Arthritis/Degenerative joint disease
Arthritis simply means inflammation of a joint. If cartilage is injured because of a traumatic event or if there is long standing wear and tear that causes cartilage damage, then an inflammatory cascade occurs within the joint leading to further damage to the cartilage matrix. Ultimately, it changes the cartilage with respect to its ability to function normally. The changes noticed early may be as simple as just a warm joint with mild effusion or increased amount of joint fluid. If the joint is not rested and the cycle of inflammation is not broken and stopped, then continued damage can occur. This could result in a thinning of the cartilage, thus its concussive resisting abilities become diminished. At this point, there is the potential that the bone directly beneath the cartilage can become damaged. Bony changes may start as the bone becomes remodeled in response to trauma or concussion that is not alleviated by normal healthy cartilage. The term arthritis is generally used for longer standing or chronic changes as opposed to acute changes which can be termed as synovitis or simply a strain . However; when there are signs of inflammation in the joint the term degenerative joint disease is often used by veterinarians. There is a large growing body of evidence that the oral intake of 10000mg of glucosamine on a daily basis will slow down the degeneration of cartilage and even help repair in conjunction with other traditional therapies. Glucosamine has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects as well as it’s being a precursor molecule for the cartilage matrix itself.