What are the benefits of early management of osteoarthritis ?
Osteoarthritis is a progressive inflammatory and degenerative disease , which negatively impacts dogs ' well-being by causing pain and impaired mobility . Effective management is crucial in all stages of the disease . Early osteoarthritis describes the period in which osteoarthritis has developed and is progressing within the joint , but the patient is initially able to compensate and carry out activities at the same rate as before . They do this by adapting their posture , gait and behaviour to minimise pain through the osteoarthritic joint . Importantly , if these adaptations are present , the dog is already in pain . The complex nature of osteoarthritis makes a multimodal approach necessary , involving pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies , but management may differ between stages and individual patients .
“ Early osteoarthritis pain does not necessarily mean mild pain . Osteoarthritis pain can be significantly painful early on .”
Duncan Lascelles , BSc , BVSc , PhD , FRCVS , CertVA , DSAS ( ST ), DECVS , DACVS North Carolina State University , USA
Proactive early intervention that emphasises prevention is the most successful way of managing osteoarthritis as it :
• Reduces the osteoarthritis risk in growing dogs with an underlying arthropathy
• Is important from an animal welfare perspective as early osteoarthritis is already associated with pain
• Has a positive impact on the course of the disease and helps to minimise treatment requirements
• Can be successfully adjusted to the patient ’ s needs over time in a multimodal management approach
Helping owners to look out for signs of canine arthritis
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An educational service from the makers of Metacam ® and Previcox ® . Further information available in the SPC or from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd ., RG12 8YS , UK . Metacam ® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH , used under license . Previcox ® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health France SCS , used under licence . © 2023 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health UK Ltd . All rights reserved . Date of preparation : August 2023 . UI-PET-0078-2023 . Use Medicines Responsibly .
22 Veterinary Nursing Journal