Paragon July 2015 newsletter

Compassion, care, clinical excellence

News July 2015 Osteoarthritis

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Laura Binnie BVM&S, BSc, MRCVS Is your dog getting slower on walks? Or is your cat grooming itself less?

It might be starting to develop osteoarthritis or OA as we refer to it.

One definition used to describe OA is: the vicious cycle of degenerative changes that result when the rate of damage of joint cartilage exceeds its capacity for repair.

With our ageing and weight gaining pet population we are seeing a lot more cases of osteoarthritis developing. Any animal with a history of trauma or previous skeletal surgery will be more likely to develop OA as they age, it may start with a slowing down on walks or a subtle limp and progress to an increased effort getting out of bed (then walking with a stiff legged gait) or even walking with a pronounced limp or reluctance to exercise. Grumpiness, sleeping more and muscle wasting are also noticed by owners of animals with chronic OA. The best way to diagnose this condition in general practice is for the vet to perform a full clinical examination of your pet and to take a history from you, and to take x-rays of the affected limb or area. This often shows destruction to the joint surfaces and bony growths developing around the joint. We can also see and feel evidence of joint swelling and other abnormalities. Joint Unaffected joint tap analysis is also useful in gaining a diagnosis.

Following a diagnosis of OA, your vet will discuss the condition with you and all the treatment options that are available. Interestingly, if an NHS human patient is diagnosed with OA the mainstay of treatment would involve entering them into an exercise regime and weight control without medication.

PARAGON VETERINARY CENTRE Carlisle House, Townhead Road, Dalston,Carlisle, CA5 7JF Tel: 01228 710208 vets@paragonvet.com TOWNHEAD VETERINARY CENTRE Newbiggin, Stainton, Penrith, CA11 0HT Tel: 01768 483789 townhead@paragonvet.com LONDON ROAD SURGERY 87 London Road, Carlisle, CA1 2LG Tel: 01228 591005 pethealthcentre@paragonvet.com

Affected joint new bone growth around joint

Continued overleaf

PARAGON VETERINARY GROUP ONLINE Visit us at www.paragonvet.com or ‘like’ us on our facebook page www.facebook.com/ParagonVets.Pets

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We go a few steps further and start most (if not all) our patients on daily pain relief (to enable them to exercise without pain and to protect the remaining joint tissue from further damage), weight management (with a view to reduce body fat and build muscle), individually tailored exercise regimes, acupuncture, we also arrange hydrotherapy sessions, physiotherapy (we are very excited to be able to offer this in-house come October later this year).

We will give you advice on how to make your homes easier for your pet to move around and less likely to aggravate their condition.

If you would like more information or suspect your pet might be suffering from OA please just ask a member of staff and we can arrange a vet and nurse OA clinic for your pet.

Weight Management Sam Holliday, RVN A number of health problems that we see today with many animals can be related to them carrying too much weight or made worse by excess weight.

A large proportion of our canine and feline population are currently overweight and many are actually obese. What many owners don’t realise is that obesity is actually a disease and can be extremely serious in some cases. It can lead to further problems such as diabetes, arthritis, breathing problems, cardiovascular problems and exercise and heat intolerance. Many of these complications can reduce an animal’s quality of life and shorten their life expectancy.

Our aim is to increase awareness of the problems related to obesity. Some owners are unaware their pet is actually overweight and this is why it is crucial that they come in and get a FREE weight assessment by one of our regMolly Graham at 40kg istered nurses.

May 2013

Summer Neutering Don’t forget during June & July we are running a neutering promotion with a 10% discount

Contact us: PARAGON VETERINARY CENTRE Carlisle House, Townhead Road, Dalston,Carlisle, CA5 7JF Tel: 01228 710208 vets@paragonvet.com TOWNHEAD VETERINARY CENTRE Newbiggin, Stainton, Penrith, CA11 0HT Tel: 01768 483789 townhead@paragonvet.com LONDON ROAD SURGERY 87 London Road, Carlisle, CA1 2LG Tel: 01228 591005 pethealthcentre@paragonvet.com

We can then let you know whether your pet is carrying a few extra pounds, is the ideal weight or a little underweight, using a nine point body conditioning score. From this we can then tell you what percentage under or over weight the animal is and then a target weight to aim for.

Dependant on the results we can then discuss in depth the most suitable diet and exercise regime required and set a plan to go forward.

Molly now at 31.7kg

The initial assessment takes up to 30 minutes, we then do 10 minute follow up checks every three to four weeks as required.

To book your appointment please call 01228 710208.

PARAGON VETERINARY GROUP ONLINE Visit us at www.paragonvet.com or ‘like’ us on our facebook page www.facebook.com/ParagonVets.Pets

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