Arthritis – what to watch out for

Arthritis is a nasty disease. It sneaks up on our pets and always seems to rear its ugly head as the weather starts to cool down.

Many people put the signs of arthritis down to “getting old” but have you ever thought that your pet might actually be in pain?

Remember – your pet doesn’t necessarily have to have a limp to be suffering from arthritis as some of the symptoms are subtle.

Signs of arthritis in cats:

Landing in a heap when jumping down
Hesitant to jump down from your lap or from the furniture
Reluctant to climb fences or trees
Scruffy or matted coat as they are no longer able to groom easily
Signs of arthritis in dogs:

Stiff and sometimes sore when getting up after lying down- especially in the morning
Trouble jumping up onto furniture or into the car
Behaviour changes – growling or grumpy when sore joints are touched
Muscle loss especially over spine, the hips and around the hind legs
The good news is we have plenty of tools up our sleeve to help your arthritic pet become more mobile and pain-free. We will put a treatment plan in place and slow down the progression of this disease before your pet’s quality of life is affected.

The month of May is a great time to arrange an arthritis check up with us.