dog arthritis help in surrey

What is Osteoarthritis?

Arthritis (osteoarthritis – OA) is the most common cause of chronic pain in dogs. It affects 4 out of 5 older animals.
While it is a progressive, non-curable disease with the right support and management your pet can still lead a happy life.

It is a disease familiar in many other species, including humans; they have even found evidence of it in the bones of dinosaurs. Often considered a disease of the elderly, its prevalence does increases with age, however, it can affect dogs as young as one year old.

What are the signs of Osteoarthritis?

The most common signs  owners may notice include:
  • Difficulty getting up and down.
  • Walking stiffly.
  • Lameness in one or more legs.
  • Reluctance to go up and/or downstairs.
  • Reluctance to jump up or down (onto/off furniture or into/out of a vehicle)
  • Stiff, swollen, or sore joints.

How can physiotherapy help?

Physiotherapy is one of the many tools that can be used as part of a multi-modal approach to the management of Osteoarthritis. Providing a holistic but evidence-based addition to other support provided by your Vet. It is hugely beneficial and too often neglected. It aims to improve mobility, restore normal function and relieve pain by improving muscle strength, muscle stamina and joint range of motion. Simple, quick exercises fitted into your daily routine can improve your dog’s muscle strength and mass, as well as energy levels.
Physiotherapy for OA can be used alongside pain medication and other therapies such as hydrotherapy and acupuncture in order to provide a multi-modal approach.

Physiotherapy in the management of Osteoarthritis in animals includes manual therapy such as massage as well as other treatments like Class 4 laser and exercise prescription.

As part of my OA treatments I will also discuss lifestyle adjustments and management to help you find small ways around the home to make your pet’s everyday life a little bit easier.

Surrey Veterinary Physio is a proud supporter of Canine Arthritis Management and I am a CAM Advocate – meaning I have undertaken additional training in the management and owner support of Canine Arthritis.

 

Canine Online Arthritis Assessment

If you would like to, please feel free to use our free online Canine Arthritis Assessment. This assessment is based on the University of Liverpool produced validated questionnaire to help people measure with great accuracy, the level of their dog’s arthritis.

To take part – please use this questionnaire

It will be sent to us automatically and we will send you your results. In using this questionnaire, you agree to us storing your email address and contacting you about your dog’s results and future communications from Surrey Veterinary Physio. You can opt out at any time and your details will not be sent to any third party.

Once you receive your results it is totally up to you as to how you move forward. There is no further obligation. But it can help you choose the next steps in your dog’s care plan.