Early Preventative Orthopedics in Man's Best Friend
By Dr. Scot Swainson Colorado Canine Orthopedics at the Veterinary Specialty Center
One of the most common reasons dogs come to a veterinarian with orthopedic problems is congenital/inherited traits predisposing the animal to bone and joint disease. Genetic disease is certainly not easily preventable, but there are things we can do to best protect our favorite canine friends.
Canine hip dysplasia (CHD) is one of the most common causes for hip pain and rear lameness in young, growing dogs (especially large-to-giant breeds). The normal canine hip joint is a simple ball-and-socket joint. Dogs with CHD have various degrees of hip-joint laxity, resulting in abnormal contact between the ball and the socket. This leads to the eventual development of arthritis and pain in a young dog. Long-term, this arthritis will progress and can be quite debilitating as a dog ages into middle- and old-age.
It is now well-accepted that some environmental factors play a role in dogs with a genetic predisposition to CHD. Of these factors, diet is probably one of the most important. It has been shown that large breed dogs fed a higher caloric diet (over their normal bodily needs) are significantly more likely to develop CHD when compared to similar large breed dogs fed a more controlled, caloric-restricted diet. Moreover, dogs with a higher caloric intake also tended to have a higher incidence of other joint and bony developmental diseases. Thus, it is clear that we can help protect against the development and future severity of some of the heritable orthopedic diseases by monitoring and controlling the caloric intake and diet of our young, growing dogs (under the guidance and recommendations of a veterinarian).
Another major environmental factor, which we can control, is activity levels and activity types. Too often I see young, growing dogs come into our practice with joint pain and lameness, which can be exacerbated by the lifestyle and activity level of the owners. Although these owners and their desire to run, hike, hunt and train with their dogs, is completely understandable, it is also potentially dangerous for bone and joint growth and skeletal development in a young dog.
A fully-developed, athletic human can certainly train hard and long, but running, hiking and training still-developing canine friends can be too much pounding at a young age and cause irreversible joint/bone damage. Not only does the level of activity matter, but the type of activity matters as well. It is reasonable to assume that a Greyhound might be a good running partner, but some breeds such as the Great Dane or German Shepherd might be poor runners to train with and may be predisposed to serious injury with repetitive endurance activities. In my practice, I tend to advise owners to limit the amount of aggressive play and activity (e.g., dog park) until their dog is skeletally mature (~ 1 year old) and to limit endurance activities such as 3-mile trail runs until their dog is at least 18 months of age.
Finally, involvement of your veterinarian in the upbringing of your young canine is critical to not only preventing orthopedic problems but also to identifying those problems as early as possible. Dietary recommendations, weight control, activity levels and diagnostic tools, such as joint x-rays, can readily be provided or referred by your family veterinarian.
Ultimately, genetic control of our breeding population is a difficult task, but by controlling our dog's environment and through use of professional veterinary services, we can hopefully lessen the incidence and severity of orthopedic problems in our beloved Best Friends!
For more information: Colorado Canine Orthopedics 5520 North Nevada Ave., Suite 100 Colorado Springs, CO 80918 (719) 264-6666 www.CanineOrtho.com
