Mobility and muscle loss
Weakness, sarcopenia, and reduced activity independent of joint pain.
Aging dogs lose muscle mass and proprioceptive control even without significant arthritis. This overlaps heavily with osteoarthritis but responds to different interventions, and is frequently missed as a separate problem.
How it is measured
Body condition and muscle condition scoring, accelerometry, sit-to-stand testing.
Why this matters: canine pain and cognition trials rely heavily on owner-reported scores, and owners who know their dog is being treated tend to report improvement whether or not the drug works. Trials using objective measures such as force-plate gait analysis carry more weight here for exactly that reason.
Interventions, best evidence first
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Strong evidence nsaid
Veterinary NSAIDs (carprofen, meloxicam, firocoxib, robenacoxib)
Rimadyl, Metacam, Previcox, Onsior
The best-evidenced treatment for arthritis pain in dogs, and the benchmark every newer drug is measured against. The real limit is not whether they work but whether a given older dog's kidneys, liver, and gut can tolerate them long-term.
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Moderate evidence diet
Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA-enriched diets and fish oil)
One of the very few supplements with real randomized evidence behind it. Expect a modest improvement in mobility and, importantly, the possibility of getting the same pain control on a lower NSAID dose. It is not a replacement for pain medication.
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Moderate evidence lifestyle
Weight optimization (calorie-restricted weight loss)
The single most underused treatment for arthritis in older dogs. Losing roughly 6-9% of body weight measurably reduces lameness on its own, before any drug is added. And unlike every drug here, the side effects are all good ones.