Gail K. Smith, VMD, PhD

Osteoarthritis is a common, often-debilitating disease of both animals and humans. It may involve any joint, but the joints most clinically affected are the hip, elbow, shoulder, knee, and spine. It is estimated that one in five dogs will show obvious signs of pain from osteoarthritis; in many more dogs, however, the signs will be subtle or subclinical. In dogs, the most common form of osteoarthritis is canine hip dysplasia. The radiographic prevalence of canine hip dysplasia is as high as 75% in some breeds and the disease can cause pain and dysfunction in affected animals.