with one of our friendly vet staff at GVH.

Lifestyle

Weight Control

Bodyweight should be maintained within healthy ranges. This will reduce the stress load on arthritic joints.  Weight reduction can be achieved by reducing caloric intake and controlled exercise.

Supportive Exercise

Regular daily exercise within reason, that does not aggravate a dog’s lameness helps keep joints functioning and maintains mobility, muscle tone and function.

Bedding

Warm soft bedding that is easily accessed by the pet is the best option.

Disease Modifying Medication & Supplements

 Pentosan Polysulphate  eg:  Cartrophen, Zydax

  • Decreases ongoing damage to the cartilage within the joint
  • Reduces inflammation and improves local circulation
  • Increases both the volume and quality of joint fluid
  • Is given as tablets or as an injection under the skin every week for four weeks and then ongoing as advised by the vet.

Nutraceutical Supplementation:  Chondroitin Sulfate/Glucosamine

  • Found in the following products:  Glycoflex, Cosequin, Sasha’s Blend, Glyde, Joint Guard and PAW Osteo-support
  • Provides strength to collagen fibers, increasing the quality of joint cartilage and capsular repair.
  • Acts as precursor nutrients to form proteoglycans (a key component of joint cartilage)
  • Decreases cartilage destruction by inhibiting harmful substances and joint inflammation

Fish Oil eg:  Salmon Oil or EPA

  • Provides omega-3 fatty acids, which inhibit the number of inflammatory ‘messenger’ molecules made by the body’s immune system.  This results in a reduced level of inflammation.
  • It is found in some nutritional supplements (eg: Seaflex) or can be given via fish oil capsules.
  • Human grade or pet grade fish oil can be used at the dose of 1500 mg/10 kg body weight daily. It can occasionally cause diarrhea and may not be suitable for some pets on low fat or special diets, so consult with our team before starting.

Hills Prescription Diet J/D

Hills J/D is a special diet specially designed for arthritic dogs.  It comes in canned and dry varieties. It is used to reduce pain, preserve healthy cartilage, and allow affected dogs to exercise more easily. The product contains the following ingredients: Omega 3 fatty acids, Eicosapentaenoic acid, Glucosamine, Chondroitin sulphate, L-Cartinine and Antioxidants, so it eliminates the need for any additional nutritional supplements.

Complementary Medicine

Acupuncture

  • An extremely safe treatment
  • Involves inserting exceptionally fine acupuncture needles into specific points on the body.
  • Acupuncture is thought to work by influencing the nervous system and hormones within the body.
  • Each treatment lasts 10-30 minutes and initially occurs at weekly intervals.
  • Most cases it is extremely effective in the treatment of arthritis.

Trigger Point Therapy

  • A trigger point is a localised, hyper-irritable area found within muscles.  When gentle compression is applied, the area becomes extremely painful.
  • Treatment of the trigger point involves stimulation of the affected area by massage, acupuncture needles, or electrical nerve stimulation onto the skin or specific acupuncture points.
  • Stimulation of the affected area results in relaxation of the trigger point, allowing the muscles to be gently stretched to their full length
  • Treatment sessions usually last 30 minutes

Acupuncture and trigger point therapy are available here at GVH.
Call our friendly client service team for an appointment.
Pain Relief and Anti-Inflammatory Medication

Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID’s) e.g.:  Carprofen, Meloxicam, Galliprant and Previcox

  • Reduces joint pain and reduces inflammation of the joint lining
  • Allows greater use of the affected joint
  • Can favorably modify joint metabolism and decrease the release of inflammatory chemicals
  • Can be joint protective
  • Potential side effects; please discuss these with one of our vets at GVH

Tramal

  • Synthetic opioid
  • Provides pain relief but does not reduce inflammation
  • Can be used in addition to other medications

Gabapentin

Is a pain relief and anti-convulsion medication

Useful for many types of pain, particularly that associated with nerve pain, also a useful anti-anxiety medication, we often use this in conjunction with NSAIDS

Monoclonal Antibody Therapy

This new injectable treatment is a monoclonal antibody which targets nerve growth factor. It blocks the pain receptors in the joints and helps reduce inflammatory messengers, so it can indirectly reduce joint inflammation. It needs to be used with NSAIDS but with caution, as longer safety studies are not available. But it can be used with the other medication mentioned above if needed.