Canine Arthritis Matters

In this CAM LIVE episode, Hannah Capon speaks with veterinary physiotherapy researcher Heli Hyytiäinen about the growing recognition of obesity in dogs as a major welfare issue. Alongside dental disease and osteoarthritis, excess weight is now understood to be one of the most significant health challenges affecting companion animals.

The discussion explores why obesity is far more than a cosmetic concern or a simple co-morbidity risk for conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. Excess adipose tissue acts as a metabolically active organ, producing pro-inflammatory mediators that contribute directly to the development and progression of osteoarthritis.

Heli highlights emerging research showing that obese dogs may accumulate lipid droplets within muscles, tendons and ligaments, affecting tissue performance and recovery capacity. These physiological changes can alter biomechanics, reduce efficiency of movement and exacerbate joint disease. Studies comparing lean and obese dogs demonstrate that stride length is often shorter in overweight animals, while joint range of motion can appear increased due to compensatory movement patterns.

Whether a dog currently has arthritis or not, maintaining a lean body condition is one of the most powerful preventative strategies for long-term musculoskeletal health.

Publishing date: May 2020 https://youtu.be/7buqnkeqovE

Guest Bio

Heli Hyytiäinen graduated as a physiotherapist in 2000 and completed her Finnish specialization in Animal Physiotherapy in 2003. Since then she has worked exclusively with animal patients. She earned a Master of Science in Veterinary Physiotherapy from the Royal Veterinary College in 2012 and completed her PhD at the University of Helsinki in 2015. She founded and developed the physiotherapy department at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Helsinki, where she continues to combine clinical work with research. She lectures internationally on animal physiotherapy, teaches within Finnish animal physiotherapy specialization programmes and is an honorary lecturer for the MSc Veterinary Physiotherapy programme at the University of Liverpool.

Key take homes

1. Obesity in dogs is now recognised as a major welfare concern alongside dental disease and osteoarthritis.
2. Adipose tissue is metabolically active and releases inflammatory mediators that contribute directly to the progression of arthritis.
3. Obesity affects musculoskeletal tissues beyond joints, with lipid deposits identified in muscles, tendons and ligaments that impair function and recovery.
4. Biomechanical differences exist between lean and obese dogs, including shorter stride lengths and altered joint movement patterns.
5. Even modest weight loss of around 6–9 percent body weight can lead to measurable improvements in lameness and mobility in dogs with osteoarthritis.

Relevant links

Evaluation of gait-related variables in lean and obese dogs at a trot
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236579229_Evaluation_of_gait-related_variables_in_lean_and_obese_dogs_at_a_trot

The effect of weight loss on lameness in obese dogs with osteoarthritis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20237844/

How obesity modifies tendons
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4241419/

Canine Arthritis Management resources
https://caninearthritis.co.uk

Good Day Bad Day Diary
https://caninearthritis.co.uk/gooddaybadday

Learn more about CAM:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAMarthritis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canine_arthritis
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CanineArthritisManagement
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/canine-arthritis-management-ltd

Have questions send them to: [email protected]

Stay tuned to learn how early detection can make a significant difference in managing OA in younger dogs.

In this CAM LIVE, Hannah Capon speaks with leading veterinary obesity researcher Alex German about one of the most significant health challenges affecting companion animals today: excess body weight. With more than 50 percent of pet dogs now classified as overweight or obese, the discussion highlights why this issue has become a welfare concern of epidemic proportions.

Alex provides an overview of the scale of the obesity problem in dogs, the key factors contributing to weight gain, and the strong association between obesity and musculoskeletal disease, particularly osteoarthritis. The conversation explores how excess weight increases mechanical strain on joints while also driving systemic inflammation that worsens pain and mobility problems.
The discussion then moves to practical strategies for safe and sustainable weight management. Alex explains why gradual, controlled weight loss is essential and how long term success depends on building consistent feeding routines, managing treats, and supporting caregivers in maintaining healthy habits for their dogs.
The episode also considers whether particular food groups can influence weight loss and long term weight control, and discusses preventative approaches that can help stop obesity developing in the first place.

