What is polyarthritis?
Arthritis is multiple joints inflamed at the same time. Arthritis can be infectious or non-infectious, and symptoms include fever, lameness, swollen joints, lethargy, and inappetence. Dogs with arthritis will experience joint stiffness, swelling, and pain in multiple joints simultaneously. Difficulty moving is common in dogs with arthritis.
The joints most commonly affected by arthritis are found in a dog’s paw. carpal joint, hock joint and stifle or knee). To be diagnosed with arthritis, a dog must have at least five joints affected by the disease.
Signs of Canine Arthritis
In many cases, the signs and symptoms of arthritis can develop quickly. Here are the signs that your dog’s joints are affected:
- steep walk
- lameness or lameness
- Reluctance to exercise, jump or climb stairs
- Exhibiting signs of pain such as moaning, shaking or lapping at the joints. These symptoms may worsen when the dog gets up and walks.
If your dog shows signs of joint pain, discomfort, or swollen joints, he should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
Infectious polyarthritis
Infectious polyarthritis is known as septic arthritis. This is usually seen after a traumatic injury has exposed the joint to contamination from environmental microorganisms after surgery, or when microorganisms enter the joints through the bloodstream, causing inflammation.
Treatment
After blood is drawn to confirm septic arthritis, your dog will be put on an antibiotic. You will also need to clean and flush the infected joint to ensure that the treated infection stays away. While your dog is healing, you can alternate between icing and heating the affected joints to relieve pain and limit your dog’s movement. Depending on the joints affected, a splint may be helpful in keeping the joints stable while they heal, or a lifting harness may help relieve the weight put on your dog’s joints.
Non-infectious polyarthritis
Non-infectious forms of arthritis can be classified as erosive such as rheumatoid arthritis, Greyhound arthritis and feline progressive or non-erosive arthritis. Non-erosive forms are called immune-mediated polyarthritis. Immune-mediated arthritis is an abnormal immune response of the body that attacks the joints. This abnormal immune response can be caused by the body’s autoimmune response against its own joint tissues or, less commonly, by an infection.
Treatment
After blood tests, urine and joint cultures and joint aspiration are done to determine if the arthritis is not caused by an infection, it will be diagnosed as “autoimmune” arthritis.
After diagnosis, your vet will prescribe prednisone, a corticosteroid hormone that suppresses the immune system. Treatment can take several months, and as symptoms lessen, your vet will gradually reduce the dose of medications until they are no longer needed. However, dogs often relapse and need to be treated again.
Splints for Dogs with Arthritis
To help stabilize the affected joint during treatment, splints are an excellent healing aid. Look for a leg brace that will support multiple points on the lower leg, such as the wrist and carpal or ankle and tarsal joint. Additionally, dogs with affected toes will need a splint that fully protects under the paw as well as the paw.
Different dog splints include:
- Adjustable brace – this brace is for front or back legs. Adjustable width adjusts to comfortably fit swollen joints. It is the ideal solution for dogs suffering from joint inflammation due to polyarthritis in the lower leg.
- Back Brace – a lower leg brace for the back leg that supports the hock joint, ankle and leg.
- Front Splint – a front leg splint that supports the lower leg, including the carpal, wrist and leg.
- Carpal Splint – supports only the lower part of the front leg and the carpal.
- Hock Splint – a rear leg splint that only supports the lower rear leg and tarsal joint.
Before choosing a splint, always confirm with your veterinarian that you are choosing a splint that will provide the correct joint support. Dogs with painful and swollen joints may find it difficult to bear all of their weight on the affected leg or legs. A dog wheelchair or support harness can help reduce the weight placed on the inflamed joint and make it easier for the dog to walk during recovery.
