Dysplasia of the hind limbs in dogs. What to do to prevent elbow dysplasia from developing? Symptoms of pathology in dogs

Dysplasia in animals is an inherited disease of the musculoskeletal system, which is manifested by a violation of the correspondence between the articular surfaces, resulting in the development of dislocation or arthrosis. Most often, the hip joint is affected, since it is on it that the main load falls. Rarely, dysplasia of the elbow joint is noted in animals.

Reasons for the development of pathology:

hereditary predisposition. In 85% of cases, the vicious gene is passed on to offspring in a stud dog.
Illiterately compiled load regimen for young pets. Dog breeders overload the immature body under the age of one and a half years with excessive physical exertion. As a result, skeletal tissue does not keep pace with development muscle corset, which leads to a violation of the congruence of the articular surface. Most often detected in bullmastiffs, Great Danes, St. Bernards.
Physical inactivity. sedentary image life, the constant keeping of a dog in an aviary leads to the fact that the structure connective tissue undergoes changes that adversely affect the health of the joints. Being overweight gives additional load on the support apparatus.
Nutritional errors. Deficiency in the diet of vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, essential amino acids leads to violation mineral metabolism in bones and connective tissue, which provokes damage to the joints. Excessive content of phosphorus in the diet often leads to the pathology of the musculoskeletal system.
Injuries. Often it is mechanical damage hip, elbow joint is a trigger mechanism for the violation of the physiological correspondence between the articular surfaces. Running sprains, jumping failures, walking on ice and indoor slippery floors, collision injuries vehicle can lead to dysplasia.

Most often, the disease affects working breeds of dogs.: German and East European Shepherds, Retrievers, Labradors, Bulldogs. Molossian lines of breeds - bullmastiffs, St. Bernards, Great Danes are also susceptible to polygenically inherited disease.

The first changes in the functioning of the pet's musculoskeletal system appear no earlier than 4 months of age. In a puppy, pathology from the side of the hip or elbow joint can only be detected through conduction.

The severity of symptoms of dysplasia hip joints in a dog and the choice of technique treatment largely depends on the stage. pathological process. According to the accepted classification, violations in the hip joint can be 5 degrees, and elbow - 4.

Disease manifestations:

Lameness of the supporting limb. Violation of the supporting ability of the joint develops gradually, the first manifestations in puppies are not easy to notice.
A sick dog often lies on its side. It is almost impossible to see a dog lying on its stomach.
When forced to run, takeaway is noticeable hind limbs, which is reminiscent of a rabbit run.
On closer examination, marked atrophy can be seen. muscle tissue hips.

Weakness of the hind limbs in hip dysplasia

Absence necessary treatment over time leads to total loss motor activity four-legged member of the family.

An external examination of the configuration of the diseased joint, assessment of gait and identification of the features of the setting of the limbs help the veterinarian to suspect dysplasia. Palpation, which is carried out, as a rule, under anesthesia of the animal, reveals muscular dystrophy. When the limbs are abducted, the specialist will identify hip dislocation, deformity and displacement of the acetabulum.

The main method for diagnosing disorders of the musculoskeletal system is an X-ray examination. In addition to confirming the dislocation, the specialist will detect dysplastic changes in the acetabulum, displacement of the femoral head, the level of joint asymmetry, and its effect on function. spinal cord animal. Do in 2 projections.

hip dysplasia

First, the animal is placed on the ridge, and the hind limbs are extended parallel to each other. Then the examination is carried out in the supine position. At the same time, the limbs are bent at the knee joints and lead to the body. Previously, the animal is anesthetized and immobilized.

In veterinary practice, there are 2 approaches to the treatment of pathology - conservative and operative. In case of minor dysplastic changes in the joint, the animal may be prescribed medical preparations.

Treatment includes, as a rule, the use of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, Phenylbutazone, Rimadil are used. Effectively reduce puffiness pain syndrome and inflammation corticosteroid agents, for example, "Prednisolone", "Dexamethasone".

The use of chondroprotectors helps to reduce atrophic processes in the connective tissue of the joints. At the same time, the best therapeutic effect achieved with the introduction medicinal substances directly to the affected joint.

