Arthritis
Atopy (Inhalant Allergy)
Bufo Toad Poisoning
Cat Home Safety Tips
Collar Hazards
Common Things to Watch for
Dental Disease in Pets
Diabetes
Dog Safety Tips
Feline Heartworm Disease
Mallassezia (yeast) Dermatitis
Reasons to Neuter
Noise Phobia in Dogs
Weight Problems in Pets
Otitis (Ear Infections)
Parvo Virus
Pruritis (Itchiness)
Rabies
Seizures and Epilepsy
Senior Pets
Reasons to Spay
Toxoplasmosis, Cats and Women
whenever you walk. You go to your doctor and explain what is going on
and are prescribed a medication, which relieves your pain. You feel good
again and are back to enjoying life.
Now imagine that you are in a foreign country. You don’t speak the
language, and nobody around you understands yours. You are in pain
and each day it’s getting worse. If only you could get someone to give you
a pain pill, you would feel so much better.
You try to get your message across by showing that you’re hurting. You
move a bit slower. You take your time going up and down stairs. You rub
your back a little, moaning and yell out if someone touches a sore spot.
But no one realizes what you are trying to say. Nobody understands. So
you go on day after day in pain.
Unfortunately, that’s what it is like for many dogs and cats suffering from
osteoarthritis (OA). Although OA is one of the most common causes of
pain in animals, many are not treated for it because the classic signs
associated with the disease go unrecognized by pet owners. Only when
the disease is advanced and the pet is in obvious pain is it brought in for
treatment. It is estimated that 20% of adult dogs suffer from some degree
of OA, but less than half are treated for it. Pain management is even less
common in older cats.
Also known as "degenerative joint disease" OA is a progressive
degradation of the "articular" cartilage that lines the ends of bones and
provides for a smooth joint surface. An excessive production of enzymes
breaks down the fibers and molecules that make up the cartilage. As the
disease progresses, the damage extends through the cartilage and into the
underlying bone. In the early stages of the disease the pain may be mild
and intermittent. But as the disease progresses the pain increases in
intensity and duration.
Many owners assume that limping is the only sign of pain that they should
watch for. Often times, clients will tell me that they don’t think their
animal is in pain because they never see it limping. Actually, many
animals will live with their pain for years and not limp much until the later
stages of the disease, but it will display other behaviors that owners can
learn to recognize.
Frequently there is a decreased amount of activity and the pet doesn’t run
or play as much as before. It may have a hard time going up or down stairs
and rising from a resting position. It may not be able to jump up onto a
favorite chair or the bed any longer. Some dogs will tremble or pant
excessively when they are in pain. Many develop insomnia and are quite
restless through the night. And some will try to bite if a sore spot is
touched.
Sometimes the animal may confuse it’s owner by limping or acting stiff and
sore at times and at other times running around excitedly like nothing is
wrong. Endorphins and cortisol, the body’s natural painkillers, may play a
role in blocking the pain in an excited animal. But as their levels return to
normal the animal feels pain again.
Cats with OA will show a decreased activity level and are not able to jump
and climb like they used to. They may have grooming difficulties and
have an unkempt appearance. Some will stop using the litter box because
it hurts too much climb into it. Others will have personality changes and
become aggressive when their owner tries to pick them up or pet them.
Many people think that it is natural for an older pet to just lay around.
They become accustomed to the changes in their pet as it ages and they
forget how it acted when it was younger. But if the reduced activity is due
to painful joints, then relieving the pain can allow for it to be playful and
active again. Many of my clients have called me back excitedly reporting
that their old dog is "acting like a puppy again" once we started it on a
pain medication.
Pain is a form of stress that has no benefit and impacts the health of the
animal in many ways. It decreases the pet’s quality of life and affects it’s
behavior, mood and the way it interacts with its human family. Pain relief
is the compassionate response when a pet is hurting and by learning to
recognize the signs of pain, owners can seek treatment for their pet as early
as possible.
