What It Is?

Clinical signs include stiffness or lameness, difficulty getting up, climbing stairs, or jumping, decreased activity level, reluctance to play or go for walks, limping or favoring one or more limbs, swelling, heat, or tenderness in the affected joints, and behavioral changes, such as irritability or aggression

What Causes It?

The most common form of arthritis in dogs is osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease. Osteoarthritis is the result of wear and tear on the joints and can occur when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones wears away

Additional info?

The condition is most common in older dogs, but it can affect younger animals too.