What causes osteoarthritis or joint problems in dogs?
The two major categories of joint problems are developmental and degenerative problems. With developmental problems, you have things like hip or elbow dysplasia, where the joint does not develop correctly in a number of different ways. Degenerative problems cover a number of areas. But the most common, and the most common cause of arthritis in dogs, is cruciate ligament problems, where the ligament is degenerating over time and causing instability and secondary osteoarthritis. Q: What are the signs of joint problems? A: Most of the time, people notice that their dogs are doing less or having more difficulty with common activities. The dog now has problems getting up on the couch, or going up the stairs, or getting in the back of the SUV. With more athletic dogs, maybe they can’t run as long with their owner, or they don’t want to play as long at the dog park. From there it progresses to overt lameness — holding the limb up, or holding the limb funny. Those are the most common things w
