Arthritis is an umbrella term used to describe any changes to a joint. A joint can become arthritic as a result of trauma to the joint, congenital defects, infections and some immune disorders.
Osteoarthritis affects both cats and dogs and at times is a difficult condition to diagnose. Arthritic changes happen over a period of time which means symptoms get progressively worse.
There are two mains causes of osteoarthritis.
First is the natural degeneration of the bone structures, which occurs throughout the animals lifetime.
Secondly, arthritis may be found following trauma to the bone or surrounding tissues. For instance it is common to find arthritic changes to a bone following a break.
