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Yet most owners haven ' t noticed

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Canine arthritis is not an old dog disease

Osteoarthritis ( OA ) is often only diagnosed in the late stages of disease . Osteoarthritis is a young dog disease and is much more common than was previously thought . Although it is true to say that most dogs are diagnosed later on in life – between 8 and 13 years of age , when they start to show obvious outward clinical signs ( e . g . lameness or stiffness ), these are likely to be the tip of the iceberg , as many younger dogs affected with early OA are going undetected and potentially suffering in silence .

Unlike in humans where OA tends to be an ‘ old-age ’ or ‘ wear and tear ’ disease , in dogs it is generally due to developmental or degenerative joint disease such as hip or elbow dysplasia , cranial cruciate ligament disease and patellar luxation 1 . As hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia develop during the first few months of life , osteoarthritis commonly develops in young dogs .

It was previously thought that around 20 % of dogs suffer from osteoarthritis 2 . However , a recent screening study * found that 38 % of dogs over the age of 1 had osteoarthritic pain , but only half of these dogs were presented for lameness or stiffness 3 . Another recent study highlighted the relevance of osteoarthritis in young dogs ( 8 months to 4 years of age ) with 2 in 5 showing radiographic osteoarthritis , of which about 50 % showed clinical signs 4 .

Clinical signs of early osteoarthritis can be subtle

Some young dogs may present with overt lameness , but many dogs compensate for years and , despite facing daily pain caused by their OA , they manage to continue to perform their daily activities . Common compensations include gait or posture changes that serve to unload the painful joint . As the gait abnormality may have developed prior to adulthood , the owner may consider it a ‘ quirk ’ of their dog , perceive it as ‘ normal ‘ or even find their unusual gait ’ funny ‘ or ‘ cute ‘.

Gait and posture abnormalities may be indicators of early osteoarthritis

Hindlimb osteoarthritis

Leaning forward with an arched back 5 , 6 Dogs with bilateral hindlimb lameness shift weight forward to their forelimbs by standing with their hindlimbs tucked under their body and arching their back , resulting in gluteal muscle atrophy and shoulder muscle hypertrophy .

Positive sit test , also known as the ‘ sloppy sit ’ 6 Dogs sit with the affected hindlimb held out to the side . This position can be normal in puppies but in adult dogs is often a sign of cruciate disease with the dog reluctant to flex the painful stifle . The sloppy sit may also indicate hock or spinal pathology .

Spinal sway also known as the ‘ butt wiggle ’ 5 This gait results in the hindlimbs being moved forward due to spinal flexion with less movement of the hip joint required .

Bunny-hopping 5 , 6

In this gait the forelimbs alternate , but the hindlimbs move together . Bunny-hopping is often seen when a dog climbs stairs before it manifests at a walk or trot .

The one-sided ‘ sloppy sit ’ often indicates stifle pathology

* Enomoto , M . et al . ( 2022 ). Scientific Presentation Abstracts 2022 ACVS Surgery Summit . ** Owners were asked to fill out a pre-consultation osteoarthritis screening checklist as part of the study .

Volume 38 ( 5 ) • October 2023

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