Easing the Ache: Canine Arthritis Solutions

 Let's Talk About Arthritis And Pain Management In Dogs & Cats

Watching our beloved dogs slow down as they age can be heartbreaking, but understanding canine arthritis and its management options gives pet parents powerful tools to help their furry companions stay comfortable and active. Dr. O'Hara dives deep into this common condition affecting dogs of all sizes, though large breeds tend to suffer more significantly from joint deterioration.

You'll discover the subtle early warning signs that many pet owners miss—that morning stiffness when your dog struggles to stand up, their newfound reluctance to jump into the car, or that slight hesitation before climbing stairs. These seemingly minor changes can signal the beginning of arthritis, making early recognition crucial for effective intervention.

The episode explores a comprehensive approach to managing canine joint health, from preventative measures like weight management and early supplementation with joint-supporting nutrients to cutting-edge treatments for dogs already experiencing pain. Dr. O'Hara explains how newer options like Librela injections work by actually blocking pain signals between the affected joint and the brain, while treatments like Adequan provide lubrication to ease joint movement. We also tackle the confusing world of pet food marketing claims about joint health and what really matters when it comes to nutrition.

Whether your dog is showing the first signs of slowing down or you simply want to be proactive about their joint health, this episode provides practical, veterinarian-approved guidance to help your canine companion live their best, most comfortable life. Remember, as Dr. O'Hara emphasizes, "being pain-free and having good mobility are crucial to your dog having a good quality life." Subscribe to Tail Talk for more expert advice on keeping your four-legged family members healthy and happy!

To learn more about Abingdon Animal Medical Center visit:
https://www.MyAbingdonVet.com
Abingdon Animal Medical Center
19586 Dennison Drive
Abingdon, VA 24211
276-628-9655

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Tail Talk with Dr O'Hara, where Eastern
Tennessee and SouthwestVirginia's favorite pets get the
spotlight they deserve.
He's the heart behind AbingdonAnimal Medical Center, combining
small-town charm withstate-of-the-art veterinary care
.
Whether your furry friend purrs, barks or just steals your
socks, this is the place fortips, tails and a whole lot of

(00:28):
tail wagging.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Arthritis isn't just a human problem.
Our pets feel it too.
In this episode, dr O'Harashares how to spot the signs of
joint pain in dogs and whatoptions are available to help
them stay comfortable and active.
Welcome back everybody.
Skip Monty here, co-host slashproducer, back in the studio
with Dr O'Hara of AbingtonAnimal Medical Center.

(00:57):
Doctor how's it going?
It's going great, Skip.
How are you?
I'm doing just fine, and it's apleasure to sit down with you
today, especially when we'retackling something so important
as our aging pets.
So why don't we kick it off bysaying what are some early signs
of arthritis that pet ownersoften overlook?

Speaker 3 (01:16):
Well, some of the first signs they see, skip, are
trouble getting up in themorning.
They seem really stiff, havingtrouble getting from a laying
down position to an uprightstanding position.
You know they used to get inand jump up into the car easily.
Now you have to help them.
Of course, if you see alameness or a limp, those all
can be signs of arthritis.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
So you can.
If you see those symptoms, youknow something's going on and
it's time to take them in to seeyou.
Yeah, that's right.
So are there specific breedsthat are more prone to joint
issues than others?

Speaker 3 (01:52):
well, I won't get into specific breeds.
I would say there's probablysome that are more likely than
others, but I will put it moreas that larger breed dogs or
giant breed dogs struggle morewith arthritis.
Now, I've seen smaller dogs.
Don't they do, but what I seeis a lot of older dogs that are

(02:13):
of big nature really strugglewith it.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, I think I mentioned to you I've got a
beagle that's about 12 years oldand he's a lightning rod most
of the time.
But I've noticed lately in themorning when I let him out in
the morning he has to go up somestairs from our basement and
he's kind of slow moving thesedays yeah, those vertical
movements become tougher, forsure well and uh, at night he's

(02:37):
still a lightning bolt, but inthe morning he slows down.
so I think he's definitelydefinitely got some issues going
on there.
Well, and he's a little chubbytoo.
So since his best friend passedaway not too long ago, so he's
eating more food apparently itused to be for two dogs.
We're not giving him the sameamount of food, but with that

(02:57):
said, does weight managementplay a role in prevention or
treatment?

Speaker 3 (03:03):
Absolutely both.
Actually, you know, keeping ahealthy weight throughout their
life, they'll take less toll onthose joints over a lifetime,
right?
And then if they developarthritis, the more you got to
carry around, the harder it is.
So being ideal body conditionis a key component to
controlling and helping andaiding with arthritis, for sure.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
Can you?
Well, you know, I know you havea plethora of treatments for
this condition for dogs.
Can you walk us through some ofthe pain relief options, both
medical and holistic?

