Dog Arthritis Can Be Cured!
When a veterinarian performs a general physical examination, they will look at your animal’s limbs, check their range of motion and inspect them for swelling, heat, abnormal sounds (like creaking or “pops”), pain and tenderness. Reflexes are tested with the use of a neurologic hammer. They’ll also be looking for bone dislocations or outgrowths and any signs of degenerative joint disease.
An analysis of joint fluid, known as a joint tap, can also help determine the potential causes of joint damage as well.
A simple radiograph (X-ray), which is a test that any veterinarian can perform, will also help reveal the cause of the pet's lameness and will help your veterinarian to provide a proper diagnosis. Sometimes the cause of limping can be a hidden wood splinter, glass shard or other foreign body that will show up on a radiograph. In some cases, special diagnostic procedures like CAT scans or magnetic resonance images (MRI scans) can also assist in making the correct diagnosis.
In some instances, further diagnostic tests must be relied upon to make a definitive diagnosis. If radiographs fail to provide a diagnosis, special examinations, such as myelography or arthrography may be necessary. Neurologic evaluations may also be necessary, necessitating the use of special examinations, including electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG), and nerve conduction studies.
There is a specific organization, known as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, that can take a look at the radiographs and offer a second opinion, if necessary, when the causes of lameness are questionable. Once you have a firm diagnosis, then you can look at all sorts of treatment options.
If you are dealing with canine arthritis, the condition commonly falls into one of these three categories:
For many purebred dogs, canine osteoarthritis (where the cartilage in a dog’s joints deteriorates or becomes damaged) is what you can expect to find and it typically worsens with age. It is possible for the progression of the disease to occur so slowly that a dog’s owner would not even recognize that their pet had the symptoms.
Osteoarthritis is not unique to any breed, but most commonly affects older animals. Breeding practices have resulted in certain types of lameness becoming a congenital (genetic) condition. The osteoarthritis and hip problems common to older Labrador-retrievers or German shepherds are good examples of disease that may be due to an inherited condition, hip dysplasia. Of course, osteoarthritis can also result from the trauma of a road traffic accident, abnormal joint stresses, from infection in a joint, or just “wear and tear” from advancing age.
As for rheumatoid arthritis, it occurs when the dog's immune system starts attacking the animal’s own synovial tissues, ultimately resulting in destruction of the articular (joint) cartilage and bone. The inflammation and tissue destruction causes serious pain. If the condition is not treated properly, a dog will experience debilitating pain from this form of arthritis and will have problems running and exercising.
Septic (Infective) arthritis is caused by infections that are carried to the dog's joints through the bloodstream. For instance, a bite, thorn or road accident may give infective organisms a chance to enter a dog’s body and travel, via the blood supply, to the joints, which then become inflamed. This is why infected wounds should normally be treated by a veterinarian.
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