Table 7.

Education opportunities and their objectives that are applicable for all canine life stages (COASTeR Stage 0–4).

Education opportunities	objective
Pet caregiver	•Importance of OA assessments in young dogs e.g., Restricted window of opportunity for preventive surgery •Common causes of OA Developmental joint disease and joint trauma •Osteoarthritis disease awareness: A progressive disease of the joints that can affect dogs of different sizes, breeds, and ages •Basic understanding of risk factors and how to avoid them e.g., overweight/obesity •Importance of regular assessments/check-ups, both in-clinic and watching out for changes at home •Discuss other foundational education items (below)
Weight optimization	•Measure body weight and evaluate relative to body condition score, muscle condition score, and age •Discuss the importance of maintaining or achieving an optimal body weight
Nutrition/dietary discussion	•Diets balanced for life stage •Energy and protein requirements according to breed/size •Puppies: Caloric intake appropriate to rate of growth •Puppies: Nutrient deficiency OR excess can contribute to the development of OA Calcium: Phosphorus imbalance (usually calcium deficiency with a relative phosphorus excess) can lead to joint incongruity. Calcium excess can lead to severe disturbances in skeletal development, growth, and mineralization •Emphasize benefits of overall calorie restriction/ lifelong maintenance of optimal body condition score
Appropriate exercise	•Emphasize the benefits of exercise to musculoskeletal and general health •Important for musculoskeletal strength (core and joints) •Age and breed appropriate •Regularity is required: - Daily exercise - Consistency in duration (but may change according to age/life stage) •Avoid/minimize high-impact activities, sudden loading, or excessive exercise, unless the dog is conditioned (training gradually resulting in physical fitness) to perform this.
Rehabilitation/physical therapy	•Professional guidance (appropriate exercise program), ideally with a certified physiotherapist •Specific exercises to support balance, strength/tone, endurance, and flexibility •Injury prevention strategies •Mental stimulation •Easy, every day at-home exercise (dog health advocacy for pet caregivers)