Common arthritis signs
- Stiffness after sleep or rest
- Slower rising or lying down
- Reluctance to jump into the car or onto furniture
- Difficulty with stairs or slippery floors
- Shorter walks or lagging behind
- Licking over a painful joint
- Irritability or reduced social interaction
How is arthritis diagnosed?
A veterinarian combines history, gait observation, orthopedic examination and sometimes radiographs. Other causes of lameness or weakness may need to be ruled out, especially when signs appear suddenly or affect one limb.
What helps?
Management is usually multimodal. Weight control, appropriate exercise, rehabilitation, environmental modifications and veterinarian-prescribed pain management can all contribute. The plan changes with the dog's age, other diseases and response to treatment.
Do not give human pain medications such as ibuprofen or naproxen unless specifically directed by a veterinarian; some can be highly toxic to dogs.
Related VetWel guides
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Veterinarian Nazif Oben AkşemsettinoğluVetWel Founder & Veterinary Consultant