Dr Siân Burwood MA VetMB MRCVS

Whether seen at a young age or as the result of a long and active life, all of our dogs will experience mobility problems to some degree.

Here are my top tips as a small animal GP for how you can help your less mobile dog still get the most out of life.

I think of these as a pyramid, each one building on the last:

1/ Recognise the Problem

Many dogs suffer in silence with joint pain, and it is often mistaken for ‘just getting old’.

Running less on walks, wanting shorter walks and sleeping more at home are more obvious signs, but your vet will also be looking out for loss of muscle mass, tufty matts in the coat (from reduced grooming) and brown saliva staining from licking over painful areas. 

Many owners expect their dogs to cry out in pain, but this is almost never the case.

2/ Weight Control

The slimmer your dog is, the easier they will find it to move! 

Body condition scoring is an excellent way to assess if your dog is at their optimal weight, and this can easily be done at home using this chart from WSAVA and your hands.

You can also track your dog’s actual weight in numbers, and any weight increase of more than 5% is a reason to take action.

3/ Exercise Control

How do you feel if you do nothing all week and then do a big walk at the weekend? I bet it’s stiff and sore!

Our dogs are no different, and when their mobility is getting worse they really benefit from exercise little and often. 

This lubricates the skeleton with joint fluid without putting lots of strain and effort on the tendons, joints and muscles.

Try and find a consistent exercise routine for your dog that you can do every day, such as three 20 minute walks a day rather than one hour long run.

Remember activities like ball throwing count towards this, so perhaps do these for only 5 minutes at a time (even when they want more!)

4/ Changes to the Home

We may not be able to reverse age and the joint changes that are making your dog less mobile, but we can certainly adapt the environment they live in to make things easier for them.

●       Cover slippy laminate or tiled floors with runners, rugs or mats to improve grip

●       Use supportive bedding raised off the floor; dogs love memory foam mattresses too!

●       Make sure everything your dog needs are accessible. Can they easily get up and out to go to the toilet? Is their food and water in an area they can easily get to, where they can stand (or lie) comfortably? Are there steps in the routes they need to use to get between their favourite bed?

●      The car can be tricky. Consider if they are better in the boot, or safely secured with a harness inside. Do they need a ramp to get in and out?

●       Ramps can also be useful for your pet to get access to a favourite sofa or bed (if that is what they are used to)

●       Does your dog sleep upstairs? Are they still able to get up there on their own or do they need some help?

5/ Diet and Supplements

What your dog eats is obviously a huge part of controlling weight, but we can also improve our dog’s mobility through the use of high quality diets designed to help support joint health. 

Pawable Collagen for Dogs is a new natural alternative with ingredients missing from most other dog joint supplements.

6/ Evidence based Complementary Therapies

There are many complementary physical therapies available to dog owners for their pets, some very ancient (such as acupuncture), some much more modern (such as laser therapy) and many commonly advised (such as hydrotherapy and physiotherapy).

Your vet will always advise a treatment that has a solid evidence base, is being practiced by someone with valid qualifications and who will work within your vet’s advised treatment plan.

The Register of Animal Musculoskeletal Practitioners (RAMP) is an initiative overseen by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and is a great place to start looking for who does this in your local area. 

7/ Pain relief

Many owners understandably feel a little bit reluctant about pain relief medication, worrying that we may mask a problem, or they have concerns about starting a lifelong reliance (with the associated implications of cost and side effects).

When we had limited choice this may well have been the case, but in the modern world we have many options that can be tailored to every individual dog and family. Starting medication at an appropriate time (as advised by your vet) can actually slow the progression of pain (through reduction of the ‘wind up’ phenomenon) and means your pet does not need to suffer in silence. 

The Happy Joints Quiz