True or false - you need to wait until your dog is in pain to intervene in oa.

The most effective pain management plan for canine osteoarthritis (OA), is the plan that starts before the dog is symptomatic. This is because OA is a degenerative condition and pain damages the nervous system.

When you intervene earlier:
• More treatment modalities are available.
• Available treatment modalities are more effective.

When should you implement lifestyle and environmental changes for joint health / canine osteoarthritis management:
• Any dog (of any age) with developmental joint disease.
• Any dog (of any age) with history of joint injury (eg: CCL tear).
• Any dog (of any age) showing joint laxity (too flexible).
• Any dog (of any age) who's training plan is not progressing as expected.
• Any dog (or any age) with an unusual gait or posture.

Canine osteoarthritis is The Most Common pain condition.
Ø Impacts as many as 40% of dogs under 4 years old.
Ø Impacts 90% of dogs over 8 years old.
Ø Leading cause of early euthanasia because most cases aren't caught until 8- 13 years old.
Ø It is safe to assume osteoarthritis impacting your dog is a matter of "when", not "if'.

Canine osteoarthritis is a bummer to talk about because we've normalized waiting until the disease and pain have progressed. Early intervention is hope.

https://caninearthritis.co.uk/managing-arthritis/what-can-be-done/

Dycus, D. (2020, April 28). Cam live: Identifying arthritis earlier and taking a preventative approach. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFOyqCFyDlw

Lascelles, D., & Capon, H. (2020, November 13). Cam live: Canine arthritis myths. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_adx3azXT0

Perry, K., & Capon, H. (2023, August 14). Catching arthritis cases earlier. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6sz-DkpDlA&t=18s

Trey Cutler, J. (2022, February 21). Osteoarthritis staging tool for dogs now available. Today’s Veterinary Practice. https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/news/osteoarthritis-staging-tool-for-dogs-now-available/