Elbow dysplasia is a catchall term that describes inherited developmental abnormalities in a dog's elbow joint. The four types of elbow joint problems include ununited anconeal process (UAP), fragmented coronoid process (FCP), osteochrondrosis dissecans (OCD) and "elbow incongruency."
Certain dogs are predisposed to elbow problems, primarily large and giant breeds. It's important if you're planning to acquire a dog from a breeder that a high-risk puppy's parents have been cleared for elbow dysplasia by OFA (the Orthopedic Foundation of America).
Symptoms of elbow dysplasia include lameness, abnormal gait, holding the elbows at odd angles, unwillingness to move around much or play, tiring easily, stiffness upon standing, and a worsening of the condition after exercise.
The goal of treatment of elbow dysplasia is to relieve pain and maintain function in the affected limbs, allowing the dog to live an active, normal life. Treatment involves keeping the dog at a healthy weight, getting moderate exercise, rehab therapies (especially in water), natural anti-inflammatory agents, and sometimes, surgery.
Many dogs with elbow dysplasia can be well managed without resorting to surgery.
Read the complete article: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/04/16/canine-elbow-dysplasia.aspx
Certain dogs are predisposed to elbow problems, primarily large and giant breeds. It's important if you're planning to acquire a dog from a breeder that a high-risk puppy's parents have been cleared for elbow dysplasia by OFA (the Orthopedic Foundation of America).
Symptoms of elbow dysplasia include lameness, abnormal gait, holding the elbows at odd angles, unwillingness to move around much or play, tiring easily, stiffness upon standing, and a worsening of the condition after exercise.
The goal of treatment of elbow dysplasia is to relieve pain and maintain function in the affected limbs, allowing the dog to live an active, normal life. Treatment involves keeping the dog at a healthy weight, getting moderate exercise, rehab therapies (especially in water), natural anti-inflammatory agents, and sometimes, surgery.
Many dogs with elbow dysplasia can be well managed without resorting to surgery.
Read the complete article: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/04/16/canine-elbow-dysplasia.aspx