What Is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis, often called arthritis, is a long-lasting joint disease. It can make moving painful or hard for your dog.
A joint is where two bones meet. It has smooth tissue called cartilage that helps the bones move past each other. Arthritis can harm this tissue, but the problem does not stop there. It can affect the bones, joint lining and other tissues around the joint. It can also change how your dog uses their muscles and moves their body.
The big idea: Arthritis is not just worn-down cartilage. It can affect your dog's whole way of moving.
What Did the 2026 Review Explain?
A veterinary review published in August 2026 explains that arthritis care should fit the needs of each dog or cat. It describes looking at several parts of the problem together:
- Pain: Is your dog sore or having trouble with daily activities?
- Joint irritation: Is there inflammation inside the joint?
- Movement: Has your dog changed how they walk or use their body?
- Body condition: Would reaching or keeping a healthy weight help?
- Daily life: What does your dog need to do to stay comfortable at home?
This approach is called multimodal care. That simply means using more than one helpful type of care when needed.
The review explains this approach. It is not a new trial that tested one treatment against another.
What Might an Arthritis Care Plan Include?
Your veterinarian may talk with you about several steps. Not every dog needs every step.
1. A plan to manage pain
Your veterinarian may recommend medicine or other ways to help with pain. Only your veterinarian should decide which medicines are safe for your dog.
2. A healthy weight
Extra weight can put more strain on joints. Ask your veterinary team what a healthy body condition looks like for your dog and whether a weight plan would help.
3. Safe, regular movement
Some dogs need changes in how much or what kind of exercise they do. A veterinary rehabilitation team may help choose activities that fit the dog's health and comfort. Do not start hard workouts or new exercises for a painful dog without veterinary guidance.
4. A home that is easier to move around in
A non-slip rug on a slick floor, a comfortable place to rest or a well-placed ramp may make daily life easier. Ask your veterinary team which changes would be safe for your dog.
5. Checkups and changes to the plan
Arthritis needs care over time. Your dog may need rechecks so the team can see what is working and decide whether the plan should change.
These practical care steps are also supported by the American Animal Hospital Association's pain management guidance. They are additional veterinary guidance, not treatments compared in the 2026 review.
What Changes Should You Watch for at Home?
Tell your veterinarian if you notice your dog:
- Taking longer to get up after a nap.
- Limping or looking stiff after resting.
- Having trouble with stairs or jumping.
- Moving less or stopping walks early.
- Seeming uncomfortable during activities they used to enjoy.
These signs do not prove your dog has arthritis. Other health problems can cause them too. A veterinary exam can help find the reason.
You can keep short notes or take videos to show your veterinarian. If your dog suddenly cannot stand or walk, or seems to be in severe pain, seek urgent veterinary care.
How Does Rehabilitation Fit In?
Veterinary rehabilitation may be part of a larger plan. Depending on the dog, the veterinary team may consider guided exercises, help with safe movement, or water-based therapy.
At Animal Therapy Center, a new patient begins with a veterinary evaluation. The veterinarian then helps decide which treatments or activities are right for that dog. When appropriate, ATC can work alongside your dog's regular veterinarian.
Rehabilitation is not a replacement for medical care. The 2026 review supports making a whole-patient plan; it does not prove that any one rehabilitation method is best for all dogs.
Learn how to request an evaluation at Animal Therapy Center.
Read the Research
Main source: Meghan Theresa Ramos, Medical Management of Osteoarthritis, Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, published online August 19, 2026. Read the PubMed record and abstract. DOI: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2026.07.005.
Further reading: 2022 AAHA Pain Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats and AAHA guidance on weight, exercise, and rehabilitation.
This page explains information from the paper's publicly available abstract and separate veterinary guidance. It is for general education only and does not replace a veterinary diagnosis or a treatment plan made for your dog.
