OldieOsteoarthritis is one of the most common chronic painful conditions in dogs1. In a UK study of more than 455,000 dogs, about 2.5 percent were diagnosed in a single year, and dogs heavier than their breed average had over twice the odds2. Breeds at higher risk included the Rottweiler, Dogue de Bordeaux, Old English Sheepdog, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd Dog2. The disease usually starts much earlier than it is noticed: in one practice, radiographs showed arthritis in almost 40 percent of dogs under four, and owners had spotted a problem in only about a third of the dogs with clinical signs3.
Signs in a senior are quiet ones: slower to rise, hesitating at stairs or the car, shorter walks, licking a joint, sleeping in a different place, or being less keen to be touched. AAHA's pain guidelines call for treating chronic pain early and on several fronts at once, with weight control, a modified home, controlled exercise and medication chosen with the vet, and they place the owner's observations at the centre of assessment4.
Worth a call: a sudden lameness, a limb held up, crying out, or a stiffness that does not ease after a few minutes of moving. See the entry on recognising chronic pain for a home scoring tool.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. Your vet knows your dog.
Sources
- Osteoarthritis in Dogs and Cats. Merck Veterinary Manual. Accessed 2026-09-22.
- Prevalence, duration and risk factors for appendicular osteoarthritis in a UK dog population under primary veterinary care (Anderson KL et al.). Scientific Reports 8:5641, 2018 (peer reviewed). Accessed 2026-09-22.
- Prevalence of radiographic appendicular osteoarthritis and associated clinical signs in young dogs (Enomoto M et al.). Scientific Reports 14:2827, 2024 (peer reviewed). Accessed 2026-09-22.
- 2022 AAHA Pain Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats (Gruen ME, Lascelles BDX et al.). American Animal Hospital Association, Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 58(2):55-76. Accessed 2026-09-22.