The winter season in Perth invariably brings cold and wet weather. While the rainy season is good news for farmers, it can be bad news for older pets. If your dog or cat is over 7 years old, it means he or she is about 50 in ‘fur-family’ years, which also means it’s a good time to check for signs of arthritis.

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Arthritis is joint pain and is caused by the general wear and tear on the joints. As animals age, particularly larger breeds of animals, their joint cartilage can often become damaged and/or joint fluid thinned. That joint pain flares up in cold, wet weather. So, if you have older animals, here are some tips for how to identify arthritis and help ease your animal’s winter aches. 

Signs of Arthritis

Dogs and cats speak a different language from humans – they rarely cry out and never shed tears to show they are suffering. In fact, they are far more likely to go quiet when they are in pain. By understanding how a dog or cat responds to pain, you can help identify arthritis in your animal. Have you noticed any of the following in your dog or cat’s behaviour?

• Difficulty getting up after resting
• Walks more carefully than before and/or reluctant to walk or play
• Climbs stairs more slowly
• Difficulty jumping into the car/chair.
• Limps and/or stretches more or shows stiffness
• Catches long nails in the carpet
• Licks or chews its legs
• Changes character and/or shows aggression (dogs, in particular, may snap to tell you they are in pain because it is the only way they know how)
• Decreased appetite
• Increased anxiety/clinginess (When a cat appears more affectionate and/or purrs more, it is actually seeking comfort from you and may be trying to tell you it is in pain.)
• Reduced interaction with people and/or hiding (A cat may withdraw when it has given up trying to get help.)
• Changes in toilet behaviour

If your animal is exhibiting some of the behaviour listed above, then it is a good idea to take your animal to your veterinarian to find out if they are indeed suffering from arthritis. Once a dog or cat has been diagnosed as arthritic, there are a few treatments that can ease joint pain

Treatments for Arthritis

Treatment Trial – One treatment many vets will use for an arthritic animal is a short course in pain-relieving anti-inflammatories. If these work, you should notice a change for the better in your dog or cat in less than a week. If so, you can feel optimistic that more can be achieved with further anti-inflammatory treatment. However, as not all anti-inflammatories work on all dogs and cats, and some have side-effects (such as loss of appetite or vomiting), you may need to try a few different ones before you find the right one for your pet. It’s worth persevering, as the right medication can go a long way to alleviating your pet’s joint pain. Once you’ve established an anti-inflammatory that works for your pet, you should keep some on hand at all times to use as needed.

Joint Repair Injections – Another treatment option popular with many veterinarians is Cartrophen Joint Repair injections. These injections are given under the skin, rather than into the joint and can slow the advance of arthritis by stimulating joint fluid production and enabling cartilage to repair itself. Usually injections are given once a week for four weeks and the majority of dogs respond positively to the injections. Injections can be repeated to manage arthritis over months and even years.

Home Treatments – If your dog or cat is arthritic, there are a few things you can do at home to minimise their discomfort. Especially in winter, keeping an older dog or cat inside rather than outside can protect them from the worst effects of the cold. Also making sure they have a warm bed at night will reduce the stiffening effects of arthritis. In addition, you can explore naturopathic additives, such as special diets and bedding, acupuncture, cranio-sacral balancing, Bowen therapy and Reiki. 

Gwenda Williams is a veterinarian at Pet Doctor Animal Hospital in Bibra Lake.