If your dog experiences difficulty walking or stands with her front legs wide apart, she may suffer from a condition known as elbow dysplasia. This condition develops in young dogs and results in abnormal cartilage and bone growth in the elbow joints. It generally occurs in large breeds, such as Rottweilers, Labrador retrievers, Newfoundlands and German shepherds. Diagnosing and treating this condition early can help limit the amount of damage to the joints.
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Causes
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Dr. Nicholas Trout, animal surgeon, states that the cause of elbow dysplasia is unknown, although several factors contribute to the development of this condition. These include genetics, rapid growth rate associated with overfeeding or high-protein puppy food, hormones and trauma. A combination of these factors disrupts the normal development of the elbow joint, which leads to inflammation, swelling and arthritis.
Types
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Elbow dysplasia refers to different conditions that affect the elbow joint. A dog can suffer from more than one of these conditions. Osteochondrosis dessicans, or OCD, occurs when the cartilage in the joint becomes fragmented and fully or partially detaches from the bone. Since the cartilage normally cushions the areas of the joints that rub together, OCD causes considerable pain. Fragmentation of the medial coronoid process, or FMCP, describes the degeneration of part of the ulna, or outer front leg bone, that can occur when the ulna and radius, or inner front leg bone, grow at different speeds. In ununited anconeal process, or UAP, the hook that connects the ulna and humerus, or upper front leg bone, fails to properly fuse with the ulna and causes the joint to be unstable.
Symptoms
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Signs of elbow dysplasia include lameness in one or both front legs that occurs suddenly or develops gradually; difficulty standing up after a period of sleep or rest; and walking with the elbows held away from the chest. Lameness often increases following exercise and the elbow joint may appear swollen. Symptoms can begin to surface as early as four months of age, and become more severe throughout the dog̵7;s first year.Clinical signs will decrease in severity and may only appear occasionally following this period, although damage from arthritis will continue to occur.
Diagnosis
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Diagnosis of elbow dysplasia involves a physical examination, complete medical history and radiographs, or x-rays, of both elbows. Veterinarians watch for signs of lameness, such as stiffness while walking, and check for pain by manipulating the elbow joint. The motion that produces pain helps determine the type of dysplasia. UAP often causes pain when the elbow is extended, OCD usually causes pain while flexing the elbow and FMCP typically causes pain while flexing the elbow and inwardly rotating the paw. Radiographs taken from multiple angles help rule out other conditions that can cause front-leg lameness, such as osteochondrosis of the shoulder joint.
Treatment
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Veterinarians often prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, to reduce swelling and pain in dogs with mild or occasional symptoms and dogs with severe arthritic damage. Treatment for these cases also includes weight control and moderate exercise, such as swimming, to build muscle tone without stressing the elbow joints. In cases involving young dogs with minimal arthritic damage or when medical management is not effective, veterinarians can perform surgical procedures to limit further damage to the elbow joints. Surgery for FMCP and OCD involves removing the fragmented cartilage. Surgery for UAP requires cutting the ulna directly under the elbow joint to relieve pressure.
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