Degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis) is one of the most common conditions seen in both young and elderly dogs.

In fact, 80% of dogs over the age of 8 have osteoarthritis - and 35% of dogs over the age of 2 have it too, so it is not only a disease of the old.

Degenerative joint disease can be so severe, it is the number 1 cause of elective euthanasia for dogs in the UK.

Here, Dr Lucie (Canine Myotherapist at the Happy Dog Hub) reveals 5 ways you can protect your dog’s joints so they can live a healthy and happy life for years to come.

Low-impact exercise

The number 1 way to protect your dog’s joints throughout their life is to give them the right kind of exercise.

Often, in an effort to ‘tire them out’, young or adult dogs are given too much exercise, while older dogs are not given enough exercise as they are ‘slowing down’.

Plenty of low-impact exercise and mobility are the rules of the game, as this is what dogs (and feral dogs and wolves) have evolved to do.

Low-impact exercise includes:

• Walking at a self-directed pace. This means plenty of sniffing, stopping, looking, and peeing, and if possible, doing the walk off leash. Often, short-leash walks at a human pace are too fast and too continuous for our pooches.

• Multiple short walks rather than one long walk. Dogs (just like humans) have evolved to be regularly mobile and not sedentary. Especially for older dogs, it is helpful to do multiple short walks (e.g. 2 x 20 mins) rather than one big walk of 40 min. Encourage your dog to be mobile and explore the yard every 1-2 hours.

• Do not play high-impact games (such as ball or frisbee). Instead, redirect your dog to lower impact exercise such as rolling the ball on the ground or teaching them tricks.

• Include a simple fitness routine into your dog’s daily routine (these include sit stretches, sit-to-stand, or balance cushion exercises). Dr Lucie can create an effective gym routine for your dog during their myotherapy consultation at the Happy Dog Hub.

No jumping

Jumping (up and down furniture, up and down the car) is a massive source of concussive strain for dogs’ joints.

When jumping down from an SUV boot, a dog will bear 6 times their body weight through their forelegs.

For a 30 kg dog, this means 90 kg down each leg!

Preventing jumping is a key way to protect your dog’s joints for the future.

Simple tips include:

• Your dog should not jump up/down more than their own body height until they have finished their growth.

• If your dog is small, lift them in and out of the car.

• If your dog is large, help them in and out of the car, or consider getting a ramp or steps for your SUV.

• Limit access to stairs (especially slippery ones) using baby gates.

• If your dog is little, consider getting steps or ramps to help them up/down furniture.

• If they must jump up/down furniture or up/down stairs, make sure the surfaces are padded and non-slippery (e.g. using small mats or rugs).

If you would like more advice on home adaptations to protect your dog’s joints, you can visit the Canine Arthritis Management website or book a myotherapy consultation with Dr Lucie.

Healthy weight

A healthy weight is extremely important to protecting your dog’s joints.

For example, a 25 kg dog that has an ideal weight of 21 kg is bearing 1 extra kilo (1 bag of flour) extra on each leg, all day every day.

If your dog has or is developing joint disease, the extra weight alone can impact their mobility.

A dog’s weight is 80% determined by their diet and 20% by their exercise regime. 

Over-exercising overweight dogs can put a lot of strain on their joints, so it is usually safer to reduce their diet rather than engage in high-intensity exercise.

If you have questions about your dog’s weight or how to make them lose weight safely, do not hesitate to consult with your vet.

Adding oil to their diet

Many commercial dog diets are deficient in Omega-3 oils or do not have the right balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6.

If your dog is elderly or already has osteoarthritis, 4cyte is an excellent, evidence-based supplement to help nourish your dog’s joints with powerful Omega-3 oils.

If your dog is young or doesn’t have mobility problems, flaxseed oil is an excellent and inexpensive source of Omega-3. Flaxseed oil is available from most health food stores and must be refrigerated once open. Give 1 teaspoon per 10 kg dog bodyweight, daily.

Always talk to your vet first before adding Omega-3 oils to a dog’s diet.

Pentosan/Cartrophen injections

Pentosan/Cartrophen is an injection of polysulfated glycosaminoglycans.

Glycosaminoglycans are natural components of the joints (that help create matrix or a ‘watery cushion’ for the joint). Due to injury or old age, the production of glycosaminoglycans might not keep up with its destruction or ‘wear and tear’.

Pentosan/Cartrophen injections are a way to ‘top up’ these natural molecules - they are more similar to a supplement than a medication.

If your dog is ‘slowing down’ and you suspect degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis) to be the cause, or your dog has recently had orthopedic surgery, don’t hesitate to talk to your vet about Pentosan/Cartrophen injections.

What about other supplements?

There are thousands of supplements on the market that promise to help your dog’s joint disease. These include collagen powder, MSM, glucosamine, shark cartilage powder, green lipped mussel, turmeric, coconut oil and pepper, etc.

The reality is that most of these supplements are unlikely to help your dog’s mobility as much as good exercise, healthy weight, and healthy diet (including oils) will. And they can get pretty expensive, too.

If you want to protect your dog’s joints in a proactive way, following the tips in this article is the most effective and cost-efficient way to achieve this.

If your dog has advanced degenerative joint disease, you can also talk to your vet about pain relief medications (NSAIDs). Pain relief medications can help your dog keep up their exercise and mobility, and maintain their quality of life, even when they have osteoarthritis.