Arthritis in Pointers

I hunt with my Pointer every weekend during hunting season, and I love my dog because he helps me bag so many more birds. I also appreciate the way I don’t have to coddle him like some of those smaller dogs seem to need. However, I do sometimes worry about the stress and strain hunting places on my dog’s joints. After all, he’s running through woods and underbrush on uneven ground all day long while we’re out in the field.

I even talked to my vet about whether my dog might develop arthritis one day. The vet told me that as my Pointer gets older, the cartilage in his joints might start to degenerate and give him some arthritis. Large breeds, like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Rottweilers and Pointers, to name a few, seem to be more prone to arthritis, which my vet called a degenerative musculoskeletal condition. Apparently, in arthritis the joints deteriorate over time as a result of either trauma or repeated stress.

I asked my vet what I should watch for and what I could do if my Pointer starts having problems with his joints. He told me the first thing I’d notice is that my dog will find movement more difficult and will be reluctant to run, jump or even walk. A dog with arthritis might flinch or yelp when the affected area is touched.

My vet also told me that although arthritis isn’t curable, a dog with mobility problems due to arthritis can be helped to a certain degree by eating food designed to support joint health. A vet can also prescribe pain medication to help keep a dog active. I hope this doesn’t happen to my Pointer because he’s my hunting buddy, but I’ll be watching for it and ready if it does.