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Saturday, January 2, 2010

Monitoring your Dogs Elbow Dysplasia



















By Catherine V. Testaratti

As many of us probably already know from experience, there is a common bone and arthritic condition that larger and giant dogs are prone to. This condition can present itself early in a pup's life, especially between the ages of 4 to 10 months. This abnormal growth of bone, cells or tissue can be managed but it requires a vet's intervention.

The Dysplasia abnormality can lead to your dog becoming lame if not treated. There is a type of condition similar to this that affects males more than females. Typically this condition is found in the larger breeds like Labs, Rottiweilers, Chows and other giant breeds.

Males and females as we said can both be afflicted with Dysplasia. More common though in males more then female is the condition where the bone fragment is found in the inner surface of the upper ulna. This condition will be found in the foreleg just below the elbow joint.

If your dog is showing signs of forelimb lameness after exercising which in turn causes stiffness, they might suffer from Dysplasia. They can also show signs by extending or flexing their elbow away from their body. However, not all dogs will show signs or symptoms for Dysplasia.

The cause of this condition is not only genetic but can be caused by nutritional or developmental issues. It is important for you to get your pup to the vet for a medical examination. The vet will be able to make a diagnosis after a series of tests to eliminate other causes for the symptoms.

Initially your vet will want to take a variety of tests to determine if your dog is actually suffering from Dysplasia. The symptoms that are associated with Dysplasia can also indicate a variety of other ailments; therefore x-rays and other tests will be completed prior to making a diagnosis. There is a good chance that surgery will be needed if the diagnosis is Dysplasia.

After surgery, keep the dog's limb iced down throughout the recover process to avoid excessive swelling. Control your dogs weight, keep him from being very active in the beginning but remember to encourage some mobility. Also, the possibility of medications might be involved in your dog's recovery.

If you monitor your dogs diet you can help prevent the onset of Dysplasia. Keeping them from rapidly growing by managing their diet can help. If you have a dog that has been diagnosed with Dysplasia, it's best that you do not breed them.

Large dogs are prone to this condition so it's not anything to be overly worried about. However, if you purchased your dog from a breeder, better to let them know about the condition. Dogs with Dysplasia can live long happy lives; just remember to keep up with their yearly checkups.

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