What are the Common Signs My Dog is Suffering from Arthritis?

Although there’s no one specific sign for arthritis, once you know what to be on the lookout for, they’re quite easy to identify. If you see any of these, it’s definitely worth checking with your vet who can do an examination, and any necessary tests, to see if they’re an indicator of osteoarthritis or arthritis.

Common Signs of Arthritis:

• Difficulty getting up from sitting, or down from standing
• Stiffness, particularly after rest or on walks. It might be a struggle to rise from a lying position, or find it challenging to lie down comfortably, especially on hard surfaces.
• Limping or Lameness - In one or more legs. The limp may be noticeable or it may express itself as slight unevenness. You may notice your dog’s posture becomes more ‘slouched’ when sitting
• Change in Gait - Your dog’s way of running or walking may look changed.
• Avoiding Jumping off Furniture - Arthritic dogs may avoid activities that used to be easy for them, such as jumping in and out of the car, or going up and down stairs. This is because they don’t want to do anything that requires them to put extra stress on their joints. 
• Not wanting to be touched on some parts of the body and showing pain or discomfort if they are.
• General loss of stamina, taking longer on walks, or wanting to stop earlier than normal
• Behavioural changes, such as uncharacteristic aggression towards other dogs or humans 
• Hips and hindquarters start looking more narrow, because back leg muscles are weakening as they adapt how they change to minimise load on the affected joint
• Lethargy or increased sleeping
• Repeated licking of a particular joint as they try to alleviate the discomfort, until the fur is saliva stained
• Enlarged, swollen joints that might be hot to the touch
• Joint clicking that’s audible when your dog’s getting up or lying down, walking, or running

You can also ask yourself whether you’ve noticed your dog being more lacklustre than usual -  not their usual energetic self - and lacking enthusiasm for walks or playing. These also might be symptoms of arthritis.

Read more about Arthritis in your dog here

Read more about Arthritis in your dog - Causes, Prevention and How to Help here https://zoomadog.co.uk/collections/arthritis