Arthritis is a very loose term, describing generalised inflammation of joint There are many different types, such as traumatic arthritis (resulting from an injury), septic arthritis (caused by infection) and osteoarthritis, which is otherwise known as degenerative joint disease and is usually linked with age.
In some primate species as many as 79 per cent of older animals show signs of arthritis. Interestingly, whereas humans most commonly develop it in the hands, species such as macaques most often become arthritic in the hips.
With any form of animal arthritis, there is an obvious split between wild and domestic, with the disease far more common in the latter. For example, one Stain only found in goats affects up to 65 per cent of domestic animals in some countries, but is hardly ever seen in wild individuals. Similarly though arthritis is very rare in wild canids, one in five domestic dogs will develop it. Domestic animals (and pets) are often larger and heavier than their wild counterparts, making arthritis more likely; selective breeding definitely has an influence.
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Main image: macaques © Getty Images
