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The Medical Minute - Arthritis, by Dr. Tim Walters, DVM
Arthritis is inflammation of a joint or multiple joints in the body, and is
also known as osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease (DJD). Arthritis is
usually the result of excessive wear and tear on a joint but can be from many
other problems including: damage to a joint (such as a fracture, torn ligament
or tendon, other soft tissue injury), infection of a joint (bacterial, fungal),
autoimmune disease in a joint (when the body’s immune system attacks a joint),
congenital lesion (dysplasia), or cancer in a joint. Older, large breed dogs are
the most common to be effected by arthritis, especially from excessive wear and
tear, but arthritis can affect any breed of dog or cat, and has been diagnosed
in several exotic species, including iguanas and tortoises.
Treatment
for arthritis is dependant on the cause of the arthritis. Surgery or medical
management is sometimes needed if the cause of arthritis is other then excessive
wear and tear on a joint, i.e. surgery stabilization for fracture; antibiotics
for an infected joint. Medical management for the chronic pain associated with
arthritis has many tiers. Cartilage support medications, including glucosamine
and polysulfated glycosaminoglycans (like chondroitin sulfate and drugs like
Adequan) can help with arthritis, but are best served to support the health of
existing cartilage. Non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (known as NSAIDS) are
a large group of drugs widely used to decrease inflammation, and therefore
decrease pain. Examples are Rimadyl, Deramaxx, Metacam, Etodolac, Previcox, and
Zubrin. There also are many drugs for humans in this class, but they should not
be used for your pets, because they can lead to severe liver problems and
stomach ulcers. TYLENOL especially is DEADLY in CATS and should never be used.
Aspirin is sometimes used for pets, but should be used sparingly and ONLY under
the supervision of a veterinarian. Pain medication, such as Tramadol, is also
used to manage the pain of arthritis, and can be used concurrently with an NSAID.
As a last resort, steroids can be used to decrease inflammation, but should be
used sparingly due to potentially harmful side effects.
Treatment
for arthritis is dependant on the cause of the arthritis. Surgery or medical
management is sometimes needed if the cause of arthritis is other then excessive
wear and tear on a joint, i.e. surgery stabilization for fracture; antibiotics
for an infected joint. Medical management for the chronic pain associated with
arthritis has many tiers. Cartilage support medications, including glucosamine
and polysulfated glycosaminoglycans (like chondroitin sulfate and drugs like
Adequan) can help with arthritis, but are best served to support the health of
existing cartilage. Non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (known as NSAIDS) are
a large group of drugs widely used to decrease inflammation, and therefore
decrease pain. Examples are Rimadyl, Deramaxx, Metacam, Etodolac, Previcox, and
Zubrin. There also are many drugs for humans in this class, but they should not
be used for your pets, because they can lead to severe liver problems and
stomach ulcers. TYLENOL especially is DEADLY in CATS and should never be used.
Aspirin is sometimes used for pets, but should be used sparingly and ONLY under
the supervision of a veterinarian. Pain medication, such as Tramadol, is also
used to manage the pain of arthritis, and can be used concurrently with an NSAID.
As a last resort, steroids can be used to decrease inflammation, but should be
used sparingly due to potentially harmful side effects. 
