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No matter their size, age or breed, any dog can suffer from joint problems. Some breeds are more genetically susceptible to certain joint diseases, and most older dogs will experience arthritis to a certain degree because of wear and tear. There are many different types of joint issues, injuries and diseases that can affect a dog’s mobility, cause pain and even result in lameness. 

In this article, we’ll explore a range of common joint disorders in dogs, and how to tell if your dog has arthritis or is suffering from other joint issues. We’ll also look at the treatments available for dogs with joint problems.

Types of joint problems in dogs

Dogs can develop joint problems and disorders in two ways:

  • while the joint is developing
  • as the joint is breaking down

Some joint issues are inevitable because of genetic inheritance. And sometimes the joint undergoes a trauma, infection, autoimmune attack or wears badly because of over use. 

Let’s look in some detail at the types of joint problems dogs may experience:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is also called degenerative joint disease (DJD) – a more accurate description of a very common joint disorder that vets see in older dogs and very active dogs. Osteoarthritis is the result of the joint cartilage breaking down (degenerating) or wearing away and reducing its function of providing cushioning between bones. Without cushioning, there is friction between the adjacent bones, which causes inflammation and swelling, and is very painful. This compromises the dog’s mobility – making even simple actions like getting up and lying down very painful and difficult. Being in a lot of pain just from simple movements can affect a dog’s mood and drastically reduce their quality of life. 

Osteoarthritis not only affects active and old dogs – it can also be a symptom of obesity. The more excess weight a dog carries for their frame, the more pressure it places on their joints, speeding up the degenerative effect of wasting cartilage. 

For the same reason, large breed dogs with a heavy stature are more susceptible to developing osteoarthritis than small breed dogs are. Some large dog breeds are particularly at risk of this condition, for example, Great Danes, Newfoundland dogs, German shepherds, Labradors and Rottweilers. Rhodesian ridgebacks may develop arthritis as a symptom of hip dysplasia (described below), which is common in this breed. 

Symptoms of osteoarthritis

Dogs will not immediately show that they are in pain – a throwback to their survival in the wild – so by the time pain symptoms show, it’s likely that the condition will be quite advanced and treatment will be more intensive than at the start of the disease. Symptoms of osteoarthritis can include:

  • less active, more sedentary than usual
  • reluctance to play
  • reluctance to ascend/descend stairs or jump up onto/down from furniture
  • limping
  • stiff gait
  • lameness
  • slow to get up from their bed
  • tendency to flop down instead of gradually lying down
  • licking or biting ankle joints
  • yelping when making sudden or strenuous movements

How osteoarthritis is diagnosed and treated

If your dog sees the vet regularly – at least once a year – for a check-up, it’s possible for them to detect the early symptoms of degenerative joint disease with a thorough physical examination. If you’ve noticed some symptoms at home, be sure to inform the vet of your concerns rather than wait for the symptoms to get worse. 

The vet may recommend a supplement for joint health or switching to a dog food that contains added ingredients for joint support, like glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, omega-3 fatty acids and green-lipped mussel extract. These ingredients work in tandem to reduce the inflammatory response in the joint, slow the degenerative process in the cartilage, and to soothe the pain associated with osteoarthritis. If your dog’s breed is susceptible to osteoarthritis, ask the vet to recommend a dog food that can support their joints to delay the onset of the disease – don’t wait for the clinical signs to appear. 

Visiting the vet once a year will ensure that you receive their guidance for not letting your dog become overweight. Very often, overweight dogs with joint pain and limping have a vast improvement in their condition just by reducing their overall weight. A lighter weight reduces the pain and pressure on their joints, which improves their mobility, strengthens their muscle, and ensures their joints are more supported.

Aside from weight management, treating osteoarthritis can involve pain management with prescription pain medication, physical therapy, and short sessions of moderate exercise, like going for a walk around the block twice a day. As a last resort, the vet may recommend the surgical correction of arthritis by stabilising, fusing or replacing the joint. Surgical treatment and rehabilitation are expensive and time-consuming, so the vet will recommend other treatment avenues first.

Hip dysplasia

Hip dysplasia is a condition of the hip joint in which the ball-and-socket development of the femoral head and hip socket is disrupted, resulting in a hip joint that grinds rather than moving smoothly. This causes inflammation and arthritis in the joint, which is very painful and dysfunctional. Unfortunately, hip dysplasia is a very common orthopaedic condition in dogs, usually caused by heredity or a nutrient imbalance during the puppy’s fastest growth period. For instance, a dog that has the genetic potential to develop hip dysplasia may consume too many calories during a growth spurt in their first 12 months and gain too much weight, which – combined with too much calcium – can lead to orthopaedic deformities. 

