Practice News
 With winter looming October is Arthritis Awareness Month at Pets 1st .Thursday 25th September, 2008
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in dogs, cats and people, affecting eight million people and 1.5 million dogs in the UK. In dogs, the condition goes largely unnoticed, all too often the signs – difficulty rising after a rest, slowness on walks or difficulty climbing the stairs or getting into the car – are attributed to laziness, or the normal ageing process.
In fact this is probably osteoarthritis, a disease which is progressive and painful. The condition is characterised by deterioration of the cartilage, resulting in inflamed joints. In severe cases the cartilage is completely worn away and tracks can be worn in the bone itself. Bone also starts to be laid down in other areas around the joint, effectively restricting mobility even more and resulting in the swollen, knobbly joints we associate with arthritis in people. For the majority of canine sufferers, a diagnosis of osteoarthritis signals a slow descent into gradually reducing mobility and increasing pain.
It is also a well recognised disease in ageing cats where the tell tale signs may be more subtle such as grumpiness when stroking the hind quarters, failure to jump up onto surfaces and matted fur where they are unable to reach round to groom themselves.
There are now extremely effective treatments available to both dogs and cats to treat and slow the advance of this common disease. If you have any suspicions your pet may be showing any of the above signs please call the practice to arrange a free 'arthritis assessment exam' during the month of October.
Kind regards
Pets 1st
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Arthritis.doc
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