Canine Joint
Disease
Joint disease can be a problem faced by many dogs. Hip
dysplasia is the most common that people are familiar with
as a cause of rear limb lameness. Its front limb counterpart
is elbow dysplasia.
Elbow dysplasia has only been recognized as a disease in
dogs in the last 10 to 15 years or so, whereas hip dysplasia
has been diagnosed for the last 30 to 40 years. Dysplasia
means a developmental abnormality, it can be in the size,
shape, or formation. Elbow dysplasia is a combination of
four developmental abnormalities: an ununited anconeal process,
osteochondrodystrophy (OCD) of the distal humoral condyle,
a fragmented medial coronoid process, and elbow incongruity.
Dogs may have just one abnormality or in some cases all four.
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In English, the anconeal and coronoid
processes are bony bumps on the ulna located near the
elbow. The ulna is the arm bone that runs from your
little finger upto the elbow. The humoral condyle is
a bump found at the end of the humerus near the elbow.
The humorus is the large arm bone extending from the
shoulder to the elbow. Problems with the humoral condyle
and coronoid process are normally due to abnormal cartilage
formation. Sometimes the bones do not fit together
properly resulting in elbow incongruity or an ununited
anconeal process.
Classic presentations of elbow dysplasia is an active
large breed dog. Rottweilers are the posterchild
of this disease. Other commonly affected breeds are
Bernese Mountain dogs, Laboradors, and Golden Retrievers.
There is a breeder certification process available
and an elbow registry. It is important for dog owners
to check the breeder's certification to insure that
elbow dysplasia is not present somewhere in the breeding
line. Problems usually begin in dogs at around 6
months of age or older. |
Owners may notice their dogs become lame in the forelimb.
Generally one leg can appear worse than the other. In most
cases both front legs are affected. There can often be swelling
of the joint and dogs usually exhibit pain on range of motion.
The most common treatment available is Arthroscopic surgery.
Dogs owners who elect to have surgery generally have a better
overall prognosis which an excellent chance of returning
to normal function. Prognosis for each dog will vary depending
upon the severity of the disease. Post operative care is
also an important factor in the success of surgery. After
surgery cage rest is highly recommended for around 4 to 6
weeks, this means the dog must spend most of its time in
the cage and only be allowed out for short walks and always
on a lead. The dog must not be allowed to play, it must have
complete rest and stay off his elbow to aid recovery.
Dogs who have suffered with elbow dysplasia may later in
their life develop some degree of degenerative joint disease,
which is simply a form of arthritis.
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