Chondroprotectors

Important to alleviate the condition of the pet plays complete diet and the use of vitamin and mineral supplements, immunomodulators. Special regular exercises help to reduce the degree of dysplasia.

With a slight effect of the applied conservative therapy, as well as with major changes in the joint, an operative solution to the problem is often recommended:

young individuals are most often myectomy of the pectineus muscle;
if the pet's weight does not exceed 15 kg, resection arthroplasty can be performed with the removal of the femoral head, the limb is fixed due to the ligament;
if the dog is young, then a pelvic osteotomy may be suggested - difficult surgical intervention, during which plastic is used to strengthen the dissected bone;
in some cases, the surgeon resorts to acetabular osteotomy;
in a specialized clinic, a sick dog can undergo complete replacement joint with the use of high-tech prostheses.

The main prevention of disorders of the musculoskeletal system:

carrying out regular monitoring and culling of sick individuals from breeding;
competent care and proper feeding of animals;
injury prevention.

Read more in our article on dysplasia in dogs.

Read in this article

Causes of hip dysplasia, elbow joints

Articular dysplasia in animals is an inherited disease of the musculoskeletal system, which is manifested by a violation of the correspondence between the articular surfaces, resulting in the development of dislocation or arthrosis in the joint. In veterinary practice, damage to the hip joint is most often observed, since it is on it that the main load falls. Rarely, dysplasia of the elbow joint is noted in animals.

Among the reasons that provoke the development of the pathology of the musculoskeletal system in dogs, experienced dog breeders and veterinarians note the following:

- hereditary predisposition. In 85% of cases of detection of joint dysplasia in a dog-producer, the vicious gene is passed on to offspring.
- Illiterately compiled load regimen for young pets. Many inexperienced dog breeders overload an immature body under the age of one and a half years with excessive physical exertion. Following the puppy's hyperactivity, the owners are not always able to correctly dose the motor activity.

This leads to the fact that the skeletal tissue does not keep pace with the development of the muscular corset, which leads to a violation of the congruence of the articular surface. Most often, owners of large breeds - bullmastiffs, great danes, St. Bernards - face such a problem.

- However, according to veterinary experts, not only unbalanced physical exercise, but also hypodynamia. A sedentary lifestyle, the constant keeping of a dog in an aviary leads to the fact that the structure of the connective tissue undergoes changes, which negatively affects the health of the joints.

Excessive weight of the pet gives an additional load on the supporting apparatus, which provokes dysplasia.

- Errors in nutrition- one of the main reasons for the development of pathology in dogs of all breeds. As a rule, an imbalance leads to an illness nutrients in puppyhood, when a growing body consumes protein components, vitamins and minerals in an enhanced mode.

Deficiency in the diet of vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, essential amino acids leads to a violation of mineral metabolism in bones and connective tissue, which provokes joint damage. Excessive content of phosphorus in the diet often leads to the pathology of the musculoskeletal system.

Injuries. Often, it is mechanical damage to the hip, elbow joint that is the trigger for the violation of the physiological correspondence between the articular surfaces. Stretching while running, unsuccessful jumps, walking on ice and slippery floors indoors, injuries when hit by a vehicle can lead to the development of dysplasia.

Most often, the disease affects working breeds of dogs. Veterinary experts note that German and East European Shepherds, Retrievers, Labradors, and Bulldogs are largely susceptible to the disease. Molossian lines of breeds - bullmastiffs, St. Bernards, Great Danes are also susceptible to a polygenically inherited disease.

Symptoms of pathology in dogs

The owner can notice the first changes in the work of the pet's musculoskeletal system no earlier than 4 months of age. In a puppy, pathology from the hip or elbow joint can only be detected through an X-ray examination.

The severity of symptoms of hip dysplasia in a dog and the choice of treatment method largely depend on the stage of the pathological process. According to the accepted classification, violations in the hip joint can be 5 degrees, and elbow - 4.

Symptoms may be detected by the owner as early as mild phase the degree of the disease (according to the classification stage C). In phases D and E, with pathology within acceptable limits and with a significant degree of destruction of the joint, the clinic becomes apparent.

