Too much PLAY or early OA?
Take the OA risk quiz to see if your dog could be
showing the early signs of canine osteoarthritis (OA).
MANAGE OA: the earlier, the better.
WHAT IS OA
Canine osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease and the most common cause of chronic pain in dogs.1
Your Dog’s OA Risk
OA can affect dogs of all ages – from growing young adults to aging seniors. Catching it early can help decrease the effects.
Treating OA
Diet and exercise along with OA medications can help ease your dog’s pain and even treat the disease of OA.
Dogs of OA.
Young dog disease
OA is most often associated with aging dogs and a disease of “wear and tear.” In reality, it’s genetic and developmental and usually starts within the first few months of a dog’s life – during the rapid growth that occurs in the first four to six months.
—Denis Marcellin-Little,
DEDV, DACVS, DECVS, DACVSMR
Expert recommendation
The earlier you can diagnose it or identify the dogs who are at risk of developing OA, the sooner you can start them on a complete OA treatment plan to help them stay active for longer.
—Kristin Kirkby Shaw,
DVM, MS, PhD, DACVS, DACVSMR
Veterinary support
As a profession, we can do a better job for our patients when it comes to canine OA. We can do better by being more proactive – look for and talk about OA before it becomes a crisis.
—Denis Marcellin-Little,
DEDV, DACVS, DECVS, DACVSMR
- Esptein M, Kirkby Shaw K. Osteoarthritis in Dogs and Cats: Novel Therapeutic Advances. 2016 NAVC Proceedings, pp. 863-865.