If you have a large- or giant-breed puppy, always consult with the vet on the best food-to-exercise ratio, and heed their advice on not overfeeding or overexercising your puppy while their bones and joints are still developing. There are many large-breed puppy foods available with very specific macronutrient and mineral profiles for supported development – ask the vet to recommend the right puppy food for your growing large breed puppy. Also ask the vet about the right type and amount of exercise your puppy should be getting while they are still growing. Be very careful about not over-exerting your puppy or allowing them to engage in high-impact play, especially not on slippery floors.

Symptoms of hip dysplasia

The symptoms of hip dysplasia can appear similar to those of osteoarthritis, but some are quite specific to dysplasia:

  • reluctance to get up from a lying position, especially in dogs less than 24 months old
  • weakness
  • progressive exercise intolerance
  • progressive lameness
  • decreased range of motion
  • muscle atrophy in the hindlegs
  • stiffness
  • pain
  • reactivity to being touched near the hips

How hip dysplasia is diagnosed and treated

The vet can perform the Ortolani test and Bardens’ test – two types of palpation tests that check the function and mobility of the hip joint. These tests are done in conjunction with imaging (like X-rays and CT scans) to contribute to the diagnosis of hip dysplasia. Since hip dysplasia is diagnosed on a scale (from healthy to severe), these diagnostic tests give the vet an indication of how dysplastic a dog’s hips may be, and what kind of treatment may be effective.

Each case of hip dysplasia requires an individual approach based on its severity and how much pain and discomfort the dog may be experiencing. For mild cases, it may be enough for the vet to prescribe anti-inflammatory painkillers, joint supplements, injections and physical therapy until the hip joint is corrected. In severe cases, the vet may recommend surgical intervention – from arthroplasty (resurfacing the bones of the hip joint) to femoral ostectomy (replacing the head of the femur) to a complete hip replacement in order to restore the use of the hip.

In order to protect the hips and maintain hindleg muscle mass, dogs with hip dysplasia should only engage in moderate exercise, avoid high-impact activity, and – especially – not gain weight and put stress on their joints. They will need regular check-ups so the vet can monitor their hip health. 

Elbow dysplasia

The health of the elbow joint depends on the three bones of the front legs (the ulna, radius and humerus) fitting together perfectly at the elbow. When these bones undergo abnormal development coupled with poorly developed joint cartilage and/or unnatural stress on the joint, the dog may develop elbow dysplasia. It’s characterised by bones that rub together and cause arthritis in the elbow joint. Sometimes there are bone fragments within the joint that cause severe pain. Elbow dysplasia is most commonly an affliction of young, large breed dogs that have undergone rapid development, such as golden and Labrador retrievers, Bernese mountain dogs and German shepherds. 

Elbow dysplasia is a progressive disease that can result in elbow lameness in as little as five months. The symptoms that show up include a stiff gait, reduced range of motion, and a reluctance to walk or play. 

How elbow dysplasia is diagnosed and treated

The vet will examine the dog and take X-rays of their front legs and elbows. They will also check their gait to observe how the elbow dysplasia may affect their movement while walking. When the vet extends or bends the dog’s elbow, the dog will show pain symptoms like trying to pull their limb away, or yelping. Imaging tests will reveal the presence of bone fragments within the joint cavity and/or the lack of bone fusion, causing the joint to be dysplastic.

As with hip dysplasia, the treatment for elbow dysplasia will depend on how severely graded the disease is. If it’s diagnosed early, it’s recommended to correct the elbow dysplasia with surgery before the joint has a chance to become arthritic. Early surgery and treatment have the benefit of a short recovery time (two to six weeks of rest) and a much better prognosis than if it’s left for too long.

Osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis is an orthopaedic condition in which the joint cartilage that is supposed to be attached to the ends of the bones of the joint becomes damaged and separates from the bone. The joint cavity can become filled with the loose fragments of cartilage as well as fluid, causing inflammation, cysts and even joint degeneration. This abnormal joint condition will affect the dog’s range of motion in the limb. 

It affects large-breed puppies that are undergoing rapid growth, whose joints develop in a disordered manner. The affected joints can include the knee (stifle) and ankle (hock), and shoulder and elbow. Veterinarians think that osteochondrosis is linked to an over-supply of nutrition and minerals – causing the dog to grow too fast for their natural development. The condition may also be affected by hormonal influence and genetic predisposition, a lack of blood supply as well as a possible trauma to the joints. 

Symptoms of osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis directly affects a dog’s ability to walk and move. The symptoms may therefore include:

  • progressive lameness
  • holding or repositioning the affected limb
  • pain, yelping when leg is touched
  • swelling in the affected joints

How osteochondrosis is diagnosed and treated

If a physical examination suggests an issue with the joints, the vet will use X-rays and imaging to look at the health of the dog’s bones and cartilage. However, sometimes a puppy’s growth plates can obscure the presence of bone abnormalities on an X-ray, so the vet may use ultrasound or an arthroscopy (under anaesthetic) to look inside the joint with a surgical camera. 

