How does arthritis in dogs occur?
Research shows that ‘moderate running exercise locally alters the biological properties of young articular cartilage’*, which means that medium intensity exercises can affect the status of a dog’s cartilage. Arthritic dogs typically have very thick cartilage at the joints which rubs together as the muscles move. This eventually wears down through friction.
As the cartilage becomes damaged, the body’s natural response is to create inflammation and swelling in the area to protect against further destruction. It’s this inflammation that creates dog joint pain.
Studies have found that regular and moderate running exercises in young dogs can reduce cartilage thickness by an estimated 6%*, which reduces the risk of damage by friction in old age.
You may be concerned that medium and high-intensity exercises, especially weight-bearing exercises, could be detrimental to dogs in the long term. We investigated the safety aspects of exercise and older dogs with arthritis and found research confirming that these types of activities don’t lead to premature damage* to the joints or muscles, or accelerate cartilage degeneration.
Keeping your dog active is considered one of the best ways of reducing the risk of dog joint pain in the future.