Lameness of the supporting limb. The violation of the supporting ability of the joint develops gradually, so the owner may not immediately notice the symptom or not attach importance to it, deciding that the dog landed badly after the jump.
decline physical activity. The dog avoids games, exercises, jumps, runs reluctantly. During a long walk, the animal often stops, refuses to go further.

A sick dog often lies on its side. It is almost impossible to see a dog lying on its stomach with this pathology.
When walking in a sick individual, a wobbling of the back is observed. The gait is unsteady.
After sleep and rest, it is difficult for the dog to get up.
When forced to run, the owner can observe the removal of the hind limbs, which resembles a rabbit run.
In case of development of serious changes in the structure of the joint, the animal stops jumping and climbs the stairs with difficulty.

The whole body of a sick dog begins to look inharmonious due to progressive atrophic phenomena in hip area, the sternum becomes more powerful.
On closer examination, the owner can detect severe atrophy of the muscle tissue of the thigh.

The lack of necessary treatment over time leads to a complete loss of motor activity of the four-legged family member.

Watch this video about the causes and symptoms of hip dysplasia in dogs:

Condition Diagnostics

An external examination of the configuration of the diseased joint, assessment of gait and identification of the peculiarities of the setting of the limbs help the veterinarian to suspect the phenomenon of dysplasia. Palpation, which is carried out, as a rule, under anesthesia of the animal, reveals muscular dystrophy. When the limbs are abducted, the veterinarian will identify hip dislocation, deformity and displacement of the acetabulum.

The main method for diagnosing disorders of the musculoskeletal system in veterinary medicine is an X-ray examination. In addition to confirming the dislocation, the specialist will also detect dysplastic changes in the acetabulum, displacement of the femoral head. The method allows to reveal the level of asymmetry of the joint, to reveal its influence on the function of the spinal cord of the animal.

Severe hip dysplasia in a dog

X-ray is required in 2 projections. First, the animal is placed on the ridge, and the hind limbs are extended parallel to each other. Then the examination is carried out in the supine position. At the same time, the limbs are bent at the knee joints and lead to the body. Previously, the animal is anesthetized and immobilized.

The reliability of the results obtained and the choice of a method for treating joint dysplasia in dogs depends on how motionless the dog will be during the manipulation. By analysis x-rays the specialist draws a conclusion about the stage of the pathological process.

Treatment of hip dysplasia in dogs

In veterinary practice, there are two approaches to the treatment of pathology - conservative and operative. In case of minor dysplastic changes in the joint, medications may be prescribed to the animal. However, the treatment of elbow dysplasia in dogs usually includes the use of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs.

For this purpose, veterinarians use "Phenylbutazone", "Rimadil". Corticosteroids, such as Prednisolone, Dexamethasone, effectively reduce swelling, pain and inflammation.

Equally important to alleviate the condition of the pet is a complete diet and the use of vitamin and mineral supplements, immunomodulators. Many veterinarians rightly believe that special regular exercises help to reduce the degree of dysplasia.

With a slight effect of the applied conservative therapy, as well as with serious changes in the joint, the owner is often recommended a prompt solution to the problem. At the same time, in surgical practice, there are several types of surgery as a treatment for hip dysplasia in dogs.

Special corset for dogs with hip dysplasia

In young individuals, most often myectomy of the pectineus muscle is performed. In the event that the weight of the pet does not exceed 15 kg, resection arthroplasty can be performed. During the operation, the head of the femur is removed. The fixation of the limb occurs due to the ligament. Large breeds do not do such an operation.

If the dog is young, a pelvic osteotomy may be suggested. This is a complex surgical intervention, during which plastic is used to strengthen the dissected bone. In some cases, the surgeon resorts to acetabular osteotomy. In a specialized clinic, a sick dog can undergo a complete joint replacement using high-tech prostheses.

We recommend reading about what to do with a broken paw in a dog. From the article you will learn about the causes of injuries, types of fractures, symptoms of a fracture of the front and hind legs, first aid, and surgical treatment.

And more about how to care for a dog after a fracture.

