Does Your Dog Have Arthritis?

Arthritis is a sneaky condition. It tends to creep up over time and our pets won't always show obvious signs until they are in considerable pain.

The disease is caused by the wearing down of the cartilage that covers the bones at the end of a joint. This 'cushioning' cartilage helps joints move freely and without discomfort but as it wears down, the ends of the bones become exposed and can rub together. You can imagine the pain this might cause your pet!

It is very important to understand that your pet won’t necessarily limp or yelp or whimper if he is in pain.

Most of the signs of arthritic pain are subtle and here's what you should watch out for if you own a dog:

Diabetes case study

Molly the Cairn Terrier visited late one afternoon. She had been ‘off colour’ for a few days. Molly usually had an excellent appetite but over the past few weeks she had lost a lot of weight.

On examination, Molly was dehydrated and had lost 20% of her body weight over three months. A blood test revealed her blood sugar levels were very high and a diagnosis of diabetes was made.

A quick urine test also showed that there was glucose in her urine and unfortunately confirmed the presence of ketones, a potentially life threatening condition that can occur when the body can no longer cope with the disease.