Episode 72 - Recognising Early Signs of Arthritis- Rachel Dean

In this episode, Dr. Hannah Capon speaks with Dr. Rachel Dean about the complexities of identifying arthritis early, the need for better contextualised care, and the shared responsibilities between caregivers and professionals. They explore what evidence shows about how OA is actually recognised in practice, why early signs are routinely missed, and how communication, telemedicine and structured preparation can dramatically improve outcomes. Dr. Dean also discusses neutering evidence, the role of telemedicine for chronic disease, and why evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM) underpins every decision we make. This conversation reinforces a core truth: early recognition of arthritis is achievable, but only if we broaden our observational habits, strengthen collaboration, and align interventions with real-world context.

GUEST BIO

Dr. Rachel Dean qualified in 1996 and has held influential roles across clinical practice, research, shelter medicine and academia. She is the founding director of the Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine at the University of Nottingham, former Associate Professor of Feline Medicine, Founding President of the Association of Charity Vets, and Editor-in-Chief of the BSAVA Manual of Shelter Medicine. She holds a Masters in evidence-based medicine, a PhD in epidemiology, a Diploma in feline medicine, and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is now Director of Clinical Research and Excellence in Practice at VetPartners, leading their Clinical Board and Learning & Development teams.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Early arthritis is most often detected through subtle behavioural and lifestyle changes rather than clear lameness, making caregiver observations essential.

2. The Dean–Belshaw–Asher study shows a significant mismatch between what caregivers report and what clinicians focus on during consults, which can delay diagnosis.

3. Effective contextualised care requires collaboration: caregivers documenting changes and clinicians asking more precise, targeted questions.

4. Telemedicine can support earlier recognition by capturing movement, behaviour and environmental clues that are missed in-clinic.

5. Prevention and early management hinge on lifestyle adjustments, structured monitoring and proactive intervention, not necessarily costly treatments.

RELEVANT LINKS

Suspicion of Chronic Pain Tool

https://caninearthritis.co.uk/memberzone

Could it be osteoarthritis? (Dean, Belshaw, Asher)

https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/vetr.5488

Original paper PDF

https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/pdf/10.5555/20230279084

Good Day Bad Day Diary – in the Member Zone

https://caninearthritis.co.uk/memberzone

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: [e-mail]

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