Welcome back, readers and pardon my absence of late. There’s a 3rd baby in the house, so busy times! As well as Ziggy, and Erin, we now also have a Bear in the clan. Good luck, kid. Enjoy the ride!
As the mercury drops, arthritic pets (and some of their owners) will start feeling it. Clients tell us that they have to help their pets into the car (or up onto the bed!). There are many branches to the arthritis topic. But the most important thing to understand is that osteoarthritis is a progressive disease. Once there is damage to the cartilage, there is a continual cascade of cytokine mediators. These promote further cartilage deterioration and we have a one-way street for the joint – a street that would suit skateboarders!
Current veterinary medicine has a number of options to help our little arthritic buddies. There is a new(ish) injection which takes pain away from arthritic joints with no side effects: it lasts for one month and clients who have seen it work describe it as magic for their pets.
There is another injection that slows down the natural degradation of arthritic joints. This is another sort of magic. The medicine makes the animals more comfortable whilst protecting the health of the joint(s) in the years to come.
Early detection of faulty joints is critical. We see evidence that the sooner you intervene with your arthritic pet (this includes dogs, cats and horses, BTW), the better you can help your furry mate enjoy life with arthritis. Hip dysplasia is something that can be helped with early intervention, surgically and medically. The same goes for elbow dysplasia and knee problems like cruciate disease.
A stitch in time saves nine. If you suspect your happy hopper is less jumpy than usual, speak to your vet about it. A vet with current veterinary knowledge will help your little (or big) mate enjoy their life with bendy knees.
LVC – Lagos Vet Clinic
+351 282 782 282