Osteochondrosis can range from mild to severe, and depending on how much cartilage has come away from the bone, the treatment will range from physical therapy to surgery. Consistent range of motion exercises paired with periods of strict rest and prescribed medication can heal mildly damaged cartilage. However, if the puppy’s osteochondrosis is severe and progressed, they will need surgery to repair or even remove the defective cartilage. The prognosis will depend on how soon the disease is diagnosed and how well-managed the recovery period is.

Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) tear

In dogs, the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) is the same as the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in humans, and is injured in a similar way to the ACL with similar consequences. During running or playing, a sudden change in direction that causes the knee joint to twist while carrying a heavy load, can cause the ligament to rupture or tear. This painful injury essentially incapacitates the knee joint and results in lameness.

Placing heavy loads on the CCL over time can weaken it progressively. This repeated exposure to joint stressors causes gradual degeneration, which means it will take only a minor trauma from a change in direction or a sudden stop to completely rupture the ligament. If your dog is chasing a ball or running and appears to yelp out of the blue and hold up their limb, this is indicative of a ligament rupture, but will need the vet to examine and diagnose a CCL tear.

The breed that most often experiences CCL tears is the Newfoundland, which has the genetic predisposition for this condition. It is exacerbated by the dog being overweight or if they experience other knee problems like patellar luxation (see below), as this puts additional pressure on the cranial cruciate ligament.

Symptoms of a cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) tear

  • sudden lameness during play/exercise
  • joint swelling
  • excessive joint laxity (movement)
  • clicking sound in the knee if the meniscus is damaged

How a cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) tear is diagnosed and treated

Unfortunately, it’s only after an injury that the vet will get to examine a dog with a ruptured CCL. On an X-ray, the vet will be able to see signs of osteoarthritis and a fluid build-up in the joint. They may also want to perform an arthroscopy – looking inside the (anaesthetised) dog’s joint with a special camera. 

Treatment for a CCL tear requires surgery to repair the ligament, and post-surgical anti-inflammatories and pain medication. It is essential that the dog be given the appropriate physical therapy in order to make a full recovery and to strengthen the stifle (knee joint) enough to restore its full use. The prognosis for a CCL rupture will be good if the ligament is repaired timeously and the correct post-operative care is provided to completion.

Patellar luxation

Patellar luxation – or luxating patella – is the repeated dislocation of the kneecap that mostly affects small and toy breed dogs. It is most commonly found in breeds like Bichon frisé, miniature poodle, Chihuahua, Maltese, Yorkshire terrier (Yorkie), Pekingese and West Highland white terrier (Westie). Many of these breeds are genetically predisposed to patellar luxation.

Patellar luxation involves the whole complex structure of the knee joint: the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone) connect to the patella (kneecap) with the patellar ligament – a think band of fibrous tissue. In a healthy knee joint, the patellar ligament slots into the trochlear groove, which gives the kneecap a smooth path up and down as the dog flexes and extends their hindlegs while in motion. In a dog with patellar luxation, a number of causal factors can make the kneecap shift out of place. It either pops straight back in place (in mild cases) or becomes dislocated (in severe cases). 

It can be caused by bow-leggedness, where the patellar ligament attaches off-centre of the tibia, closer to the inside of the leg. When the dog bends their knee, the patellar ligament is pulled out of the trochlear groove and causes the dog to skip. As they bend and straighten their back leg, the kneecap pops in and out of place. Around 50% of dogs with the condition in one knee will have it in both. Patellar luxation can also be caused/exacerbated by a shallow trochlear groove, which does not naturally accommodate the patellar ligament as it should.

If the patellar luxation is mild, some dogs can live with it their whole lives without it reducing their quality of life. However, it could give them arthritis in their senior years and then badly affect their mobility. Even mild patellar luxation has the potential to exacerbate other joint problems such as osteoarthritis and cruciate ligament damage, since the joint is not functioning properly and other parts of the knee have to compensate for the dysfunction.

Depending on the severity of the disease, treatment for patellar luxation can involve surgery to correct the malformed parts of the joint complex. Each dog will present with their own unique symptoms and deformity, so surgery can include:

  • re-attaching the patellar ligament to the centre of the tibia
  • deepening the trochlear groove so that the kneecap can’t slide out of it so easily
  • tightening the joint capsule to keep the kneecap in place
  • cutting and reshaping the femur or tibia (osteotomy)
  • fusing the femur and tibia to stabilise the knee (arthrodesis)

If the patellar luxation is too severe and the knee joint complex cannot be saved or reconstructed, the vet may recommend amputating the limb. However, if the condition is diagnosed and surgically corrected early enough, the dog’s normal functioning may be restored and the onset of arthritis or injury can be avoided. 

To protect the joints of a dog who is susceptible to patellar luxation or any other joint problems, it’s important to feed them a prescription mobility diet, and ask the vet to recommend the appropriate joint supplements and physical therapy. If they are subject to inflammation in the joint, the vet will prescribe anti-inflammatories during recovery. Most importantly, it’s critical for the dog to maintain a healthy weight so as not to put additional strain on their joints.