Common Causes of Joint Pain

The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, sometimes referred to as “wear-and-tear arthritis” because it is characterized by the wearing away of cartilage. Cartilage is the spongy tissue that cushions bone ends and facilitates smooth, pain-free movement of the joints and spine. With normal aging, the body loses its ability to naturally regenerate and repair cartilage, and to maintain synovial fluid in the joints.

Cartilage can also be damaged through extraordinary stress, which can result from strenuous activity such as flyball, or simply from normal activity in large or heavy animals. It can also be damaged by a joint injury or surgery.

Malformation of joints, or “dysplasia”, can also cause premature wearing of cartilage because the bones are not positioned properly. Treating the wearing of cartilage in these cases can help relieve pain and slow joint deterioration. However, it cannot correct the malformation.

When cartilage is damaged, the joint can lose its proper shape resulting in pain, swelling, and stiffness.

Osteoarthritis is progressive. Left untreated, after many years of cartilage drying out, chipping, and wearing away, the bone ends may actually rub together causing even more pain and further limiting mobility. Prevention and early treatment can keep your pet happily mobile and pain free into their old age. However, even very old, severely arthritic animals can also benefit tremendously from treatment and ongoing maintenance.