Sixty years ago, October 12 was established as World Arthritis Day to raise global awareness of the condition. Unfortunately for our canine buddies, arthritis is not limited to humans and is the number one cause of chronic pain in dogs, affecting at least 20 percent of adult dogs.

What is Arthritis?

When we talk about arthritis in dogs, we’re usually talking about osteoarthritis (OA), a chronic, degenerative joint disease in which the cartilage that cushions joints such as the knees, shoulders, hips, or elbows breaks down, resulting in bone rubbing against bone, pain, inflammation, stiffness and swelling. While OA can be present in young dogs due to genetics or injury, it occurs more commonly and increasingly in dogs as they age.

There is no cure for OA, but there are steps you can take to reduce its impact and improve your dog’s quality of life.

Signs of Osteoarthritis in Dogs

As dogs age, we expect them to slow down and be more reluctant to play or run like they used to, but the...