If you are a dog-lover and above all if you have a large or XL dog you will be surely interest in knowing more about this subject as it strikes roughly 20% dogs over 1 year old, involving crosswise young, adult and old animals.

In simple words what is arthrosis?

Arthrosis is an orthopedic disease that involves joints and it is the first cause of chronic pain in dogs.

In fact, arthrosis is accompanied by the synovial membrane inflammation, thickening of the joint capsule and severe cartilage alterations that loses its buffer role between the two bones ends. These ends, no longer protected, develops bones protuberances called osteophytes. As time goes by also muscles and ligaments will suffer from the situation: in fact, muscles, less used, will head for atrophy while ligaments will be looser.

Arthrosis appearance are different. In fact, it can be distinguished in primary, simply caused by senescence or secondary, that is to say direct consequence of a trauma, inflammation or joint congenital alteration. This condition is subsequently worsen by external factors such as obesity or an excess of physical activity.

Arthrosis means pain and dogs manifest joints pain in different ways. The most classical one is lameness but the animal can even adopt unusual positions in the attempt to find relief. Other symptoms are reluctance to move, intolerance to manipulations, lack of appetite, mood changes. 

To fight against arthrosis we have several weapons. The first and most efficient is prevention, where possible. In fact, all puppies must have an orthopedic visit when 3-4 months old: in this way it will be possible to highlight and if necessary to precociously operate problems such as dysplasia that could later evolve in arthrosis. Where prevention is not possible and pathology is already there, we have to alleviate pain, slow down the disease progress, recuperate functionality and minimize the joint instability.

Which are the possible therapies?

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