Articles | Canine Arthritis Resources and Education

Female Nurse Checking Out French Bulldog

The Role of Trigger Points in Canine Osteoarthritis

Guest article by: Kara Amstutz, DVM, DACVSMR, CCRT, CVPP, CVA How trigger points can be applied to your canine OA treatment plans The concept of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in human medicine has been around for a very long time. […]

Why every dog with arthritis should have a physical therapist

A perspective from a physiotherapist in South Africa

A guest article by Ané Lloyd, Veterinary Physiotherapist Content Coordinator with Onlinepethealth How arthritis can affect your dog Arthritis affects dogs in the same way it does people, leading to chronic pain, reduced range of motion or mobility of joints, […]

Massage and OA: How it helps manage chronic pain in dogs

Guest article by Dr. Megan Ridley, DVM, and Denise Theobald, LMT, CVMRT, NCCMT Dr. Ridley is the Medical Director at Integrative Pet Care Chicago. Ms. Theobald is the owner/director of Canine Massage Chicago. How does massage fit into an OA […]

Warming up and cooling down, is it REALLY necessary for my dog?

Guest article by: Matthew Brunke, DVM, CCRP, CVPP, CVA Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Published 6/2020 Why you should incorporate warm-ups and cool-downs into your dog’s exercise routine “That’s one small step for a man, one […]

Article of Interest: Effect of passive stretching on range of motion

Digging into the evidence: CARE reviews the research and how it can be incorporated into practice Title: Effect of passive stretching on the range of motion of osteoarthritic joints in 10 Labrador retrievers. Authors: Crook T, McGowan C, Pead M […]

From the Literature: Early OA Management in Growing Dogs

By Gwen Francisco, BA, MFA, LVT, CVPP “A proposed framework for practical multimodal management of osteoarthritis in growing dogs” Marcellin-Little DJ, Hulse DA, Huntingford, JL, Grubb T, Brunke MW, Pechette A, Frank B. Front. Vet. Sci., 27 April 2025 Sec. […]

Can I use ice packs for my dog’s arthritis?

Ice can help with inflammation If your dog has had surgery or suffered from physical trauma, the injured area will be inflamed due to increased blood flow. The inflammation causes redness and swelling. Swelling can be painful for your dog […]

Non-surgical management of CCL disease

When is non-surgical management off CCL disease recommended? If your dog has a tear or sprain in their CCL (read more here), surgery is typically the fastest way of returning your pet to an active lifestyle and considered the gold-standard, […]

Overview of the role of rehabilitation for arthritis

Physical rehabilitation offers a number of techniques that can help decrease pain and improve mobility in dogs with arthritis. It can broadly be divided into three categories: Manual therapy Therapeutic modalities Therapeutic exercise Manual Therapy Manual therapy is what human […]

Overview of the role of rehabilitation in OA

Physical rehabilitation offers a number of techniques that can be very helpful for decreasing pain and improving mobility in dogs with OA. Traditional physical rehabilitation skills can broadly be divided into three categories: manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and therapeutic modalities. […]