Degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis) is the most common chronic pain condition in dogs, affecting an estimated 20-35% of all dogs and up to 80% of dogs over 8 years, yet frequently underdiagnosed and undertreated.
Osteoarthritis causes chronic, unremitting pain that profoundly affects quality of life in affected dogs. The stoic, activity-restricting response of dogs in chronic pain means that owners — even attentive ones — frequently underestimate the degree of their dog's suffering. This is the central welfare challenge of canine OA: the pain is real and significant but the signals are subtle. Owner education about the behavioural signs of chronic pain — reluctance to jump, difficulty rising, changed gait, reduced play, and altered social interaction — is critical for early detection. Once diagnosed, effective multimodal analgesia transforms quality of life. Dogs with well-controlled OA pain return to activity, social engagement, and normal behaviour that owners had attributed to aging. The goal is not just absence of acute pain but positive welfare: a dog that can engage with life without restriction from joint pain.