Joint dysplasia in dogs is a common pathology, especially in service breeds. AT running case the disease can result in the loss of the animal's ability to move independently. The main method for detecting the disease is an x-ray examination of the joint in 2 projections.

Treatment may be conservative. With a significant dysplastic change, the veterinarian recommends one method or another. prompt decision Problems.

Useful video

Watch this video about the diagnosis and treatment of joint dysplasia in dogs:

Dysplasia - serious illness joints, which leads to their destruction, and without appropriate treatment - to the immobilization of the animal. Owners of heavy or tall dogs should know the signs of an onset of the disease, so that when they appear, immediately contact the veterinary clinic.

Dysplasia is a pathology in which the head of the pelvis femur does not fit snugly against the articular cavity or is displaced relative to it. During movement, the bone rubs, the tissue of the joints changes - it flattens and exfoliates.

Dysplasia can also be in the elbow joint, usually on two at once. This violation is rare, more often the hip joints are damaged due to the fact that on hind legs have more load.

Dogs of large or tall breeds are susceptible to this disease: Great Danes, St. Bernards, all types of retrievers, Rottweilers, shepherd dogs and others.

AT early age dysplasia in a dog may be without symptoms, they will appear by one and a half years. It is possible to identify a violation in the development of joints in puppies by x-ray.

Causes of the disease

One of the causes of the disease is a hereditary factor. Dogs with dysplasia have only recently been restricted in breeding, so the pathology due to genetic predisposition occurs most often. At the same time, the puppy's parents are completely healthy, and most of litter is born with a pathology that manifests itself after six months.

Other reasons are improper keeping of dogs, namely:

not balanced diet in which the dog is overfed with meat products;
cheap industrial feed;
excess or lack of calcium, phosphorus, vitamins D, B1, C entering the body;
excess weight in an animal;
excessive exercise, especially in puppies and young dogs;
inactivity, and in connection with this, weakness of the muscle ligaments, improper development of the joints;
injuries - dislocations, sprains, bruises;
the cause of dysplasia in rapidly growing puppies may be that muscle mass is recruited faster than bone growth occurs.

If the cause is heredity, then the disease can make itself felt even if the puppy develops harmoniously, physical activity is given to him in accordance with age, and daily diet balanced.

Symptoms

What to look for in behavior, in the movement of the dog or in changes in the structure of the body:

lameness on one or both hind legs, which may either stop or start again;
swaying or wobbly gait;
Difficulty climbing or descending stairs
difficulty getting up from a lying or sitting position;
unnatural turn of the hind legs when the dog lies on its stomach;
incorrect setting of the hind legs when running. The push from the ground is carried out simultaneously with two paws, as a hare does;
quick fatigue when walking, frequent stops;
when walking, the croup is lowered, as if the dog is walking on half-bent legs;
swelling of the paws;
when pressing on the joints - pain, although when walking or running they may not be;
a change in the proportions of the body - the front part becomes more massive, stronger, while the back is smaller and weaker.

If a dog has symptoms of dysplasia, a doctor should be consulted immediately. Neglect of treatment will lead to the fact that after a while the animal will not be able to move and will experience torment.

Hip dysplasia in young dogs begins without symptoms, they appear much later. You need to pay attention to the fact that the puppy does not want to move on a slippery floor and prefers to crawl to the target. If the breed of the pet is at risk, and the puppies of his parents in another or in this litter have a disease, then an x-ray examination should be performed at an early age.

At advanced disease the dog may become aggressive due to constant pain.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis is carried out by external examination and X-ray examination.

The veterinarian performs a joint mobility test. It reveals whether there is friction during flexion or extension, whether a creak or click is heard.

Any treatment is prescribed only after fluoroscopic examination. The picture clearly shows all the changes. X-ray is carried out under general anesthesia or inject a drug that completely relaxes the muscles.

More accurate diagnosis gives arthroscopy. Using a special camera, you can determine the degree of destruction of the tissue structure. Not all veterinary clinics have the opportunity to conduct this examination.

Dysplasia is divided into degrees:

A - there are no disorders in the joint;
B - there are no violations yet, but a predisposition to them is noticed;
FROM - initial stage, minor violations are noticed;
D - medium severity;
E - the joints are severely destroyed, severe stage.

