By Joe Spoo DVM

Every sporting dog owner holds in the back of his or her mind the fear of a promising dog’s career getting cut short by arthritis. Although dog owners might not all understand completely what arthritis is, they all know that when it comes to our hunting dogs it is not a good thing. The pain and discomfort from arthritis can strike old and young dogs alike. We see young dogs sidelined much too soon with bad hips or injuries, and in older dogs it might just be the aches and pains of age and hard work.

Arthritis is the pain and inflammation associated with bones and joints that no longer function the way they were originally designed. This abnormal function causes excessive wear and tear on joints and bones, and essentially you have a deterioration of the joint cartilage that leads to pain, swelling, lameness, inflammation and reduced mobility. Unfortunately this becomes a vicious cycle of pain, inactivity, weight gain and more pain. Too many owners feel that it’s just a part of life, ending dogs’ careers without exploring other options because they do not realize there are many avenues for promoting a healthy functional life after arthritis.

As with anything, making the effort early in a dog’s life to help prevent arthritis can be much easier than dealing with it once it occurs. Sometimes this prevention starts before the pup is even born. Although there are no guarantees, it is best to only select pups that come from reputable breeders with proven sires and dams carrying various orthopedic certifications, like OFA and PennHip. Once you get the pup home, ensure they are on an adequate diet (I like to stick with the major national manufacturers). In the case of large breed dogs, a large breed growth formula, for example is formulated to allow slow and steady growth of the bone structure. Controlled exercise is important throughout a dog’s life, including as a puppy, to help maintain good muscle tone and a lean body weight. Note “controlled” exercise – just turning a dog out to run might be good for burning off energy, but it isn’t always the best way to lay a good musculature foundation. Just like with any athlete, focus on a conditioning program that includes things like swimming, roadwork, hill workouts, etc. The key is to look at these dogs as athletes and unique living things, not just a piece of equipment to be used a couple of times a year.

Although the above is not a guarantee for heading off arthritis, it is the best we can do to put the odds in our favor. Even with the best tries at prevention, some dogs will still develop arthritis. Sometimes the symptoms of arthritis can be subtle early in the course of the disease, and the sooner it is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can be started. In sporting dogs the most common source of pain and discomfort is from hip dysplasia (see Hip Dysplasia article) a disorder all too common among the sporting breeds. Unfortunately we see a lot of knee injuries in dogs, so it is very important if your dog starts limping to have it examined by your vet to determine the source of the problem and not just to assume it’s related to the hips. Both hip and knee problems can show up in young and old dogs and can have a significant impact on a dog’s hunting career.

With older dogs we can also see aches and pains in the front legs. With very active dogs we can see problems that develop in the wrist joint. This can range from sprains and strains to fractures of small bones called sesmoids that may be difficult to diagnose. The shoulder is another common site of problems for older hunting dogs, especially those worked in heavy cover or asked to do a lot of jumping. Many field trialers have started to realize this and no longer ask their prospects to jump down from the lofty heights of some of the dog boxes. The important point is to have a thorough exam done by your veterinarian to determine the exact area on the dog that is the source of the problem.

If you have a dog with arthritis there are numerous things you as an owner can do to help with the situation. The biggest thing is to keep excess weight off. The next step is to help alleviate the pain and finally develop an exercise program to help strengthen the area involved.

Weight loss in dogs is one of the biggest sources of frustration I see in veterinary practice, as too many people get in the habit of feeding too much food and giving too many treats. With arthritic dogs there is no choice: a comprehensive weight loss program needs to be in place with measured feedings, often a reduced calorie food, limited treats, and frequent (at least every two weeks) weigh-ins to check progress. The sooner these dogs shed some weight the lighter the load is on these stressed joints.

The next step (often at the same time as starting the weight loss program) is to help ease the dog’s discomfort. This is especially important in the early stages of arthritis management, as we often ask these dogs to do more than their bodies are used to with the hope of building up muscle mass. For management of the pain and inflammation of arthritis, I often recommend Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) specifically designed for dogs. Too many people think of their dogs as small humans and attempt to use drugs designed for humans in their dogs. This can be an incredibly dangerous practice. Products like acetaminophen and ibuprofen have a very narrow margin of safety in dogs and can have severe side effects. Although sometimes used in dogs, aspirin also has side effects, such as causing GI ulcers and bleeding. Basically the problem is that our livers and dogs’ livers have different pathways for breaking down these NSAIDs, and thus it is important to use drugs specifically designed for dogs.

Currently there are a large number of canine-specific NSAIDs on the market. Of the ones that I have used, I still turn to the first one we had available, which is carprofen (Rimadyl manufactured by Pfizer). Because it was first on the market, it has been used in the largest numbers of dogs and has proven to be a relatively safe and effective product. As with any medication there are potential side effects, but with close monitoring at home and by the veterinarian, most of these can be addressed. Many of the newer NSAIDs advertise themselves as being more specific for arthritis pain, but with that specificity also has come an increase in potential side effects, which have caused me to stick with the proven older kids on the block.

I’ll typically start a dog on NSAIDs at the label recommendations (usually twice a day) for a two-week trial period to see if it is going to help. If it does then I’ll reduce the frequency down to the lowest possible effective levels (i.e. only when exercising, on the weekends or maybe just during hunting season) just like you would use an NSAID in your own body.

One note on nutritional supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin: early in my career I didn’t use or recommend them much, as there isn’t a lot of good research out there to indicate if they truly work. My philosophy now is that they may be beneficial and when used correctly they are not going to cause any harm, so why wouldn’t you use them? I would recommend talking with your veterinarian, though, to ensure you are giving a correct dose and using a quality product. Unfortunately, with these supplements they are not as highly regulated as drugs, and thus quality and consistency can be highly variable among brands.

Once the weight and pain are addressed, it is important to get these dogs in a steady exercise program to help build up key muscle groups. The key here is to go slow and steady and adjust the program to the individual dog. A typical program that I’ll recommend for dogs with hip dysplasia may be as follows (This exercise protocol appeared in Veterinary Medicine March 2001, page 237 Authors: B. Clark DVM and RM McLaughlin DVM, DVSc, DACVS):

• Week 1: Apply hot packs to the affected areas for 15-20 minutes and then perform range of motion (ROM) exercises. Take for leash walks for 10-20 minutes at least two but no more than 3 times a day. Apply ice packs to the hips after the ROM exercises and the walks.
• Week 2-4: Continue to apply the heat packs and continue the ROM exercises. Gradually increase the length of the walks. Begin walking the patient on inclines and stairs. Perform sit-stand exercises twice daily. Swim 3-5 minutes, three times a week gradually increasing the time as the patient’s endurance improves.
• Weeks 5-12: Continue the hot packs, ROM exercises and walks. Gradually introduce light jogging and play into the routine 20-30 minutes once or twice a day. Increase the swim time to 10 minutes.

With other areas of the body different exercises could be incorporated, but the same principal would apply: slow and steady. Physical Therapy is a growing segment of veterinary medicine, and it would be money well spent to have a licensed physical therapist setup an individual program for your dog.

The most important point to take away is to not look at arthritis as a death sentence or career ender for your hunting partner. There are numerous options out there to help continue their productive life. They may not be able to hunt from sun-up until sundown like they used to, but with some understanding and work on your part you may be able to continue to enjoy your partner for seasons to come.