Since OA is a progressive, degenerative condition there is no cure for it.
Rather, treatment is aimed at minimizing the progression of the disease
and relieving the animal’s pain. While effective pain management is the
cornerstone of treatment, a combination of therapies incorporating weight
control, exercise, physical therapy and massage produces the best results.
Pain management in dogs took a giant step forward a few years ago with
the release of Rimadyl (R). Today, there are several other NSAID's (non-
steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) also available including Etogesic (R) and
Deramaxx (R). These medicines are very safe and effective in reducing the
pain and inflammation of arthritic joints. It is recommended that regular
blood testing to monitor kidney and liver function be performed while on
either of these medications. This is especially important for older pets.
Another medication that I have excellent results with is Adequan (R). This
is an injectable medicine that reduces joint inflammation and pain and
helps to repair damaged cartilage, thereby slowing the progression of the
disease. Most of the dogs that I have treated with it have responded
dramatically. I treated my own dog Nikki with it several years ago after
she began yelping when she tried to run or jump. X-rays of her spine
showed some arthritic changes. Once she finished the series of injections
she was running and playing like she did when she was 2 years old!
Many animals also respond well to nutritional supplements such as
Cosequin (R) and Glycoflex (R). These products contain chondroitin
sulfate and glucosamine and provide the building blocks for cartilage
synthesis. They also act by inhibiting the enzymes that degrade the
cartilage.
The supplement "MSM" is a derivative of DMSO, a potent anti-
inflammatory / analgesic. It is a source of organic sulfur, which is
required by the body in many metabolic pathways including collagen
synthesis and helps to reduce the pain and inflammation of arthritic joints.
It is contained in Glycoflex II and Glycoflex III.
Exercise is highly beneficial for both dogs and cats with OA. It helps to
maintain muscle tone and keeps the joints limber. It is a vital part of
weight management and helps to improve the animal’s sense of well-
being. Good muscle tone will also add support to the joints. Any exercise
program must be in done in conjunction with effective pain control.
Attempting to force an animal that is in pain to move about is not humane.
Low impact aerobic activities such as walking and swimming are excellent
forms of exercise. Start off slowly and increase as the dog becomes more
fit. Cat owners may find it extremely challenging to get their sedentary
feline to exercise. A feather on a wand (available at any pet store) is a good
toy to stimulate hunting and stalking play.
Weight control is one of the most important factors in managing animals
with OA. Many animals tend to become very overweight because of the
reduced activity associated with the disease. The excess weight on already
damaged joints leads to more pain and even less activity. Overweight
animals should be placed on a veterinarian supervised reducing diet.
Physical therapy, one of the least utilized forms of treatment, can be very
beneficial for animals with OA. With the animal laying on its back or side,
make a "bicycling" motion with each set of limbs going through a full range
of motion. This can be done for several minutes twice a day. Start off
slowly and stop the exercise if the animal seems to be in a lot of discomfort
or struggles. Another exercise that can help to keep the animal limber is to
gently flex and extend each joint to its limit, holding it in each position for
30 to 60 seconds. Consult with your veterinarian on how to do these
exercises properly.
Massage therapy is also an excellent way to help a stiff, sore animal to feel
better. Gentle massaging of the major muscles of the back and legs can be
done in combination with the above physical therapy exercises. I recently
purchased a "thumper" type electric massager for my own sore back and
found that my pets really enjoy being massaged with it too.
Cats with OA present a challenge to veterinarians to treat medically. The
dilemma is that their pain should be treated but they are very sensitive to
many of the common painkillers. Options are to use low dose prednisone
or aspirin. Cosequin (R) is approved for use in cats and while Adequan (R)
is not, it has been used in an "off label" manner in cats and appears to be
safe and effective.
Acupuncture is a drug-free alternative treatment that can be used in both
dogs and cats and many animals respond quite well to it. It is believed to
act by stimulating the production of endorphins, the body’s natural opiate
painkiller, and by blocking the transmission of pain signals to the animal’s
brain.