Conservative treatment

Canine hip dysplasia responds well to treatment early stage. In addition, the effectiveness of therapy is influenced by factors such as the age of the animal and its weight. If the pet is obese, then in combination with treatment, weight must be lost. To do this, prescribe diets and control over the daily diet.

Treatment is of two types - conservative and surgical. Conservative therapy is necessarily supplemented by physiotherapy and includes:

preparations for the restoration of tissues of the joints and cartilage. They are administered as injections intramuscularly, intravenously or into the joint;
anti-inflammatory, use only those drugs that are intended for the treatment of animals;
painkillers;
vitamins and nutritional supplements. They can be used continuously to prevent further tissue damage.

All medications only a doctor prescribes, because the dosage and their combination depend on the degree of the disease, the condition of the dog, and the presence of other chronic diseases.

From physiotherapy, paraffin therapy is prescribed, laser therapy, electromagnetic radiation. Massage recommended. It is important that the massage is carried out by a specialist, otherwise it will not bring benefits, but only harm. Daily fast walk and several times a week the dog should swim.

Surgery

If a conservative therapy does not bring results, and the pet's condition worsens, then it does not make sense to treat in this way further, time will be lost.

There are three surgical options:

Removal of the head and neck of the femur. This operation is most often performed on puppies, they tolerate it more easily and recover faster. Recommended for severe degree diseases.
Triple osteotomy - a special plate is inserted, with the help of which the angle of the pelvis changes, friction and pressure are reduced. This method is applied when mild degree dysplasia, in severe cases, the operation is ineffective.
Endoprosthetics - the damaged joint and head are replaced with a titanium prosthesis. With a severe degree of the disease, this method has nice results, provided that no side effects after operation.

When recovering from surgery, it is important to pay attention to Special attention dog nutrition. You can not go to extremes and exclude proteins completely from the diet, giving carbohydrates instead. This will lead to the fact that the pet will begin to gain excess weight, and with this disease this is unacceptable. Protein food should remain the main part of the meal, but it is important to constantly control weight. If it starts to increase, the proteins are not replaced by anything else, but simply reduce the portion for a while.

During the recovery period, the first time they are fed with broth, then they switch to small pieces of meat. A little later, add to the meat dairy products, vegetables, rice and buckwheat. Portions are best made small, but fed more often.

Prevention

If a dog has a predisposition to dysplasia due to family ties with sick dogs or it is a feature of the breed, then it is necessary to conduct an examination of the pet at an early age. First x-ray examination carried out in 5-6 months, and a year or a little later - again. It is important to constantly pay attention to the behavior of the pet, his walking, running, setting paws. At the slightest suspicion, you should contact the veterinarian.

Normalized physical activity and a balanced diet will benefit the pet in any case, even if the likelihood of illness is minimal.

Dysplasia in dogs is a disease that destroys the hip joints of the animal. Dogs of large breeds are susceptible to this disease: Labradors, Shepherds, St. Bernards, Retrievers and others.

Causes of dysplasia in dogs

Often the disease is genetic in large breed dogs. With careful culling of sick animals from the further development of the genotype, only healthy animals are born.
Also, dysplasia can develop due to malnutrition. It has already been proven by scientists that an unbalanced ratio of phosphorus and calcium in the dog's diet is of poor quality, and, on the contrary, too a large number of meat in the diet can serve as an impetus for the development of dysplasia.
Also, in the case of large breeds, you should always carefully monitor the weight of the dog. The development of dysplasia will only exacerbate excess weight.

Symptoms of hip dysplasia in dogs

Most often, dysplasia is diagnosed in dogs aged 12-18 months. This is also associated with rapid weight gain. And these loads lead to the fact that the joints begin to collapse in dogs. This leads to lameness of the animal, which can already appear at the age of two years.

Most vivid symptoms development of dysplasia are as follows:

it is difficult for the dog to get up after lying down and climb the stairs;
when walking, the dog sways unevenly or limps;
she flinches or whimpers when you touch her thigh.

