Symptoms of osteoarthritis tend to creep up over a period of time leaving many owners thinking that it’s just part of the ageing process. Added to this is the apprehension many owners feel about making a vet appointment so they continually put it off. Colin Whiting and Hannah Capon show how both vet and owner can communicate better and see themselves as on the same side using non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, weight problems and joint supplements as examples. Colin emphasises the importance of mobility to dogs to encourage owners to act when that mobility is threatened. Every CAM LIVE finishes with Ten Top Tips for managing your arthritic dog (from 58:30 in this video).
Colin Whiting graduated from Liverpool in 1998 and gained the RCVS Certificate in Small Animal Surgery in 2003. After moving to Cornwall he started a surgical referral business at a hospital, seeing orthopaedic, spinal and soft-tissue surgery cases. He joined the partnership in 2009 and the practice then expanded very rapidly, with six radial practices and CT scanning facilities. In 2018, the practice joined a corporate group, and since then Colin has enjoyed some family time, with a few projects in the pipeline and has been invited to give talks and practicals at veterinary universities.
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Stephen Fox's ACCLAIM criteria for choosing a joint supplement -
Canine Arthritis Management (CAM) is a veterinary driven initiative, set up by vet Hannah Capon who was becoming overwhelmed with the number of dogs she was having to put to sleep having "gone off their legs". This was often seen by the owners as a sudden incident, when in truth that dog had probably been suffering in silence for a long time prior to that day. In fact, we believe that as many as 1 in 5 dogs in the UK, and 80% of dogs over the age of 8, will have some degree of osteoarthritis. Unlike humans, dogs are unable to express their pain in words. Chronic pain is no doubt something most people will understand and empathise with, but it can be difficult to tell when a dog is suffering in the same way. We want to challenge the preconceived notion that "just getting old" or "slowing down" should be accepted in our four footed companions. Ageing in itself is not a disease! Here at CAM we think that by changing owner, vet and public perception of arthritis, we can improve and extend the lives of dogs.
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