Recognizing Early Signs Of Joint Pain In Dogs: How To Keep Your Dog Mobile

December 12, 2024 Christopher F. Paige Health & Nutrition

No one wants their dog to have to deal with joint pain, but it is a surprisingly common condition. Dogs who meet certain criteria, depending on age, breed, and activity level, may have an 80% chance of developing joint pain from conditions such as osteoarthritis. The good news is that you can identify early symptoms and find treatment quickly. Look for these signs to help your dog return to a healthy, comfortable life.

Causes of Joint Pain

Dogs can suffer joint pain from a variety of causes, including injuries, illnesses, and degenerative diseases. Scientific Reports notes that osteoarthritis is the most common cause of joint pain in dogs. This condition is a degenerative concern that affects the synovial joints, leading to pain and difficult movements. Research indicates that larger breeds are more likely to develop osteoarthritis, especially those who are older or have a higher weight. The incidence of osteoarthritis in dogs who are eight years or older can be up to 80 percent. With some dogs having a higher risk of joint pain, finding the symptoms becomes particularly important for reducing effects.

Signs of Joint Pain

If you pay close attention to your dog’s regular behavior, you can usually tell when it changes. Take note of any of these differences because they may strongly indicate joint pain or other conditions that require a vet visit.

Physical movements

As a rule, you may notice a change in your dog’s physical movements first, according to scientific research from InPractice. Many dogs keep an active lifestyle, so you may see difficulties arising from your dog’s attempt to climb stairs, run in the park, or simply get to a comfortable sleeping place. You’ll notice signs such as them favoring a limb or seeming like they have a stiff joint. Pay attention to your dog’s gait to assess which joint seems to be the problem.

Behavioral changes

Pain can make anyone behave differently, and this is true for your dog as well. Research from the Journal of Veterinary Behavior noted in 2023 that many dog owners observe changes to their dog’s behavior in advance of a pain diagnosis. You may notice the following differences:

Sleeping longer or acting lethargic throughout the day
Failing to welcome you when you arrive home
Showing aggression or other fearful responses when you touch them
Lower activity levels
Disinterest in previously enjoyable activities

Behavioral changes indicate significant pain that requires medical attention.

Decreased quality of life

Even if you cannot pinpoint specific changes to your dog’s day, you may notice that they have a decreased quality of life. Joint pain presents several effects on a dog’s well-being. Frontiers in Veterinary Science published research in 2024 reflecting this. Specifically, dogs who seem to increase their fearful responses or anxiety or who start to struggle with enrichment or social interactions are more likely to have chronic pain.

Diagnostic observations

Although your dog may not always present all of these signs, you or your vet may notice additional symptoms during a physical examination. Diagnosis of joint pain usually involves physically manipulating the joints to determine movement or assess swelling in addition to other testing. Research in Veterinary Science Development reports that dogs may react by whining, biting, or trying to get away.

How to Seek Treatment for Joint Pain

Before you take your dog to the vet for treatment, you may want to prepare some documentation. With this information, you can provide more detail to help your vet isolate the cause of the joint pain and create an effective treatment plan.

Note differences in behavior or function

You will probably notice many of these early signs of joint pain, but you should take the time to document them. For example, if your dog seems to walk with an unusual gait or reacts in fear when you touch a sore spot, you should write it down. Note the frequency and duration of the changes so that your vet can assess severity.

Take videos

You can’t expect your dog to behave normally during a vet appointment, highlighting the benefit of other forms of documentation. If possible, take videos showing difficulty walking, irritability, or fussing over the affected area. You can show these videos to the vet to help describe issues that your vet might not observe during the appointment.

Schedule an appointment

Ultimately, the best benefit to knowing the early signs of joint pain in dogs is that you can seek treatment as quickly as possible. Veterinarians have a variety of technology they can use to identify the location, cause and best treatments for joint pain. Tools such as veterinary teleradiology services allow the vet to make a quick, thorough assessment of your dog’s health and prescribe helpful treatments.

Joint health is a key component of your dog’s mobility over time, which emphasizes the importance of treating joint pain as soon as you notice it. Joint pain can be caused by various conditions, such as osteoarthritis, and treatment depends on the problem. By identifying the early signs, you can foster your dog’s happier life by minimizing discomfort.

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Author Bio

Dr. Christopher F. Paige, MS, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology), is the Chief Medical Officer and Founder of AxisVet. He is a board-certified veterinary cardiologist with more than 12 years of experience, offering specialized cardiology services in Arizona. Dr. Paige has a diverse background in veterinary medicine, research, and medical device consulting, and he remains dedicated to advancing care for animals through AxisVet.