Osteoarthritis in Pets

Posted on: Jun 14 2019

Osteoarthritis is a common ailment in older pets. It’s caused by the deterioration of the cartilage in your pet’s joints as they age – and it leads to chronic inflammation, discomfort and pain.

Signs of Osteoarthritis

Lagging behind in walks
Decrease in activity level
Difficulty jumping or climbing stairs
Limping or stiffness
Difficulty getting up
Irritability, aggression or acting withdrawn

Managing Osteoarthritis: Karingal Veterinary Hospital

Physical Examination

Often your vet will be able to diagnose your pet’s osteoarthritis on a physical exam and collecting a thorough history. In some cases, an x-ray may be required to assess the severity.

Weight Management

A weight management plan is important if your dog is suffering from osteoarthritis. Elderly dogs have a natural tendency to put on weight and the extra weight will place additional strain on the joints. It’s best to keep your dog at its optimal weight. We can discuss this in detail with you.

Low-impact exercise

Your vet may also talk to you about maintaining a low impact exercise routine to keep the muscles surrounding the joint in good condition providing stability. We can help suggest some activities and exercises that suit both you and your pet.

Supplements and Medication

At Karingal Veterinary Hospital, your pet’s happiness and quality of life is our top priority. We will be able to develop a pain management system to help your pet cope. Unfortunately, there is no way to reverse the physical changes. We can assess your pet’s individual condition and create a pain management plan together. Your pet’s plan may include pain medications and supplements to ease the pain. There are premium supplemental products that can be added to your pet’s daily feed. They have been proven to be effective in easing joint pain.

Karingal Veterinary Clinic: Frankston

If you suspect your pet is suffering from joint pain, please come and see us. It is a condition that needs to be managed and monitored for the best quality of life for your pet. You can call us or book online today.

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B J

09:11 30 Dec 25

Very good actually. They treated my Dexter dog extremely well! 💗 I felt love and a genuine care for animals! I will return and his ear lump is now gone with no invasive surgery needed - Thank-you!

For potential new clients - I was quoted thousands at my regular Vet for a procedure, I didn't feel was right for Dexter. All sorted at Karingal.

Carrie Bizz

04:45 29 Dec 25

We had an emergency with one of our cats recently. She was limping, so I called KVH on the 23rd of Dec and while they were fully booked, they had thankfully just had a cancellation 40 mins before closing. We didn't have to wait long once we got there and our beloved Miss Potato was given excellent care by the 2 vets. Thankfully she didn't have to have any xrays and they found the issue. Once she was diagnosed we got antibiotics and pain medication to give her.
The cost was very reasonable and thankfully after being on her medication and keeping her indoors ( shes usually in and out) she has bounched back to good health!! Shes not limping anymore, and is back playing with her siblings! I am so grateful for the prompt appointment and care that all the staff gave us. Thank you so much.

Tori Blogg

06:04 24 Dec 25

Karingal Vet is such an amazing place to take your fur babies. My partner and I had an emergency and had to come in as our Rottie couldn’t walk on his leg and they fit him in on the same day. They were so caring and the staff valued the needs of our baby. Thank you much to all the staff for being so kind and helpful, you all are absolutely amazing and truely care about the health of our animals 🩷

Rene Alt

21:44 22 Dec 25

Preferred Vet for our beloved pets, highest recommendation from us. When we are worried this clinic is worth the effort, while you wait and see the other customers passing through then you know that you are in the right spot, here everything is well looked after and cared for.

Kira Matt

07:05 10 Dec 25

Understanding staff who were very knowledgeable about pet behaviour

Sue Putt

06:50 09 Dec 25

We have only great thing to say about the team at karingal vet hospital, the care and love for animals and their fur family is exceptional, the team saved our precious little girl Bibbish's life. How do you thank people for that!!!! I have always had a fur baby, I have never experience such a delicate team that are truly connected with their patients, everyone at the clinic from the doctors, nurses and the amazing reception staff are beyond perfect, all we can say is thank you which just does not seem enough

