Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative disease affecting the joints. It is estimated that one in five dogs over the age of 1 suffers from this joint complaint. In older dogs, it is even more prevalent with 30% of the senior canine population affected. The pain of the osteoarthritis is accompanied by a deterioration in the animal's quality of life.

 

With osteoarthritis, the pain caused by the inflammation will develop over time. At first it is episodic, then it develops towards chronicity, that is it becomes permanent and punctuated with acute episodes of stronger intensity.

 

A multimodal treatment is recommended. This is based particularly on healthcare measures such as a suitable diet, moderate and regular exercise and a medical treatment.

 

More than simply supporting measures, diet and exercise must be an integral part of the management of osteoarthritis; being overweight is an aggravating factor for osteoarthritis. It has been shown that weight loss in an obese dog can reduce the clinical signs of osteoarthritis, hence the importance of controlling the weight of an arthritic dog.

 

The medical treatment in particular aims to combat the pain and inflammation. A long and continuous treatment can be used to manage this persistent pain and thus improve the animal's quality of life. 

 

Virbac France also provides veterinarians with the tools to monitor arthritic dogs: a disk and a dosage chart to adjust the prescription and a care sheet for the owner for better compliance.