Original publishing date: January 2021
Facebook Live recording: https://youtu.be/-h7Bf44QGtw

Guest Bio

Alex German is Royal Canin Professor of Small Animal Medicine at the University of Liverpool. He is a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, a recognised specialist in internal medicine with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

His main clinical and research interest is the prevention and management of obesity in companion animals. For more than fifteen years he has run the Royal Canin Weight Management Clinic at the University of Liverpool, a specialist clinic dedicated to improving the quality of life of overweight pets through clinical excellence, research and education.

Key takehomes

1. More than half of pet dogs are now overweight or obese, making excess weight one of the most common and serious health concerns in companion animals.
2. Obesity is strongly linked with musculoskeletal disease, including osteoarthritis, increasing both joint loading and systemic inflammation that contributes to chronic pain.
3. Safe weight loss must be gradual and carefully managed to protect health and improve the chances of maintaining weight loss long term.
4. Successful weight management relies on behaviour change for both dogs and caregivers, including portion control, consistent feeding routines and careful management of treats.
5. Prevention is critical. Monitoring growth in young dogs and recognising weight gain early can significantly reduce the likelihood of obesity developing later in life.

Relevant links

Study on food consumption and osteoarthritis in dogs
https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/217/11/javma.2000.217.1678.xml

Waltham Puppy Growth Charts
https://www.waltham.com/resources/puppy-growth-charts

CAM Member Zone
https://caninearthritis.co.uk/memberzone

Good Day Bad Day Diary
https://caninearthritis.co.uk/gooddaybadday

Learn more about CAM:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAMarthritis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canine_arthritis
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CanineArthritisManagement
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/canine-arthritis-management-ltd

Have questions send them to: [email protected]

Stay tuned to learn how early detection can make a significant difference in managing OA in younger dogs.

In this episode of Canine Arthritis Matters, Hannah Capon speaks with Arielle Griffiths about one of the biggest yet most under-recognised drivers of chronic pain in dogs: excess weight.

The discussion explores why weight conversations are so emotionally and professionally difficult, why obesity remains under-acknowledged by caregivers, and how early identification of unhealthy weight trajectories could dramatically change the future of osteoarthritis in dogs.

Together they unpack the landmark Purina lifetime feeding study, behavioural and social barriers to weight management, and the ways nutritional choices influence inflammation, mobility and long-term pain. Arielle also shares her unconventional career journey into plant-based nutrition, the realities of trying to run a weight-loss clinic with no uptake, and what she now teaches caregivers about simple, achievable nutritional changes.

This episode sits squarely within CAM’s March theme: weight management. Recognising unhealthy weight early and supporting caregivers with realistic, sustainable strategies is one of the most powerful ways we can reduce osteoarthritis risk and improve long-term comfort.

Bio

Arielle Griffiths is a UK veterinarian, environmentalist and founder of a plant-based pet nutrition company. After 25 years in first-opinion practice, a confronting day at the PDSA led her to re-evaluate the scale of the obesity epidemic and its connection to chronic disease.

She retrained extensively in nutrition, developed a strong interest in plant-based formulations, and now works exclusively online supporting caregivers in managing weight, digestive disease and inflammatory conditions through practical, achievable nutritional changes.

Key takehomes

1. Weight is one of the strongest risk modifiers for osteoarthritis, yet it remains under-identified and under-discussed in clinical practice.
2. Caregivers often cannot recognise overweight animals; the perception gap between what owners believe and clinical reality is substantial.
3. Lifelong lean management dramatically delays OA onset, reduces severity and extends life expectancy; identification must happen early, ideally in puppyhood.
4. Behavioural, emotional and social factors make weight-related conversations difficult; empathy, permission and simple actionable steps are essential.
5. Even small nutritional changes and replacing inflammatory treats with whole-food alternatives can produce measurable improvements in comfort and mobility.

Relevant links

Arielle’s online nutritional consultations
https://justbekind.co.uk

Purina lifetime feeding study (overview)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16549482/

Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP)
https://petobesityprevention.org

General CAM resources
https://caninearthritis.co.uk

Good Day / Bad Day Diary (CAM Member Zone)
https://caninearthritis.co.uk/memberzone

Suspicion of Chronic Pain Document
https://caninearthritis.co.uk/suspecting-arthritis

Learn more about CAM:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAMarthritis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canine_arthritis
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CanineArthritisManagement
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/canine-arthritis-management-ltd

Have questions send them to: [email protected]

Stay tuned to learn how early detection can make a significant difference in managing OA in younger dogs.

