In healthy joints, there is a perfect balance between the synthesis and degradation of cartilage and of the bone located under the cartilage (subchondral bone) (see joints). When this balance is disturbed, an irreversible process of weakening of the structures of the joint starts. This is what is called osteoarthritis. This translates to a stiffness, pain and thus a weakened will to move around, as well as a loss of muscle mass.
There are several factors that that favour the development this condition:
It is not always easy to know if your dog has osteoarthritis. Indeed, signs are hard to detect: your dog can simply be unwilling to climb stairs or jump into your car’s boot. As time goes, osteoarthritis evolves and your dog becomes stiffer and progressively loses muscle mass. It becomes increasingly difficult to handle the pain: it struggles to get out of its basket in the morning, walks slower, or maybe even limps. In order to be sure of the cause of these changes, you can ask your veterinarian to take an X-ray to evaluate the presence of osteoarthritis.