Even if the dog does not limp, this does not exclude the possibility of developing dysplasia. Just the wrong setting and development of the joints has not yet led to lameness. So, the puppy is the first warning signs the development of the disease is that he often lies with his hind legs outstretched in different directions, as well as fast fatiguability when walking for a long time and the so-called "rabbit" run, in which the dog while running is repelled simultaneously by two hind legs.

Joint dysplasia is sometimes diagnosed at the age of 4-5 months, when the hind legs of dogs have not yet grown stronger. In this case, treatment should be started immediately, without waiting for the baby to reach 12 months of age. Otherwise, osteoarthritis may develop.

On the this moment no treatment for hip dysplasia in a dog is 100% effective. There is only various means therapies and drugs that stop the development of the disease. You can completely rid your dog of dysplasia only surgically by implanting expensive prostheses.

There are drugs-chondoprotectors that are injected into the joint or vein of the animal. And only a doctor can do it.
Also, with joint dysplasia, physiotherapy is prescribed: warming up the joints with the help of ozocerite or paraffin, exposure of the joints to laser and electromagnetic radiation.
If the animal experiences severe pain he is prescribed the painkiller Rimadyl, but he does not stop the development of the disease and does not exclude other therapy.
Also in the form of prevention and medical nutrition veterinarians recommend feeding dogs containing chondroetin and glucosamine.

Also, owners of large breeds of dogs should be aware of the predisposition of their pets and not overload them physically. That is, do not arrange jogging for a bicycle for long distances, do not “harness” to sleds in winter for children to ride.

Dysplasia is a pathology of joint development. Unlike humans, dysplasia in dogs is not a congenital disease, but is directly related to heredity. This disease is considered the scourge of all large breeds, and almost every puppy who has to grow into a dog of heavy build and / or above average height is at risk. How and why does dysplasia develop? Can this disease be defeated?

Puppy large breed quickly gaining weight, especially if the owners want to grow a real giant or strong man - they stuff the baby with calcium supplements, feed them with meat and cereals, various growth stimulants. Muscles grow, but the bones do not keep up with them - the load on the joints becomes excessive. Add to this the slippery floor, exorbitant physical activity (early exhausting workouts) and we get a joint deformed to one degree or another.

There are 4 degrees of dysplasia in dogs, from mild changes to serious pathology, due to which the pet loses the ability to move normally. Degree "A" is the norm, from B to E - various violations, depending on the severity.

Such a development of events is possible if the dog's genotype contains "harmful" genes that make the puppy at risk. In Russia, these are almost all puppies of large breeds, since they began to breed dogs with dysplasia relatively recently. The heavier (more muscular) the dog, the higher the risk. And, unfortunately, dysplasia in predisposed puppies develops even when the owners properly raise the baby, control the load, do not overfeed and do not try to artificially slow down or speed up weight gain.

The point of preventing dysplasia in dogs is to minimize the consequences. If the joints of a puppy receiving adequate loads and growing on a balanced diet are formed with pathology, with highly likely manage to save motor function and stop the development of the disease. And if an already sick puppy has overweight, gaining weight too quickly or being subjected to exorbitant loads, dysplasia will cause more tangible harm to the baby.

When choosing a large breed puppy, it is important that both parents are tested for dysplasia. Documents with negative results (grade A) are provided by the breeder. This will not give a 100% guarantee that the baby will grow up healthy, but no more measures can be taken in advance. All babies are born with a normal skeleton and normal joints, with no signs of pathology. Problems appear only as they grow older. That is, at the time of purchase (when the puppy is 2-4 months old) it is impossible to predict whether the baby will have dysplasia or not.

Read also: Leptospirosis in dogs is dangerous for both the animal and the owner!

