Hip and Elbow Dysplasia in Dogs |
Hip and elbow dysplasia are genetically inhereted diseases that are common in larger breeds.
Hip dysplasia is caused when the ball and socket joint at the top of the leg are too loose for the bones to stay together, so they literally slip apart causing the dog pain during and after exercise. Elbow dysplasia is much the same only it's the bones of the elbow which slip.
Symptoms
In very severe cases even puppies as young as six months can begin to show pain in movement, such as holding the leg up, limping and being unsettled after exercise. |
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But hip dysplasia is usually seen in much older dogs. When owners see an older dog begin to show less interest in exercise it is often just assumed to be natural aging but with treatment dogs can often return to thier normal routine.
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Prevention
Most if not all of the larger dog breeds are suseptable to dysplasias but those particularly prone include golden retreivers, labradors, german shepherds, rottweilers and the large mountain breeds. Large but slimline dogs such as Deerhounds and Borzoi have a much lower incidence. This may be because the disease appears to be strongly linked to weight as well as breed. Heavy chunky dogs are often more prone to becoming obese and this is known to hugely increase the chances of elbow and hip dysplasia developing. |
- So the first step to preventing your dog from getting any dysplasia is to keep them fit and at the recomended weight.
- Puppies who are exercised hard when they are their peak growing period, between 3 and 7 months have been shown to be more likely to contract the condition. As are those which are fed a high calorie diet.
- Dogs which have had little exercise in their adult lives also show a higher incidence of hip dysplasia as a large muscule mass around the joint reduces the chances of the disease developing.
Treatment
There is always the option of expensive surgery for your dog if he has a severe case or if the dog is very young and the dysplasia is going to cause him pain for the rest of his life. But you should think carefully before going through this especially if yours is an older dog. The best thing to do is to talk to your vet about your concerns and see what they recommend for your particular case.
More readily available, and affordable treatments include feeding your dog foodstuffs which are also known to help human arthritis sufferers such as avocados, mussles, fish oils and omega-3 fatty acids. Providing your dog with a comfortable warm bed will also help as it reduces the pressure on the joints as he sleeps.
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