Joint health

Lethargy describes lack of energy and enthusiasm that persists regardless of exercise and activity. Lethargic horses may seem sleepy or drowsy, hang their heads low, or show lack of interest in food, other horses, or their environment.

Muscle atrophy is the degeneration or loss of muscle mass. In cats, muscle atrophy is primarily recognized when there is generalized muscle loss and owners are able to easily feel the spine, hips, and rib bones

Weakness describes a lack of power and energy available to the body. In cats, evidence of weakness includes fatigue after activity, difficulty executing athletic movements, asymmetry in the position of the body, difficulty rising, muscle shaking, and difficulty holding up the head.

Recumbency describes a horse who is lying down, unable to rise. Recumbent horses are typically laying flat on their side, but some may be able to sit up on their chest. Recumbency may be caused by a wide variety of conditions, including injuries, degenerative diseases, inflammatory diseases, tumors, infectious diseases, toxicosis, and neurological conditions.

Swollen legs, sometimes referred to as “stocking up,” are a noticeable increase in the size of the legs, giving affected horses the appearance of a “fat leg”. If leg swelling is accompanied with pain, heat, or lameness, it requires emergency veterinary attention.

Muscle twitching and cramping, also referred to as “tying up”, are symptoms that appear from painful and continuous muscular contractions. During a severe episode, horses might refuse to move and suffer from extreme pain.

Ataxia describes abnormal movement control of the limbs and body. Dogs with ataxia present with poor coordination while walking, loss of balance, and often appear dizzy.

Osteoarthritis is a progressive disease resulting in damage to the joint cartilage and underlying bone. Arthritic damage causes significant pain, and typically results in lameness, limited mobility, joint swelling, and poor performance.

Masticatory myositis is a condition of unknown origin where the muscles needed to chew become inflamed, making it painful to open the mouth or eat food. It is so rare in cats that there is no clear consensus among the veterinary community as to whether it is a feline condition at all.

Laminitis refers to inflammation of the lamellae, the support structure that holds the coffin bone in place within the hoof capsule. The lamellae are extremely sensitive, making laminitis a very painful condition.

Bartonella infection in dogs is a disease caused by bacteria from the Bartonella species. The infection targets the blood vessels of various organs, including the heart, liver, lymph nodes, eyes, nose, and joints.

Joint infections are infections found in the joints of horses which cause pain, inflammation, fever, and lameness. Joint infections are always an emergency and require immediate medical assistance.

Unexplained weight gain is an accumulation of excess body fat with a normal or decreased food intake. This is uncommon in cats.

Fetlock arthritis (aka “osselets”) in horses is inflammation of the fetlock joint and surrounding tissues. This condition is common in performance and racehorses.

Limited mobility in dogs is difficulty or reluctance to perform the usual activities of daily living. A dog who has trouble going up or down stairs, has difficulty getting in and out of the car, is reluctant to jump up or down from furniture or up onto people, or is stiff getting up after sleeping has limited mobility

Exercise intolerance is the decreased ability to tolerate strenuous exercise. Exercise intolerance is one of the first signs of exhaustion

Unexplained weight gain is specifically characterized by the occurrence of weight gain in spite of a reduction in calories and appetite.

Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture is the most common cause of hind limb lameness in dogs, and occurs due to traumatic injury or progressive degeneration of the ligament.

Limited mobility (LM) in horses is defined as a reduction in agility and/or movement, and is a condition that mainly affects senior and geriatric horses (over 18 years of age).

Joint swelling is caused by the buildup of fluid or excessive bone growth within a joint.

Joint pain refers to soreness of the spine and/or limbs and is a common symptom, especially in older dogs.

Lethargy is a lack of energy or enthusiasm, which most often presents in dogs as reduced activity levels and disinterest in toys, food, or treats.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease where the joint cartilage is destroyed over time.

Bone spavin in horses is painful, progressive, irreversible osteoarthritis of the lower hock joints.

Joint swelling in cats is the enlargement of one or more joints.

“Ringbone” refers to ring-shaped bony protrusions formed due to osteoarthritis in either the pastern joint or coffin joint in horses.

Joint swelling is a common symptom in horses and has a variety of causes.

Collapse in dogs is generally defined as when a dog falls and cannot get back up.

Limited mobility (LM) in cats presents as a reduction in movement or agility. Cats with LM struggle with actions or behavior that were previously considered normal.

Joint pain in cats is soreness localized to the articulated parts of the limbs.