Arthritis is inflammation of the joints. Joints are located throughout your dog’s body in locations where two bones meet. The bones that meet at the joint are held together by ligaments and cartilage, a soft, highly hydrated tissue that cushions the adjoining bones. It is the joints that give your dog’s skeleton flexibility, and enable every part of your dog’s body to move. For example, joints in the jaw make it possible for your dog’s mouth to open and close.

Arthritis is classified as degenerative or inflammatory. Degenerative arthritis, also referred to as osteoarthritis, occurs when a joint’s cartilage starts wasting away. This cartilage destruction can be the result of trauma, repeated over-exercising (especially on hard surfaces), or abnormal joint formation such as occurs with hip dysplasia, patellar luxation and elbow dysplasia. Inflammatory arthritis results from infectious diseases, especially tick-borne diseases such as lyme disease and rocky mountain fever, and from diseases that impact your dog’s immune system such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Certain breeds, including Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds, appear to have an increased incidence of arthritis.

Symptoms include lameness, stiffness and joint pain that may make your dog limp. Your dog may have trouble getting up and climbing stairs. Symptoms will often be more pronounced after waking up and in cold weather.

Although arthritis is most common in older dogs, it can impact dogs of any age. Risk factors for arthritis include obesity, trauma, over-exercising when your dog is still growing, congenital abnormalities that impact the joints such as hip and elbow dysplasia, infections such as lyme disease and rocky mountain fever, and immune system conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus. In addition, certain breeds such as Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds appear to have an increased incidence of arthritis.