Osteoarthritis affects the majority of dogs over 8 years old and is chronically undertreated, with owners frequently misidentifying pain-related behaviour changes as normal ageing.
Chronic arthritis pain in dogs causes persistent suffering that significantly reduces quality of life throughout the later years of a dog's life. The stoic nature of dogs and the cultural normalisation of slowness in old dogs means that many arthritic dogs live with inadequately managed pain for months or years. Veterinary surveys consistently find that dog owners underestimate the degree to which their dog is experiencing pain. Validated pain assessment scales, owner education about subtle pain indicators, and simplified access to effective pain management could substantially reduce the burden of suffering from arthritis across the companion dog population.