Osteoarthritis management update

If you think the only way to handle osteoarthritis is "here's your pain reliever and your anti-inflammatory, see you later," Fetch dvm360 conference speaker David Dycus, DVM, MS, DACVS-SA, would like to bring you up to date. Instead, he recommends establishing a baseline through joint supplements, diet and routine exercise.

What about that exercise?

"Daily exercise is actually getting out and going on a walk," he says. "What I want is for dogs to (walk for) at least 20 minutes, twice a day, level ground."

Check out these osteoarthritis resources

Client handout: The gist of joint supplements in dogs with osteoarthritis.

Technicians can become OA advocates in your clinic.

Identifying pain: Hints from the obscure (cats) to the sad (dogs).

Of course, due to the nature of the condition, patients will experience ups and downs. When flare-ups occur, Dr. Dycus says you should consider a range of treatment modalities including pharmaceuticals, joint injections, rehabilitation therapy and even acupuncture. The point is, he says, to keep patients active so that they'll maintain range of motion and lean body weight.

Watch the video for more.