Osteoarthritis is extremely common in older dogs and causes chronic pain that significantly impairs quality of life. Evidence-based management significantly improves welfare for affected animals.
Canine arthritis is a welfare crisis hidden in plain sight. Millions of elderly dogs live with significant, undertreated pain because their owners misread stoic behavioral adaptations as normal aging and their vets are not routinely screening for chronic pain. The welfare obligation is to recognize arthritis as a medical condition requiring active management rather than inevitable age-related decline requiring acceptance. The combination of effective pharmaceutical management, appropriate exercise, weight control, and environmental modification can transform the welfare experience of arthritic dogs - the difference between a dog that struggles painfully with daily activities and one that moves comfortably and engages with its environment is a welfare difference of enormous significance.