Osteoarthritis and other joint diseases cause chronic pain in millions of companion dogs. Early diagnosis and appropriate management dramatically improve quality of life.
Canine osteoarthritis is a chronic pain condition that silently reduces quality of life in millions of dogs. Because dogs do not vocalise pain effectively and owners normalise gradual behaviour changes as 'slowing down with age', the condition often goes undiagnosed and undertreated for years. A dog with moderate hip osteoarthritis experiences daily pain from a condition that is highly treatable with modern analgesia. The welfare transformation that appropriate pain management delivers - a dog that can rise without hesitation, play with its family and sleep comfortably - is profound. Early diagnosis and sustained treatment should be the standard of care for every arthritic dog.