3 things to know about canine osteoarthritis

Multiple factors contribute to the development of osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs, with obesity being one. Excess body weight places additional strain on joints. Moreover, fat cells produce inflammatory mediators that accelerate the progression of OA, according to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.¹ This makes it especially important for veterinary professionals to talk with clients about the role of exercise and weight management in preventing OA.

As Canine Fitness Month comes to a close, dvm360 is taking a closer look at OA in dogs. Earlier this spring, Kristin Kirkby Shaw, DVM, PhD, MS, DACVS-SA, DACVSMR, founder of Canine Arthritis Resources and Education (CARE), presented a session on canine osteoarthritis (OA) during the Fetch dvm360 Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. In this interview, Kirkby Shaw shares 3 key takeaways from that lecture.

Below is the interview transcript, which has been lightly edited for clarity:

Kristin Kirkby Shaw, DVM, PhD, MS, DACVS-SA, DACVSMR: Hi, I'm Dr Kristin Kirkby Shaw, I'm a small animal surgeon and rehabilitation specialist. I did all of my training at the University of Florida, and I've practiced in Seattle, Washington, for 12 years. I have a passion specifically for osteoarthritis. I've spent my career both in the surgical suite and managing rehab patients. I'm actually excited that the next step of my career is going to be as an orthopedic surgeon at Colorado State University. My passion project on the side, because I've been involved with osteoarthritis for so long, I started the website caninearthritis.org. Check it out, it's a website full of practical, free, evidence-based tools to help you and your clients manage dogs with osteoarthritis.

There are 3 important points that I want people to take away from this lecture:

1. Dogs typically develop secondary arthritis, meaning they have an underlying developmental orthopedic disease or condition in their joint which typically starts to develop in young dogs. This means that we actually need to be screening for and identifying joint disease as early as possible so that we can take a proactive approach to management. And that doesn't necessarily mean lifelong pharmaceuticals.
2. OA pain changes not only a dog's mobility, but also their behavior, mood and personality. So, if you have a patient that is showing problem behaviors, it's important to make sure that they're not actually in pain.
3. And #3, maintaining a lean body condition is the only proven method of delaying and reducing the severity of osteoarthritis. There [are] no other treatments that have been shown to have the dramatic impact that weight management alone can have. So dogs with or at-risk of joint disease should maintain a body condition score of 4.5 out of 9.

References

1. Osteoarthritis. Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center. Accessed April 29, 2025. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-information/osteoarthritis