Dr Masataka Enomoto joins CAM to explore the frontier of early identification in canine osteoarthritis. From automated pain evaluation and force-plate research to activity-monitor insights, microbiome patterns and his landmark data on how young dogs really are when radiographic OA appears, this episode dives deep into what the next decade of OA detection could look like.
Listeners will gain clarity on why early OA is still routinely missed, what technologies show genuine promise, and how objective tools could reshape the caregiver–vet partnership in spotting pain far earlier.

Bio

Dr Masataka Enomoto is a Research Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at North Carolina State University. He earned his veterinary degree from Azabu University in Japan and now focuses on cartilage regeneration, pain management, early OA detection and comparative orthopaedic research.
His publications cover NGF-blocking monoclonal antibodies, force-plate gait analysis, activity monitors, microbiome associations, and the prevalence of radiographic OA in young dogs.

Key takehomes

1. Automated pain evaluation is progressing but not yet ready for widespread clinical use; it holds strong promise for future early OA detection.
2. Activity monitors can reveal early reductions in movement long before lameness appears, but they remain underused in practice.
3. Microbiome research is emerging and may help explain multi-joint OA patterns; however, clinical application is still distant.
4. Comparative force-plate work has provided objective insight into the performance of grapiprant versus bedinvetmab in early OA pain management.
5. Dr Enomoto’s prevalence research confirms radiographic OA is common even in young dogs, underscoring how urgently early identification must become routine.

Relevant links

Force-plate trial comparing grapiprant and bedinvetmab (Librela)
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.23.08.0493

Physical activity monitors in chronic pain (review)
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.928584/full

Gut microbiome and multi-joint OA
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0280682

Factors influencing physical activity in dogs with OA
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jvim.16617

Radiographic OA prevalence in young dogs
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.654500/full

VSMRI (Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Institute)
https://www.vsmri.com/

February at Canine Arthritis Matters focuses on identification — and in this episode we explore what early identification of osteoarthritis could look like in the future.

Hannah Capon is joined by Dr Eva Hanks, CEO and founder of MI:RNA, to discuss the emerging role of microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers in detecting canine osteoarthritis at a molecular level.

We know that most dogs are diagnosed with OA once structural damage is already present. Subtle behavioural, postural and gait changes are often missed or dismissed. So what if we could detect disease before radiographic change, before overt lameness, before chronic pain becomes entrenched?

Dr Hanks explains what miRNAs are, how they function biologically, and why they may act as measurable indicators of early pathological change. This conversation explores the human evidence base, the current state of canine research, the challenges of variability between breeds and individuals, and whether the veterinary profession is ready to adopt biomarker technology as part of routine identification strategies.

This is a forward-looking discussion about moving from subjective suspicion to objective identification — and what that could mean for the future of canine osteoarthritis management.

Guest Bio

Dr Eva Hanks is CEO and founder of MI:RNA, a veterinary diagnostics company focused on early disease identification through biomarker technology combined with artificial intelligence. MI:RNA is a spin-out from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).

Dr Hanks began her career in busy mixed practice before returning to academia to complete an advanced certificate, followed by a PhD in immunology. She later worked as a clinical pathologist before launching MI:RNA in 2019, bringing together research, clinical insight and diagnostic innovation to improve early disease detection in companion animals.

5 Key Takeaways

1. We currently identify osteoarthritis too late, often after structural joint damage and chronic pain patterns are established.
2. MicroRNAs are regulatory molecules that reflect active biological processes and may allow identification of osteoarthritis at a molecular stage before visible joint changes occur.
3. Human meta-analyses show strong diagnostic accuracy for miRNAs in OA, but robust canine validation is essential before widespread clinical adoption.
4. Objective biomarkers could complement clinical assessment, helping bridge the gap between caregiver-reported subtle changes and definitive diagnosis.
5. Early identification opens the door to earlier lifestyle modification, weight management, activity optimisation and targeted intervention — shifting OA management towards prevention of progression rather than reaction to damage.

Relevant Links

MI:RNA
https://www.mirna.co.uk

Scottish Rural College (SRUC)
https://www.sruc.ac.uk

Learn more about CAM:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAMarthritis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canine_arthritis
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CanineArthritisManagement
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/canine-arthritis-management-ltd

Have questions send them to: [email protected]

Stay tuned to learn how early detection can make a significant difference in managing OA in younger dogs.