The Complete Healthy Dog Handbook by Betsy Brevitz

Author:Betsy Brevitz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
Published: 2014-03-14T04:00:00+00:00

CARTILAGE PROBLEMS IN YOUNG DOGS

“My 15-month-old Golden Retriever was limping on a front leg. The vet took x-rays and said my dog has a loose piece of cartilage in his shoulder joint that should be removed. Could he have injured the shoulder without my knowing it?”

The loose cartilage isn’t necessarily the result of an injury. Osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) is a condition in which cartilage doesn’t form properly in a joint. The cartilage may erode, causing joint pain, and small pieces or flaps of cartilage may break free. OCD is most common in fast-growing, large-breed dogs, such as Rottweilers, Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, and Newfoundlands.

A limp and possibly swelling of the joint are the symptoms an owner might notice. Symptoms usually appear between the ages of 6 and 18 months. The shoulder is the joint most commonly affected, followed by the elbow (OCD can be one factor in elbow dysplasia—see page 234), hock, and knee.

Definitively diagnosing OCD can be a challenge, because the defective cartilage is apparent on x-rays only if there are obvious loose fragments, joint swelling, or changes in the underlying bone.

The treatment for OCD is surgery to remove unhealthy cartilage and thereby prevent its ongoing breakdown within the joint. Some degree of arthritis is likely to affect the joint even after surgery, but it will be less severe than if nothing was done. Treatments for arthritis (see page 240) can help relieve the pain of OCD.

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