Description
Osteoarthritis is regularly reported in dogs and cats, but little published information is available in small mammal species, despite this condition occurring commonly. In pet guinea pigs osteoarthritis can be present even from an early age in some genetic lines. Rabbits and Guinea pigs are prey species and hide signs of pain well. Owners and vets may miss subtle signs of pain and often chronic osteoarthritis goes undiagnosed until an advanced stage is reached, which poses a major welfare concern. Increasing awareness of this condition in veterinary practitioners should aid earlier diagnosis in pet small mammals and help improve quality of life.
This webinar will discuss how to detect early signs of osteoarthritis in rabbits and Guinea pigs on clinical examination and outline the diagnostic tests that can be useful in these cases. Prevention may be possible using oral protective supplements to slow down the progression of this disease at an early stage. Various different treatment options and life style changes will also be discussed for the management of chronic skeletal pain associated with osteoarthritis in pet rabbits and Guinea pigs.
