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OA Diagnosis, Pain Identification
 CAM Forum User
CAM Forum User
18 January 2022 at 4:34 pm

Arthritis in young dogs

I am feeling a bit sad and overwhelmed by canine arthritis today. Our collie-cross Squid is roughly 3 years old, and about a year and a half ago it transpired he had elbow dysplasia in his front right limb. He underwent an arthroscopy a year ago, and seemed to recover well from it – he’s showed no lameness in that limb since. Recently, we noticed a change in his gait – he seemed unstable on his back right leg, and the vet agreed his gait appeared shortened. We had him x-rayed, fearing that hip dysplasia would also be added to his list of ailments, but to our surprise his hips and knees were in perfect condition. The vet found instead quite significant arthritis to the 2-3 vertebrae at the bottom of his ribs, almost in the centre of his back, which seems to have been causing some nerve pain and resulting in the symptoms he has been showing.

This has completely thrown us; whereas joints seem relatively treatable, the back, beyond pain medication, doesn’t. We haven’t thrown balls for him since his elbow diagnosis, and try to manage sensible exercise with lots and lots of brain games, sensory play, chewing and licking. But I’m left wondering what is going to happen next? He is a young dog so he has bags of energy, plus he’s a collie so it’s really hard to slow him down, and it leaves him frustrated if we do. I don’t know what to expect with how quickly it will develop, whether he will be left debilitated at a still young age, and how we can strike a balance between allowing him to enjoy his life whilst managing his condition. I’m worried that a necessary regime of painkillers (he is on metacam and now gabapentin) from such a young age will limit his life in terms of his kidney function.

We feel a bit heartbroken that we are now on a journey with him that will only get worse, and from such a young age. What can we do? What can we expect? And how can we help him?

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  • CAM Responded

    18 January 2022 at 4:35 pm

    Hi there,

    Welcome to CAM and hi to Squid! I’m so sorry he has been diagnosed so young, and totally understand the fears and worries you are going through following the latest outcome.

    Firstly, take a breath! Squid is in great hands, his mum knows that he may have days when he is feeling sore and is keeping a close eye on him. You are also aware of his limitations, know not to let him over-do things and are avoiding the high impact games like ball throwing etc. So, he’s already off to a great start. Many owners wont have even realised something is up and under the care of someone else, the progression of the disease may have been far quicker. So give yourself a break and realise what you are already doing is brilliant.

    You haven’t mentioned, but I would suggest ensuring he doesn’t jump in and out of the car or ascend/descend stairs if at all possible – these have a big impact on the joints. Take a look at  your home using our home assessment tool to see if there are any changes you can make that will have an effect:
    https://www.caninearthritis.co.uk/itsmyhometoo/

    They may seem small, but have a significant part to play in the slowing down of arthritis.

    I’d consider finding yourself a really good physiotherapist, ACPAT registered, who can advise you on simple exercises that won’t harm him and will help him to build and maintain his core strength. They may also be able to tell you if he is compensating elsewhere and how to manage that. Also, hydrotherapy (a NARCH registered therapist) could work for him, both mentally and physically and again will help to keep those muscles strong, this is what he needs when the joints themselves are struggling – a good strong muscle surround to help support them. Make a plan with your vet and therapists, and re-evaluate at least six monthly, so that you can adapt and add drugs, supplements and therapies in or out as necessary as he ticks along. Be aware of his  chronic pain and improvement indicators, which will be specific to him so that you know of something is or isn’t working, or if he needs a plan modification.

    It’s difficult to say how things will progress. Each dog is different and there is no rulebook. Xrays, whilst can let us know arthritis is present, don’t always match the patient! Some have shocking x-rays but barely any clinical signs and others vice versa.

    I hope this gives you an idea of some possible avenues to follow. A combination of them all may mean that constant pain relief from drugs may not always be necessary, or possibly reduce them at least. If he does need them long term, then it is thought that organ damage relating to NSAIDs mostly happen if the drug is not used correctly (over dosed), or to dogs who are already compromised with liver or kidney issues. Either way, regular monitoring with blood and urine tests mean you can always keep an eye on this and act accordingly.

