Your Pet Can Get Arthritis Too

Did you know that arthritis could affect your four-legged friend? Like human beings, cats and dogs can also find themselves stricken with stiff joints and loss of flexibility. Here are some of the most common arthritis-related conditions that your pet may be susceptible to. Like the human versions, they can be difficult to treat, but more treatment options are becoming available, including drug, physical, and surgical in nature.

Acute Traumatic Arthritis: This is a disease that causes your pet's joints to swell and may result in his or her becoming lame. Acute traumatic arthritis is almost always the cause of trauma to the joints. The symptoms of acute traumatic arthritis generally appear quickly, and surgical intervention may be necessary in order to prevent the onset of long-term osteoporosis. It is important that acute traumatic arthritis be detected and treated early.

Degenerative Joint Disease: This is a condition wherein your pet displays symptoms that are very similar to osteoarthritis. Of all the arthritis related diseases that affect pets, this is the most common. Like human osteoarthritis, this disease attacks parts of the joints, and especially the cartilage. Many pets that suffer from degenerative joint disease experience inflammation. Pets may be treated by a combination of drug and physical therapy.

Auto Immune Arthritis: Sometimes, this disease is also referred to as rheumatoid arthritis. Like human rheumatoid arthritis, this is a progressive autoimmune disease wherein your pets own immune system attacks its tissues and joints. Auto immune arthritis can be difficult to treat because it is common for the disease to affect many joints. Your pet's mobility may become affected. This occurs when the synovial membranes become inflamed. NSAID drugs are often prescribed to pets suffering from auto immune arthritis.

Canine and Feline Hip Dysplasia: This form of arthritis is related to osteoarthritis. The afflicted animal's hip may experience irregular growth, resulting in excessive wear on the hip joints. Sometimes hip dysplasia is the result of acute injury, and it can result from a severe infection. Hip displaysia can be difficult to treat because it often affects other parts of your pet's body. It is not uncommon for hip displaysia to spread to other areas of your pet's body.

Infectious Arthritis: This is a type of arthritis caused by an underlying infection. In most cases, a diagnosis of infectious arthritis is made as result of injury or some kind of secondary infection to the joint. The symptoms of infectious arthritis include lameness, joint stiffness, lack of flexibility and mobility. It can often be treated with antibodies.

Hypertrophic arthritis: Like infectious arthritis, this disease often develops as result of trauma or injury. But in hypertrophic arthritis, the animal develops bone spurs that cause progressive damage and pain to the animal. Osteoarthritis can also cause this disease.

Inflammatory arthritis: Not as common as the other types of arthritis, the cause of this condition is not known. This is a progressive condition that resembles osteoarthritis in many of its symptoms. Some doctors speculate that infectious agents may be responsible.