Types of Arthritis 07/6/09
People ask, "Why my pet is limping?" There are many different reasons. Some involve normal wear and tear. Cancer of the bone, cartilage or even the synovial membrane cells that manufactures joint fluid are some causes. Older pets have arthritis. Arthritis has different types suspected in body location or in certain breeds. Clients first think of hip dysplasia in German shepherds. They may in fact have that but spondylosis of the spine or German Shepherd Neuropathy is also on the list of rule out conditions. It takes an exam, radiographs and a neurology evaluation to get a diagnosis. A treatment for arthritis will not be effective for a neurology disorder. I am doing an overview of "arthritis" today.
Acute Traumatic Arthritis: In pets, it generally manifests as a rapidly as a swelling and lameness. Trauma is a cause and results in injury to the joints or ligaments. Accidents vehicle trauma or rupture of cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) are examples in animals. This tear destabilizes the joint and in extreme cases may result in dislocation. The knee joint has a great deal of continual strain and pain. This is incredibly debilitating. In people, they refer to this as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This type of arthritis requires immediate surgical intervention to prevent onset of permanent osteoarthritis.
Auto Immune Arthritis (Rheumatoid Arthritis): A pets own immune system attacks the cells lining joints. This usually affects several joints at once. The synovial membranes generally will become inflamed and mobility will lessen. The cause of autoimmune arthritis has not yet been determined.
Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD): is generally synonymous with osteoarthritis. Clinical signs include a destruction of parts of the joint. DJD generally starts in the cartilage. Pets with this condition experience intermittent inflammation. These flare ups are at first treated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). This condition is one of the most common types of arthritis in pets.
Hip Dysplasia: is a type of osteoarthritis affecting the hip joints of your pet. This is as much a developmental disease as a genetic component. It is important to build strong muscles and bones during growth and development. Couch potato puppies or overweight puppies not out running and jumping over things do not "seat" the ball of the femur head deep into the acetabulum or hip socket. This results in a shallow hip joint, which leads to excessive flatness of the femur head and joint capsule looseness. This can be a result after an acute injury, but may occur due to normal wear and tear or infectious agents. This disease causes a number of complications. A common misconception is hip dysplasia is always an isolated condition. This is not true; it is possible for hip dysplasia to spread to other joints as the disease progresses. Sometimes bilateral cruciate tears will give almost the same gait or motion of hip dysplasia and are hard to sort out for a diagnosis. .
Hypertrophic Arthritis: is development of bone spurs. The best example describing a bone spur is walking with a tack sticking in to a joint. The joint is not smoothly moving along but instead is being scraped and poked by very painful growths. This condition affects both humans and animals. This is a form or a result of DJD, from trauma and or osteoarthritis.
Infectious Arthritis: characterized by lameness and sore joints. There is an underlying infectious element to this type of arthritis. This type of arthritis occurs because of trauma and a secondary infection to the joint. Antibiotics treat this arthritis.
Inflammatory Arthritis: is the least common form of arthritis in pets. Osteoarthritic conditions increase in frequency over time. Unless infectious agents are present, the cause of most inflammatory arthritis types is undetermined.
Patellar (kneecap) Dislocation: caused by misshapen or malformed leg bones results in a "loose" kneecap. The patella dislocates out of its groove at the end of the femur.
Osteoarthritis is a slowly progressing disease. It occurs due to the breakdown and destruction of joint cartilage. As it worsens, there is less cartilage to provide shock absorption for the bones. As bones grind against bone they cause pain, reduced flexibility, inflammation, and a reduced range of motion (mobility). This is the most common type of arthritis in pets. Glucosamine and additives may work for this condition.
Osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD): Shoulder injury primarily. The cartilage deteriorates and causes an osteoarthritic like condition. Joint tissue becomes both painful and inflamed. The shoulder like a sliding joint rather than a ball and socket, it is less prone to injury. As with all joints, it wears down over time. Infection, injury or nutrition may be contributing factors. This arthritis will affect the gait of an animal and slow them down.
When prescribing a NSAID for pain modulation Veterinarians need to inform owners of the need to test and monitor liver and renal systems for damage from the medications. These drugs are better than a pocket on a shirt when they work. However, these drugs also have a dark side. They can cause renal failure, liver failure, gastric and duodenal perforation, and enough bleeding to require a blood transfusion. Moderation of dose or switching to a different brand of NSAID may resolve the problem. When using a prescribed drug there needs to be an assessment of benefit to risk ratio. No one wants to condemn a pet to pain with out medication. You do not wish to cause a worse problem with a medication.
Do not give over the counter or your arthritis prescription medications to pets without instruction from a veterinarian. Your dose may kill it.
For more information about a specific case, consult your veterinarian.