Speaker 3 (03:38):
For sure.
You know, one of the things Ithink it's starting with even at
a young age a joint supplementis a great idea, right?
You know I think it's startingwith even at a young age a joint
supplement is a great idea,right?
You know they put that stuff indasaquin, cosequin.
Joint supplements like that.
The whole aim of that is tryingto keep the cartilage in a
healthy environment.
Cartilage is what lines thebones and the joints.

(03:59):
So keeping that healthycartilage so you don't get bone
on bone over over time becausethat's when you get arthritis is
when you're starting to getlittle bone spurs or the bone is
kind of touching the bonebecause that cartilage has been
eroded away and damaged.
So I think it's good for anydog of any breed to start on a
joint supplement.

(04:20):
That's kind of preventative,you know, that's kind of
preventative, you know.
But as they get older andarthritis really sets in, then
you got to start thinking aboutthings like anti-inflammatories.
They make those specificallyfor dogs with osteoarthritis, so
we'll go there.
And then we got newertreatments.
There's an injection calledLibrella which basically blocks

(04:43):
the pathway of pain from, say,the knee hurts to the brain.
It kind of just blocks thatpathway so that that's not
sensed, you know the brain can'tsense.
Hey, this, this knee hurts, youknow.
So it's kind of just blocks thenerve growth factor, and I've
had a lot of success with that.
I like that.
There's other ones too, likeadequate.

(05:05):
Adequate has been along aroundfor a long time.
They're using horses too.
We use it in dogs and that kindof just lubes up the joints.
You inject them with it andthen over time it kind of just
makes them, oils them up prettygood, and I've had pretty good
success with that too so that'san injection, you said yeah okay
, kind of like a well, whenpeople human, human knees give

(05:28):
out, they give shots of uh, ohgosh, not.

Speaker 2 (05:32):
Yeah, I'm thinking of something similar.
So not silicone, but Likehyaluronic or something like
that.
Yeah, yeah, sorry, I don't knowwhat I'm talking about.
No, it's fine.
We'll figure it out.
Yeah, well now if what aboutdiet?
I know there's all kinds ofdifferent.
When you go to the grocerystore and you're looking at dog
food which is a struggle for me,anyway, just trying to find the

(05:54):
right food for the dog and thatI can afford, you know is are
there, are there foods that haveelements that are better for a
dog with arthritis?

Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yeah, the whole food thing, and that's that's major
marketing war there, right?
I mean there's a bazilliontreats and the bazillion dog
foods.
I would say that there's a lotof foods that say they're
healthy for joints, probablybecause they put some omega-3
oils in there, like fish oil orsomething like that, or maybe
something you found in the jointsupplements that you can get.
They put that in there and thenyou can label it as a healthy

(06:29):
food.
But no, I'm not a big.
You can go, I want a healthyfood.
But no, I'm not a big, you cango, I want a healthy food for
your, your dog, you know, but Idon't really, unless it's
prescription food.
The food industry can be trickyto navigate on what's good and
what's not.

Speaker 2 (06:47):
Gotcha.
Well, I totally get thatbecause it's confusing as it's
all get out for me.
That could be an entirelydifferent subject for another
episode.
Actually, I mean, it could be.
I might get that because it'sconfusing as all get out for me.
That could be an entirelydifferent subject for another
episode actually.

Speaker 3 (06:57):
I mean I might get in trouble.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
That's OK, all right.
Well, doc, I can't tell you howmuch I appreciate your time
today and your insightsespecially.
You know I've got a lot of ushave elderly dogs, so we
appreciate your insights andwhich always brings peace of
mind to pet parents.
So we'll see you on the next.

Speaker 3 (07:15):
Hill.

Speaker 2 (07:15):
Talk.

Speaker 3 (07:16):
All right, thanks, and I'll just end with one thing
, skip is remember thatarthritis causes pain and it
causes decreased mobility, andbeing pain-free and having good
mobility are crucial to your doghaving a good quality life.
So just something to remember.

Speaker 2 (07:31):
Very important, very important to remember.
All right, doc, we'll talk.
Maybe next time we'll talkabout food.

Speaker 3 (07:37):
All right.

Speaker 2 (07:39):
Sounds good, all right, you have a great
afternoon you too.

Speaker 1 (07:48):
Thanks for joining us on Tail Talk with Dr O'Hara.
If your four-legged familymember needs, thank you, a small
town feel with state-of-the-artcare and plenty of belly rubs.