Treating arthrosis and arthritis in animals with vital mushrooms

Less exercise and new environmental factors

In the course of development, the conditions under which our pets are kept have changed. Whereas cats used to have the task of catching mice and could roam through meadows and fields as they liked, the majority of cats are now house pets due to changed living conditions. Many dogs spend a life as couch potatoes, walks are often taken in a rush after work.

While Bello has waited all day for this experience, his master wants to finish the walk as quickly as possible after a long day at work. So it is not surprising if the dog sometimes can no longer withstand this “pressure”. Due to the relatively early restriction of freedom of movement and changed environmental conditions, diseases of the musculoskeletal system occur more quickly today.

The most important diseases of the musculoskeletal system are joint diseases and diseases of the spine. Arthritis and arthrosis are very common in dogs and cats.

Arthritis in animals

Arthritis is an acute inflammation of the joints. Damage or injury may be the cause. The affected joint is almost always swollen, painful, hot to the touch, and is tender.

Arthrosis or arthrosis deformans

In arthrosis, the focus is not on inflammation, but rather on wear and tear of the joints. It occurs in older animals due to the natural ageing process, in young animals it often develops as a result of growth disorders or hereditary predisposition, for example in osteochondrosis or hip dysplasia.

At the beginning of the disease, excessive or increased stress or insufficient supply of cartilage tissue causes damage to the cartilage. The previously shiny, smooth cartilage layer becomes roughened and dull in the damaged area. Small cartilage ponds detach, which then float freely in the joint space. At this stage, the animal shows neither lameness nor pain symptoms, as cartilage cells have no nerves.

Typical symptoms

The abraded cartilage particles exposed in the joint space allow the cartilage damage to progress. They can also lead to inflammation of the synovial mucosa – this is the inner mucous membrane of the joint capsule. This recurring inflammation is also called synovitis. It is the cause of pain and joint effusions. In this phase of the disease, it is called activated arthrosis.

At this stage, lameness and relieving postures occur, and the animals may lick or gnaw the affected joint area. There are joint effusions and typical signs of inflammation such as warmth, pain and swelling.

Changes in synovial fluid

The synovium (synovial fluid or synovial fluid) becomes increasingly thicker as a reaction to the increased abrasion in the joint, so that the blood supply and thus also the nutrient supply to the joint is increasingly restricted. With each movement of the joint, the free cartilage particles continue to grind down the cartilage like sandpaper and, over time, damage occurs to the bone. This can progress to the point where instead of the cartilage covering, the unprotected bones now slide on top of each other.

Bone bulges form at the edges of the bones that are well supplied with blood. This results in small bony attachments, so-called osteophytes, which grow into the joint space and form at the edges. The body thus tries to better distribute the pressure that the bones exert on the joint by enlarging the joint surface. However, this is not successful.

Both the osteophytes and the uneven wear of the cartilage mean that the joint head and the socket no longer fit together. So the pressure distribution becomes more and more uneven until the joint finally “subluxates”: The head and socket thus shift and the deformity is now also visible externally. In this final stage of arthrosis, the deformation of the joints increases more and more until the joints finally become completely stiff and immobile.

Arthroses of different joints

• Spondylarthrosis in the vertebral joints
• Gonarthroses in the knee joints
• Coxarthrosis in the hip joints
• Omarthrosis in the shoulder joints

Arthritic changes also frequently develop in other joints, for example in the ankle, forefoot or hindfoot joints.

The spine can be affected

In the spine, apart from the lumbar spine, the cervical spine is most often affected. Degeneration of the intervertebral discs promotes arthrosis of the vertebral joints. With age, the gelatinous core of the intervertebral disc dries out and loses height. As a result, the joints between the vertebral arches and articular processes lose their position in relation to each other. This leads to overloading and misalignment and to the development of arthrosis.

Typical symptoms of arthrosis are initial pain after rest, reduced activity of the animal, joint stiffness, and later on pain on exertion and constant pain. Diagnosis is made by a careful lameness examination, palpation and mobility testing and by an X-ray. A CT (computer tomography) or arthroscopy may be necessary to make changes more visible.

Conventional medical therapy is carried out with painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs (non-steroidal analgesics or anti-inflammatory drugs) such as Rimadyl and Metacam. In addition to cartilage-preserving preparations such as hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulphate, joint replacement or gold acupuncture is often used.

Vital mushrooms for arthritis and arthrosis

The basic mushrooms for diseases of the musculoskeletal system are the reishi and the shiitake. Reishi has an anti-inflammatory effect and is similar to cortisone. It also improves blood circulation, oxygen supply and blood flow in the joint. Together with the shiitake, it has a strong analgesic effect. Shiitake is able to reduce deformities of the limbs. Auricularia promotes blood circulation, improves the fluidity of the blood and thus the oxygen supply.

It also has a moisturising and anti-inflammatory effect on the joint mucosa. Pleurotus strengthens tendons, ligaments and cartilage. It improves muscle function and promotes bone formation. In the case of joint swelling, polyporus supports the lymph.