Boehringer Ingelheim has launched Arthritis AWARE, a campaign to raise awareness that osteoarthritis is much more common in young dogs than previously thought.

Although the disease is commonly diagnosed later in life, a 2022 study of 123 dogs found that 40% of those aged between one and four years old had radiographic osteoarthritis, of which about half had clinical signs and of those only 2 were being treated for pain1.

Another 2022 study found that 38% of dogs over the age of one had osteoarthritic pain, but only half of them were presented for lameness or stiffness2.

Geoffrey Guyot, Pain and Inflammation Franchise Lead at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, said: “Clinical signs of early osteoarthritis can be subtle.

"Some young dogs may present with overt lameness, but many compensate for years and manage to continue to perform their daily activities.

"Common compensations include gait or posture changes to unload the painful joint, which often go unnoticed.” 

Boehringer says the aim of its campaign is to shift the perception of osteoarthritis as an old dog disease, to one which could affect dogs of all ages.​

Boehringer also wants the campaign to bridge the gap between vets and dog owners, making it easier for owners to spot the early signs and initiate conversations about the condition.

Geoffrey added: "We hope the Arthritis AWARE campaign will raise awareness of early OA among owners to create more opportunities for you to diagnose and treat dogs with arthritis and improve their outcome.

"We encourage vet practices to join us on the journey so we can help improve dogs’ wellbeing together.”

Vet practices can help spread the word by downloading the Arthritis AWARE campaign pack which includes a waiting room video, a poster, owner-facing leaflets, and social media assets.

www.metacam.co.uk/aware

References

  1. Enomoto et al. Prevalence of Radiographic Osteoarthritis and Associated Clinical Signs in Young Dogs. ACVS Surgery Summit (2022). https://www.eventscribe.net/2022/ACVS/fsPopup.asp?Mode=presInfo&PresentationID=1098164
  2. Wright, A. et al. Identification of canine osteoarthritis using an owner‐reported questionnaire and treatment monitoring using functional mobility tests. J Small Anim Pract 63, 609–618 (2022). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13500

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