Sarah Kilby

06:49 24 Oct 25

Karingal Vet are the best Vet Hospital we have EVER visited (and we've been to our fair share, trust us!). Their collective compassion, kindness, attentiveness and heart is unmatched, but so is their knowledge, skill and professionalism. We cannot fault any of the staff we have come in contact with... and we've met almost all of them. I mean it when I say that 5 stars doesn't even do them justice. We used to have to drag or carry our dogs into vets we've seen previously but now our pups lead us in, tails wagging. They truly are in a class of their own. Sadly, we have faced a lot of pre-existing complex health challenges with our 7-month-old Golden and 10-year-old Labrador and since switching to KVH we have been completely overwhelmed by the quality of care, empathy and love we have all received during every single visit. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the entire team... and although we're not out of the woods yet, we are forever grateful for all you continue to do for our family.

Tanya Bann

10:13 15 Aug 25

Always friendly and helpful staff. Amazing vets and vet nurses. Dr Michael Qiu is our usual vet however we saw Ari today and he is also great. They don’t do things not required and always explain things well. The compassion they showed when we had to say goodbye to our 19 year old doggies was incredible and will never be forgotten. I cannot recommend these guys highly enough. We will never go anywhere else.

Sherree Cooper

07:35 12 Aug 25

Absolutely amazing vets and staff they all took wonderful care of our beagle Brooklyn, she had major surgery and they got her and us through it . She was also an epileptic who had many seizures. They always took the time to explain things to us . We will be forever thankful that she had the care she did by them all . Sadly 🐾 we lost her a few
Weeks ago !!! my family and l would highly recommend them !!! Thanks again from the cooper family 😃😃

Adrian M

22:29 03 Aug 25

We couldn’t be happier with the care our toy Cavoodle, Crunchie, received and continues to receive at Karingal Vet Hospital. The staff were and continue to be incredibly gentle, kind, and thorough, treating Crunchie like one of their own.

A huge shout-out to Kirsten and Dr Ari for their unconditional support and love for our baby boy, their compassion and dedication mean the world to us.

Every visit has always ended in us feeling reassured and at ease. We’re so grateful to have such an amazing team looking after our little one!

Tessa Bottomley

01:49 08 Aug 24

Best vet!!!! Taken all our dogs and they have always done the most amazing care. From puppy to elderly dog they are just amazing and so caring

Angie Gordon

02:30 02 Aug 24

Wonderful caring staff who have been very understanding to me and my pets.

Emma Brown

01:57 30 Jul 24

Friendly, professional and outstanding with my dogs. Highly recommended.

Lynda Nash

01:51 22 Jul 24

Great, caring staff and great service.

Libby K (Pawsome Buddies)

01:59 17 Jul 24

Always happy with the way my dog is treated here. They are excellent in handling a dog that has high anxiety too.

Aria Kate

06:38 14 Jul 24

Been taking our fur babies to the team at Karingal for 6 years now and always receive the best treatment. From the reception team, the vet nurses and vets, we always felt well cared for. They’ve always listened to our concerns thoroughly and never made us feel stupid when explaining things.
I always appreciate their follow up calls to double check our pet has been feeling better and that there’s no more issues, I feel like they do genuinely care for my animals :)
Also greatly appreciate the gap only claims for pet insurance, saves a lot of time and money!

John X

05:02 13 Jul 24

Excellent service and top veterinarians. Impressed by the professionalism of the staff.

Natalie J

01:07 18 Jun 24

We took both our greyhounds here after trying a few vets in the area and they are by far the best. So knowledgeable about the breed and so understanding and patient with their anxiety about going into the consulting rooms. It’s so nice to see your pets being taken such good care of, getting lots of pats and reassurance. Thank you so much!

Cassidy Crouch

09:30 12 Apr 24

I’ve seen multiple vets and nurses at this clinic since having my first puppy, and every single person has been fantastic. They really pay attention to your concerns and are really thorough with their examinations. I appreciate that they never rush me and take their time to explain things to me. As a first time puppy owner, it’s always great to have things explained in such detail. They are all so friendly and accommodating and I would have absolutely no trouble recommending this clinic to my friends or family.

Emily Stecca

10:23 18 Jan 24

The team at Karingal Vets have been so amazing helping my dog who ruptured his cruciate ligament! Could not have asked for better support during this time pre and post surgery.

Puppy school was amazing too! Highly recommend ☺️