Signs of dysplasia

At an early age, the flexible skeleton of a puppy grows rapidly, and the bones and joints gradually harden. And only by about six months, and sometimes even earlier, the first alarming "bells" appear. Lameness and pain are the only clear signs dysplasia in dogs, but sometimes they are difficult to notice. Therefore, the owner of a large breed puppy should specifically look for these symptoms, paying special attention to the baby:

slight limping, stiffness after sleep;

the habit of "pacing". The puppy does not jump towards it, but at first tries to walk gently, as if deliberately stretching the stiff muscles (this is from the outside, in fact, the puppy needs time to develop a sore joint);

“starting” lameness (at the beginning of the run, the dog limps, then it seems to move normally);

lameness after exertion, intermittent lameness (sometimes it appears, sometimes it recedes without a trace for days or weeks);

the habit of "resting" in the middle of the journey, although the distance traveled cannot be called great. The puppy flops down on his ass and sits for a while, not wanting to go any further;

refusal to go up and/or down stairs. Many breeders recommend taking babies for a walk on their hands, and only when the puppies are 4 months old do they gradually master the ascent and descent of the stairs.

It is important to understand that the sooner treatment is started, the more likely the dog is to full life. “Yes, he just twisted his paw / hit himself / slept uncomfortable, etc.” Don't get your hopes up, even if you're right. If you notice at least one of the symptoms, you should immediately contact your veterinarian! Dysplasia detected after reaching one year old, it is extremely difficult to overcome, especially if the pathology is serious.

Weak spots

Elbow dysplasia- lameness on the front paws (or paw, but both joints are often deformed), pain when bending the front paws in dogs, refusal to obey the “give paw” command, whining when trying to feel or examine the paws. Sometimes seals, thickenings are noticeable in the area of \u200b\u200bthe joints. If the pain is severe, the puppy is hesitantly descending the stairs or refuses to go downstairs at all, since in this position the load on the elbow joints increases.

Part of the joint may be stratified, an extra fragment may form on the joint. Bones can rub against each other as a result of flattening of the joint, or dangle in the joint like a spoon in a mug. There are many options for pathologies, and each individual case has its own characteristics of the anatomy of the joint.

hip dysplasia for a long time in dogs may not cause any external signs illness. AT severe cases puppies wag their backs when walking, cannot or hardly climb stairs (it hurts to push off with their hind legs when jerking forward and up), walk with a lowered croup. Often dogs try to lean on their front paws to relieve the load on the affected area.

With DTBS, the head of the femur does not fit correctly to the articular cavity. If the discrepancy is minimal, signs of the disease may appear only in adulthood or not show up at all. If the discrepancy is significant, the disease will manifest itself, even if the puppy is raised correctly.

Dysplasia knee joint is rare in dogs and is usually associated with trauma. As a result of injury or improper maintenance (slippery floor, excessive loads) the joint partially comes out of the articular bag (subluxation). because of wrong position the joint beats and rubs against the edges of the bowl - deformation, pain, lameness. Such a nuisance can happen with any joint, so it is better to raise a large breed puppy with support. experienced cynologist or breeder.

Elbow dysplasia is a term that includes several pathologies that develop due to not proper development joint and, as a result, improper distribution of the load in it, the development of arthrosis and degenerative changes in him. The elbow joint is compound joint, formed by the articular surfaces of three bones (humerus, ulna, radius), and it is extremely important that these articular surfaces fit perfectly in shape, harmoniously interacting with each other and evenly distributing the load. If this interaction is disturbed, one or another pathology develops, called by the general term - dysplasia.

The term "elbow dysplasia" usually includes the following pathologies:

Fragmentation of the uncinate process;
Disease of the medial coronoid process or its fragmentation, often seen in conjunction with medial compartment syndrome (disease of the inside of the elbow);
Incongruence of the articular surfaces (does not fit in shape).

HOW TO DETECT WHETHER A DOG HAS ELBOW DYSPLASIA?

Elbow dysplasia is the most common cause lameness on the forelimbs in dogs of any age. It should be understood that the joint develops in a dog up to a year, and it is this period that determines its further performance. You should not console yourself with the fact that you still have a puppy, and he is too young to have serious problems with joints. It is during puppyhood that most pathologies develop.

WHEN TO GO TO THE VETERINARY CLINIC

It is possible to have a complete orthopedic X-ray examination of your puppy as early as three to four months old - this will determine developing pathology at an early stage and start to deal with it correctly in order to ensure further normal development elbow joint in a dog.

