Treating Arthritis
by Susan Wynn, DVM
The High Points
- Drugs such as Rimadyl or Etogesic should not be used alone in treating dogs with arthritis
- Arthritic dogs should not be overweight
- Nutritional supplements have different functions from drugs, and should be given to all arthritic dogs
- Acupuncture is excellent for pain relief and should be considered before drugs
Background
Anyone who has lived with an older, stiff, disabled dog has experienced the heartbreak of arthritis. This slowly progressive disease starts with almost undetectable discomfort, and may progress to the point that the animal refuses to stand, walk outside for constitutionals, or even eat.
Although causes may range from rheumatoid arthritis (a disorder of the immune system more common in humans than animals), Lyme disease, and primary cartilage degeneration in young dogs, by far the most common type is degenerative osteoarthritis. As our animals age, the bony joints work less smoothly and bony spurs may develop in the body's attempt to stabilize these creaky joints. Joint instability and bony proliferation cause pain when the animal moves.
Your pet may not be able to tell you if s/he is in pain due to arthritis, because dogs and cats don't moan and complain about their aching joints! You may see only slowness when they try to get up and down, climb stairs or furniture, or get into the car. You may also see marked stiffness after unusual exercise, or even grumpiness that was never evident before.
There is no cure for osteoarthritis. The animal is usually sentenced to a lifetime of anti-inflammatory agents which may include carprofen (Rimadyl), etodolac (Etogesic), aspirin, or cortisone like drugs (prednisone, Depomedrol, Vetalog, etc). Unfortunately, these drugs may have serious side effects. The good news is that natural therapies such as herbs, nutraceuticals, and acupuncture may slow the disease and allow you to use fewer drugs.
Diets for Osteoarithritis
The first and most important treatment for osteoarthritis is to improve the diet, preferably to homemade, although high quality commercial diets may also help. Practitioners are researching a concept called "Leaky Gut," which describes a sequence of events common in dogs who have received drugs for arthritis. In general, anti-inflammatories can cause irritation of the GI tract, which in turn disturbs both the tract's ability to keep food and substances from the gut from getting into the circulation AND the gut's ability to absorb specific nutrients via specific transport mechanisms. The result is a dog who is developing inflammation and allergies to food particles which shouldn't have gotten into the circulation, as well as a dog who is possibly undernourished since the "right" molecules are not being absorbed.
Our most important first step, then is to recommend high quality diets—sometimes homemade and sometimes hypoallergenic.
Next, nutritional supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin can really help many dogs. Unfortunately, the supplement industry is not well regulated by the government, and some products are fraudulently labeled. We recommend Cosequin, Promotion, Osteo-BiFlex, GNC brand and Walmart brands, as independent analyses have proven that they contain what their labels claim.
Many wonder if herbs work for arthritis. Some do, including Devils claw, boswellia, and Chinese herbs. These herbs work best in combination, however, so it is best to consult with someone who can mix these according to your pet's needs, or has a Chinese herbal pharmacy.
Many animals with arthritis or other musculoskeletal diseases compensate for chronic pain by "contorting" their spines. These animals benefit from a consultation with a chiropractor. Most dogs with chronic pain have muscle spasms and trigger points which may be relieved by thoughtful, gentle massage. For animals with moderate to severe pain, acupuncture is well worth a try, since it can be very effective in the treatment of arthritic pain.
Arthritis is manageable using a variety of natural and conventional treatments. It is especially important to slow progression of the disease by starting a good diet and glucosamine supplementation early.
