What Are The Causes For Arthritis in Dogs

July 3, 2012 - PRLog -- Like humans, dogs may also get arthritis when they get older. Dog arthritis is more common in older dogs, but it can also be experienced by younger ones. This degenerative disease primarily affects a dog’s joints and causes pain. Knowing about the causes of the disease can help dog owners prevent it, allowing you to keep your dog healthy and arthritis-free.

What Causes Canine Arthritis?

Some dogs develop arthritis during the first half of their lives and the symptoms usually don’t appear until the latter half of their lives. Some dog breeds are more prone to arthritis and show symptoms earlier than other breeds. Arthritis is usually caused by aging, but dogs may also develop arthritis due to injuries and certain diseases. Some of the most common causes of arthritis in dogs are:

Degenerative spinal joint disease such as caudaequina syndrome and intervertebral disc disease

Inflammatory joint disease such as rheumatoid arthritis and Lyme disease

Fractures involving the joint

Metabolic disorders such as von Willebrand's disease (hemophilia)

Dietary and hormonal disease such as obesity and hyperparathyroidism

Congenital disorders such as luxated patella and Wobbler's syndrome (cervical spondylomyelopathy)

Developmental disorders such as Legg-Perthes disease, osteochondritisdissecans, elbow dysplasia, and hip dysplasia.

Muscle, tendon, or ligament disease such as a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

If your dog suffered with one or more of these medical conditions and diseases, then your pet may develop arthritis when it gets older.

What are the Symptoms of Arthritis in Dogs?

Arthritis can worsen a dog’s health so you must learn to spot the symptoms of arthritis in your pet so that you can take him to a veterinarian before the symptoms worsen and affect its health. The joint pain caused by arthritis can make it difficult for your dog to walk properly and cause it to limp. If you notice that your dog is limping or he seems to be favoring a limb after resting or sleeping, then it may be suffering from arthritis. Other common symptoms of the condition are pain, stiffness, reluctance to jump, inability to rise up after lying down, and reluctance to climb stairs.

For more information arthritis in dogs, visit:
http://www.dogarthritisnomore.com

Dog owners who want to know more about canine hip dysplasia, see: http://www.dogarthritisnomore.com/canine-hip-dysplasia.html