At the first sign of lameness in a dog or puppy;
If the dog gets up hard, and then “walks”;
The dog puts his elbows under him;
The dog or puppy twists its paw abnormally. Some mistake this for gait;
The dog or puppy gets tired quickly and does not want to play;
swelling of the joints;
Curvature of the limbs.

HOW TO DIAGNOSIS ELBOW DYPLASIA IN A DOG OR PUPPY?

First of all, an examination by an orthopedic veterinarian is carried out to collect an anamnesis, conduct orthopedic and neurological tests, and determine the area of \u200b\u200bpathology. Gait is assessed (very informative host videos if we are talking about intermittent or intermittent lameness).

X-RAY

THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT

In some cases, assigned therapeutic treatment, which consists in taking anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy and the exclusion of peak loads. Usually, therapeutic treatment is prescribed for an adult animal with a slight degree of lameness. Surgery is usually indicated for young animals, since joint disorders in a puppy will only progress with age, which will lead to significant lameness and a decrease in the quality of life of the animal. AT young age special operations are performed to normalize the distribution of load in the joint, which stops the development of elbow dysplasia in dogs.

OPERATIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF ELBOW DYPLASIA

It should be understood that all problems in the elbow joint develop due to improperly distributed loads, when one part is overloaded and injured - arthritis and joint dysplasia develop. Operations can be divided into several groups:

Therapeutic. In a young animal at an early stage of development of dysplasia, osteotomies (special cuts of bones) are performed, which allow normalizing the load in the joint, stopping further development elbow dysplasia and allow it to recover. These operations are carried out in most cases up to a year. You should decide to have your puppy with a slight lameness at a young age, to enable him to walk without a limp. All medical operations aimed at normalizing the distribution of the load across articular surfaces which stops further injury. In some cases, operations are also performed on an adult animal: removal of a fragmented medial coronoid process, removal of the uncinate process (removal of pieces of bone that could not withstand the load and broke off and “dangling” in the joint, like a “pebble in a shoe.”)
Relieving. Facilitating operations include: PAUL (Proximal Abducting ULnar Osteotomy), arthrodesis of the elbow joint.

EXAMPLE OF SURGICAL TREATMENT OF ELBOW DYPLASIA IN A DOG.

Cane Corso 5 months old. Diagnosis: fragmentation of the uncinate process.

Operation PBOL at the age of 6.5 months. Red arrow: cutting area;

yellow arrow: nearly lysed uncinate process.

Control X-ray at the age of 9 months. You can see the complete fusion of the uncinate process and the cut zone.

The PAUL (Proximal Abducting ULnar Osteotomy) operation is used in adults and elderly animals with medial compartment syndrome - a lesion of the inner (medial) part of the elbow joint with complete abrasion of the hyaline articular cartilage and the development of significant arthrosis. With this pathology, the dog develops significant lameness up to complete failure use a limb, and often it is bilateral (two forelimbs are affected at once). The PAUL operation is to shift ulna and fixing it on a special plate, and the load is completely shifted to the lateral part of the joint (external), which is not affected. After this operation, a significant improvement in the quality of life of the animal occurs in 80% of cases.

What to do to prevent elbow dysplasia from developing?

Balanced feeding. We recommend feeding puppies specialized feed, which are balanced in all necessary indicators for harmonious and proper development healthy dog. In this case, you should not use additional mineral and vitamin supplements, which creates an excess that also negatively affects the development of the young animal.
Weight control. DO NOT OVERFEED YOUR PUPPY! The puppy should eat fully, but not overeat. Excess weight- this is an excessive load on growing, developing joints that are easy to injure. Do not focus on the average body weight for the breed, you have your own special puppy. You should monitor the nutrition of your pet. You should be able to easily palpate your puppy's ribs through a slight layer subcutaneous fat, the waist should be noticeable, and the stomach tucked up.
Don't give stress loads. The bones of a growing puppy are extremely soft and can easily be injured by violating correct height. A puppy can run long distances, swim a lot (each load should be approached gradually), but apports, frisbees and jumps from a considerable height can adversely affect joint development and lead to dysplasia.
If the puppy began to limp - immediately go to the veterinary clinic, he will have to walk with these joints all his life!