    Good luck, and keep us posted. If you haven’t already, look for Holly’s Army on Facebook, where you will find other owners in the same boat. There is a great community feel and you may find some other ideas of how to help Squid live a long and comfortable life.

    Best wishes,
    Lynsey

  • CAM Forum User

    18 January 2022 at 4:36 pm

    My 3 year old chocolate lab has been diagnosed with severe bilateral elbow arthritis. She is on supplements, having hydrotherapy, and has had a course of Cartrophen injections. Her recent x-rays reveal the extent of her arthritis, and my vet asked for advice from an orthopaedic vet in Leeds. They said there is nothing they can do, and to continue with conservative management. I just find it hard to swallow. It feel almost like we have to accept this is going to shorten her life, and we need to keep her comfortable, and give her pain relief when she needs it. As a nurse, I know the things we can do for humans, and I can’t believe veterinary medicine appears so far behind this. I’m trying to be proactive, and am certainly not seeking for her to have radical, painful surgery if it’s going to make things worse. But, she’s only 3, I’m just struggling to accept her fate.

  • CAM Responded

    18 January 2022 at 4:36 pm

    Hi Emma,

    It is always a really tough time when you first get a diagnosis of arthritis, and even more so when you have such a young dog. First of all, I would say to take a deep breath and know that you can be pro-active in helping her from today onwards and hopefully be able to slow the progression of the disease by being aware of her limitations and what you need to think about in terms of her everyday life. Bodyweight, home and ifestyle are extremely important and I think to have this covered before you jump into surgical interventions etc is well worth doing. Keeping her lean is one of the best things you can do for her to reduce load on the joints and fat also releases inflammatory mediators that exacerbate inflammation within the joint. We have a home assessment tool on our website, that will help you to view your home objectively for any hazards that she might be encountering, slippery flooring, stairs, how she gets in and out of the car, her exercise and hobbies – does she chase a ball for example? Avoiding high impact exercise such as ball throwing is desirable. Ensuring you can maintain her muscle mass and strength is important for the future, to support the failing joints and also should she ever have surgery. Rehabilitation and pre-habilition will stand her in good stead, so things like hydrotherapy, physiotherapy will be useful to get in place if it is within your budget.

    Once you are happy to have these basics in place, then there are a few more options open to you. Yo haven’t said if she has elbow dysplasia or not, but it may be a possibility because of her breed. You could ask for a referral to a specialist, who will be able to look at her as an individual and provide you with some potential treatment options. Arthroscopy or CT, or both may help to identify exactly what is happening within the elbow and can lead to different treatment paths. There are differing surgical interventions, or regenerative medicines that are relatively new to the canine market but are out there such as stem cell therapy, platelet rich plasma and other intra-articular treatments such as arthramid.

    A pain clinic may be another route, they will help you with ensuring her pain relief is adequate and can point you to appropriate rehabilitation. Either one will require a referral from your vet.

    Hopefully you have already found the website, but if not, grab a cuppa and browse https://www.caninearthritis.co.uk We also have a FB page and Holly’s Army is another FB page with over 1000 other owners of arthritic dogs who are all very supportive and willing to share their management of their dog, many of them have younger dogs and will be able to help and support you.

    Hope this helps and please know that you are not alone!

    Lynsey

  • CAM Forum User

    18 January 2022 at 4:38 pm

    Hi Lynsey.

    The vet did say it was likely elbow dysphasia originally. Although I don’t suppose it matters all that much as the end result is the same.

    Our vet sent the xrays over to a specialist for their opinion on possible treatments, and it was them that said there was no option for any surgical intervention/arthroscopy or otherwise.

    In terms of her day to day management, we are certainly doing all we can. We even spent £3000 getting special flooring for dogs, which I have to say was well worth it. She is a healthy weight, has expensive joint supplements and hydrotherapy.

    I just find it difficult to sit back and see how it goes. I suppose everyone wants a magic cure, I see it every day with humans!

  • CAM Responded

    18 January 2022 at 4:38 pm

    Hey Emma,

    Yep, sadly the magic bullet is very elusive and every dog is different in terms of what drugs/therapies work, so it will be trial and error and then will change as time goes on. Perhaps regenerative medicine may be an option then? I’m not sure of the criteria for potential candidates but it might be worth researching for someone near you and speaking to a specialist about.

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