In this episode, physiotherapist and researcher Nicole Bausch joins Hannah Capon to explore the overlooked concept of acute flares in canine osteoarthritis. Drawing from her background in the human health sector, Nicole explains how flares have only recently been formally defined even in people, and why this definition is essential for improving communication, treatment decisions, and outcomes in dogs. Hannah shares real-world challenges from clinical practice and personal experience, highlighting the risks of overmedication, caregiver distress, and missed welfare concerns when flares are not recognised or understood.

Key Takeaways

1. Acute flares are common but under-recognised. Until recently, even the human sector lacked a clear definition of OA flares.

2. Flare-ups can resolve spontaneously. Without awareness, vets may escalate medications unnecessarily or prematurely consider euthanasia.

3. Flares affect quality of life. They can cause days or weeks of discomfort, disrupting sleep, mood, and daily activity.

4. Imaging often doesn’t reflect pain. Radiographs or scans may not match what the dog is showing behaviourally.

5. Triggers matter. Nicole and Hannah discuss how physical and emotional triggers like overactivity or stress can initiate flares.

6. Better communication prevents problems. Hannah suggests that clearer explanations could reduce inappropriate spending and treatment.

7. Real-life insight: Nicole describes flare patterns in her own 16-year-old Jack Russell and how understanding them changed her approach.

8. Hannah on definition scope: “That’s all of OA until you cut it out, really isn’t it?”

Don’t let flares catch you off guard.

The CAM Acute Flare Kit is designed to help caregivers and professionals recognise, track, and respond to flare-ups quickly and confidently—reducing suffering and avoiding unnecessary treatment changes.

Packed with practical tools, guidance, and templates, it supports you in managing discomfort as it happens and helps you spot patterns before they escalate.

Access the Acute Flare Kit now in the CAM Member Zone

Join the CAM Member Zone

For just £35 per year, get access to CAM’s full library of caregiver tools, printouts, and support materials. - https://caninearthritis.co.uk/the-cam-member-zone/

External Tools / Concepts Discussed:

1. FLARE-OA16 Questionnaire (human OA flare measurement – currently in development)

2. James Lind Alliance Research Priorities – https://www.jla.nihr.ac.uk

3. OMERACT Working Group Flare Definition – https://omeract.org

Learn more about CAM:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAMarthritis

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canine_arthritis

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CanineArthritisManagement

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/canine-arthritis-management-ltd

Have questions send them to: info@caninearthritis.co.uk

Stay tuned to learn how early detection can make a significant difference in managing OA in younger dogs.

In this episode, Professor Duncan Lascelles joins Hannah Capon to explore the future of pain management in dogs with osteoarthritis. Duncan shares insights from his extensive research into pain detection and his work on AniV8’s development of objective tools to measure chronic pain in companion animals. They walk through a case study to demonstrate how early recognition and a structured approach can transform outcomes. The discussion highlights why osteoarthritis should be viewed as a disease of younger dogs, and why early intervention opens the door to more treatment options and a better quality of life.
Published 2023 – https://youtu.be/M_adx3azXT0

Brief Bio

Duncan Lascelles is Professor of Small Animal Surgery and Pain Management at North Carolina State University. He leads the Translational Research in Pain (TRiP) program, which investigates how to detect and treat pain associated with spontaneous disease in animals. He is also Director of the Comparative Pain Research and Education Centre (CPREC) and Co-founder of AniV8, a company dedicated to developing innovative tools for measuring pain in companion animals. His work aims to advance both veterinary and human pain medicine.

Key Takeaways

1. Osteoarthritis is not just a disease of older dogs—early onset is common and often overlooked.
2. Objective tools to measure pain are crucial for both research and day-to-day treatment monitoring.
3. AniV8 is working on new tech to measure pain through real-time, data-driven methods.
4. A structured approach to case workups ensures no aspect of the dog’s condition is missed.
5. Early diagnosis improves quality of life and increases the number of effective treatment options.

Relevant Links

AniV8 – https://aniv8.com

Useful CAM Tools Mentioned (All in Member Zone)

1. Chronic Pain Indicator Chart
2. Suspicion of Chronic Pain Form
3. Good Day – Bad Day Diary

Join the CAM Member Zone - For just £35 per year, get access to CAM’s full library of caregiver tools, printouts, and support materials.
🡆 https://caninearthritis.co.uk/the-cam-member-zone/

External Tools Mentioned

1. Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI) – University of Pennsylvania:https://www.vet.upenn.edu/research/centers-laboratories/research-laboratory/clinical-investigation-center/current-clinical-trials/canine-brief-pain-inventory
2. LOAD (Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs) – Elanco resource
   https://mypetandi.elanco.com/uk/dog/load
3. Helsinki Chronic Pain Index (available via the Pawsita app)
   https://www.pawsita.com

Learn more about CAM:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAMarthritis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canine_arthritis
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CanineArthritisManagement
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/canine-arthritis-management-ltd

Have questions send them to: info@caninearthritis.co.uk

Stay tuned to learn how early detection can make a significant difference in managing OA in younger dogs.

In this CAM Live episode, Dr. Rowena Packer joins Hannah Capon to discuss her 2012 research on how dog owners often perceive breed-related health issues as “normal.” This perception can delay diagnosis and treatment and contribute to the continued breeding of dogs with extreme physical traits. The conversation focuses on the welfare consequences of conformational disorders, the caregiver burden, and how changing owner education and perception could lead to better outcomes. Rowena shares insight from her academic work and practical suggestions for improving veterinary communication around these issues.

Published 2023 – https://youtu.be/nktzMyjR4bo

Brief Bio

Rowena is the Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science at the Royal Veterinary College, London. Rowena leads a research group exploring diverse topics in this area, including the impact of chronic and inherited disorders on dog behaviour and welfare, the impact of owner knowledge, attitudes and behaviour on canine welfare, and caregiver burden. Rowena has co-authored >90 peer reviewed papers and book chapters and co-edited the textbook ‘Health and Welfare of Brachycephalic (Flat-faced) Companion Animals’ (2021). Rowena holds a PhD from the Royal Veterinary College (2013) which explored the impact of extreme conformation on canine health. Rowena is a founding member of Brachycephalic Working Group and the Legal Advisory Group on Extreme Conformation in Dogs.

RVC profile: https://www.rvc.ac.uk/about/our-people/rowena-packer

Key Takeaways

1. Many owners mistake clinical signs of inherited disorders as typical breed traits, delaying diagnosis and care.

2. Extreme conformations can contribute to a wide range of health and behavioural problems, including chronic pain.

3. Vets should proactively educate owners on the difference between breed standards and actual welfare concerns.

4. Breed-driven expectations contribute to caregiver burden and complicate decision-making.

5. Open access research and better communication are key tools in challenging the normalisation of suffering.

Relevant Links

Original 2012 paper – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225280218

Follow-up studies:

– https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0219918

– https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0237276

– https://www.mdpi.com/2813-9372/1/3/32

This podcast is in relation to this paper - Packer, R. M. A., Hendricks, A. & Burn, C. C. (2012) Do dog owners perceive the clinical signs related to conformational inherited disorders as ‘normal’ for the breed? A potential constraint to improving canine welfare. Animal Welfare 21, 81-­93

Learn more about CAM:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAMarthritis

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canine_arthritis

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CanineArthritisManagement

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/canine-arthritis-management-ltd

Have questions send them to: info@caninearthritis.co.uk

Stay tuned to learn how early detection can make a significant difference in managing OA in younger dogs.