Dog Joints Hurt: Signs of Joint Pain and What Helps

Osteoarthritis is a chronic, progressive joint disease in which dogs lose their joint cartilage, leading to changes in the bones and causing pain, inflammation and difficulty using the affected limb.¹ It is not rare, since it affects nearly half of adult dogs, and it is not mysterious, because there is a lot you can do with a plan that combines nutrition, supplements, medications, lifestyle changes, therapeutic exercise and surgery.² If the trouble is mostly in the back end, our guide to back leg joint problems in dogs goes deeper.

What is actually causing the pain

Healthy joints hold fluid and cartilage that cushion movement; with arthritis the fluid decreases and the cartilage thins, reducing the joint's shock absorption.¹ Hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, a slipping kneecap, damage to the cranial cruciate ligament (a stabilising ligament inside the knee) and old fractures can all cause repeated injury to joint cartilage and may lead to arthritis.¹ Hip dysplasia is common in medium and large breeds like Labradors, German Shepherds, Rottweilers and Bulldogs,³ and our guide to hip dysplasia goes further. Every dog that ruptures a cruciate ligament will develop arthritis in that knee.⁴ Extra weight adds force to the joints, and fat cells produce inflammatory messengers that speed arthritis along.¹ Disc disease, where the cushions between the bones of the spine break down, is a common source of back pain too, especially in older dogs.⁵

Early signs owners often miss

Watch for lameness or a change in gait, less activity or reluctance to walk and run, trouble with stairs or jumping onto the couch, difficulty getting up from lying down, and sudden irritability.¹ A stiff hind end, a waddle or body sway, and sitting with a leg straight out or flopped on one hip are also common,⁶ as is muscle loss over the back legs with weight shifting forward onto the front end.³ Arthritis causes progressive damage, and the earlier it is diagnosed and managed, the better the long-term outcome, so it is worth acting early.¹

What the vet will do

Your vet will watch your dog's gait and posture and feel the joints for abnormal changes or signs of pain.¹ X-rays may follow to assess the joints, look for an underlying orthopedic condition¹ and rule out look-alikes such as hip dysplasia and chronic arthritis.⁷ Your vet can also tell whether a spinal problem is a worn disc or something else, such as a growth.⁵

Home changes you can make today

A slender body weight is by far the most critical part of arthritis management.⁶ Non-slip rugs and ramps onto beds, couches and cars are standard advice, alongside low-impact activity such as leash walks or swimming.¹ Minimise stairs and jumping on and off the deck, bed or sofa.⁵ Add a thick orthopedic bed, raise the food and water bowls, and keep nails short so toes grip.

What treatment usually looks like

Anti-inflammatory medication remains a predictably effective first-line pain therapy when joint pain is identified,² and long-term use needs routine blood work monitoring.¹ Joint supplements such as glucosamine, chondroitin and omega-3 fatty acids, and joint injections, are also used.¹ Rehabilitation, including work on joint movement, therapeutic exercise and water therapy such as an underwater treadmill, improves joint mobility, muscle mass and endurance.⁶ Surgery may be offered where there is a fixable underlying cause.¹

Sore joints, or a nerve problem?

Nerve problems look clumsy instead: the hind paws knuckle over so the dog walks on the top of the foot, the hindquarters sway when standing, and the hind feet scrape the ground until the tops become hairless and irritated.⁷ Most dogs with degenerative myelopathy, a progressive disease of the spinal cord, do not seem in pain, just very weak.⁷ Early on it looks so much like arthritis that diagnosis is genuinely hard.⁷

Keeping muscle on the back end

Low-impact consistent exercise builds the muscles around the joints and promotes joint stability,⁶ so keep leash walks to a length your dog tolerates comfortably.⁸ Physical therapy has been shown to slow progression, prolong quality of life and preserve muscle mass, and an affected dog should be kept as physically active as possible for as long as possible.⁷

When the back legs are failing anyway

If the back end is still giving out on treatment, rear support is the next step. For short assists, a sling can be used after hip surgery to give your dog initial assistance with walking.⁸ For daily exercise, a cart takes over: depending on the dog's nature and temperament, a mobility aid such as a wheelchair may improve quality of life in the short term.⁷

The OldPal Rear Support Dog Wheelchair is built for dogs with weak or failing back legs. The padded harness carries weight through the hips and chest rather than the spine, the back legs hang free or lightly brush the ground, and dogs can squat and go to the bathroom while in the chair. It comes in five sizes covering rear leg heights from 3 to 27 inches.

Sizing uses one measurement: rear leg height, hip to toe pad. Use the measuring guide and fit finder, then see the rear support wheelchair.

Red flags: call the vet now

Call straight away for sudden non-weight-bearing lameness, dragging or knuckling that appears overnight, loss of bladder or bowel control, a hot swollen joint, or a back end that collapses quickly. Disc problems can cause sudden paralysis,⁵ and if surgery is recommended, waiting increases the chance the spinal cord will not recover.⁵

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Hip dysplasia in dogs
• Back leg joint problems in dogs
• How to measure your dog for a wheelchair

Sources