Slowing down or sore? 7 early signs of joint pain in older dogs
Most of us notice it on an ordinary morning. Your dog takes a second longer to get out of bed. The walk to the corner and back used to be the warm-up, now it's the whole walk. It's easy to put it down to age. But slowing down and being sore are two different things, and only one of them is just getting older.
Arthritis (osteoarthritis) is one of the most common reasons older dogs move less. In a UK study of more than 455,000 dogs seen by their regular vet, about 1 in 40 had it recorded in a single year, and the average dog was 10.5 when it was first diagnosed. Labradors and Golden Retrievers were among the breeds at higher risk, and so were dogs over eight and heavier dogs. That study only counts dogs whose vet wrote it down, so plenty of sore dogs are never in those numbers.
7 early signs to watch for
These are the signs RSPCA Australia lists for arthritis in dogs. Most of them are small, which is why they slip past us.
- Slow to get up. Especially after a nap or first thing in the morning. A few stiff steps that loosen up once they get going is a classic pattern.
- Thinking twice before stairs, the couch or the car. The pause before jumping into the back of the car or the ute is often the first thing owners notice.
- Shorter walks. Lagging behind, stopping to sniff a lot more than usual, or wanting to turn for home early.
- Stiff legs. A stilted walk, or back legs that look less steady than they used to.
- Licking or chewing a joint. Dogs often lick at a spot that aches, like a wrist, elbow or knee.
- Grumpy when touched. A snap or a yelp when you pat a certain spot is your dog telling you it hurts, not that they've turned cranky.
- Moving less overall. Sleeping more, playing less, not coming to meet you at the door.
The 5-minute home check
Pain is hard to show at the vet, where dogs are on high alert. Film it at home on your phone instead:
- Your dog getting up after a long rest.
- The first ten steps after that.
- Going up a step or two, and jumping into the car.
- The last five minutes of a normal walk.
Do it again in a month. Small changes are much easier to see side by side, and your vet will thank you for the footage.
Is it arthritis or just age?
You can't tell from the outside, and neither can we. Other problems can look exactly like arthritis, so RSPCA Australia's advice is simple: see your vet for a proper diagnosis before you start treating anything yourself. Arthritis is painful, and the longer that pain goes untreated, the worse it tends to get.
See your vet soon if your dog
- suddenly limps or won't put weight on a leg
- yelps when getting up or lying down
- has a swollen or hot joint
- stops wanting to walk at all
What actually helps
1. A lean body weight
This is the one with the strongest long-term evidence. In a lifelong study of 48 Labradors, the dogs fed 25% less than their littermates lived a median of 13 years against 11.2. By age 10, hip arthritis showed up in 42% of the lean dogs and 79% of the others. The study was run by a pet food company, and RSPCA Australia also lists a healthy weight as part of managing arthritis. Every extra kilo is extra load on sore joints. Ask your vet what a healthy weight looks like for your dog.
2. Shorter walks on even ground
Keep moving, just differently. Several shorter walks on grass or flat paths are kinder than one long hike over rocks and hills. Steady and regular beats a big weekend effort.
3. A home that's easier to get around
- Rugs or runners on slippery floorboards and tiles.
- A ramp for the car instead of a jump.
- Fewer stairs where you can, or a gate so they don't take them at speed.
- A thick, supportive bed out of the draught.
4. Your vet's plan
Vets have proper pain relief for dogs, from anti-inflammatories to newer long-acting injections. Physiotherapy and hydrotherapy can also help as part of the plan, as long as they're done by someone qualified.
5. Supplements, honestly
The evidence varies a lot between ingredients. A 2022 review of 72 trials in dogs and cats found the clearest benefit for omega-3s (the EPA and DHA from fish oil), weak evidence for collagen, and so little effect from glucosamine with chondroitin that the authors said it should no longer be recommended for pain. In one larger trial, 127 dogs with arthritis were fed a diet rich in fish oil for six months, and their owners reported they got up, walked and played more easily.
So a supplement can be one part of the plan. It isn't a replacement for your vet or for pain relief, and RSPCA Australia makes the same point.
| Ingredient | What the evidence says |
|---|---|
| Omega-3 (EPA + DHA) | The clearest benefit in reviews of dog studies |
| Collagen | Some signs of benefit, but the evidence is weak |
| Glucosamine + chondroitin | No real effect on pain in the 2022 review |
The bottom line
A dog who's slowing down deserves a closer look, not a shrug. Film the small things, get them checked, keep them lean and keep them moving on soft ground. Most older dogs can keep doing the walk they love, just at their own pace.
This article is general information, not veterinary advice. Always talk to your vet about your own dog.
Sources
- RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase. I think my dog has arthritis, what can I do?
- Anderson KL et al. Prevalence, duration and risk factors for appendicular osteoarthritis in a UK dog population under primary veterinary care. Scientific Reports, 2018.
- Royal Veterinary College. VetCompass rocks the joint in dogs. 2018.
- Kealy RD et al. Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs. JAVMA, 2002. Summary: Penn Today.
- Barbeau-Grégoire M et al. A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of enriched therapeutic diets and nutraceuticals in canine and feline osteoarthritis. Int J Mol Sci, 2022.
- Roush JK et al. Multicenter veterinary practice assessment of the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on osteoarthritis in dogs. JAVMA, 2010.
