Dog Hip & Elbow Dysplasia
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Dog Hip & Elbow Dysplasia: How To Inhibit The Worsening of Your Dog’s Condition
It is not unusual for young pups to have hip or elbow dysplasia which resulted from genetic inheritance. Proper breeding over the long term can greatly reduce these problems, but it’s unfortunate that due to improper breeding by both professional breeders and amateurs, this condition is all too common.
You may have hear about canine hip dysplasia already. Canine elbow dysplasia is basically the same condition, except that it appears not in the hips but rather in the elbow joints. With regular healthy canine development, the head of the dog’s femur is meant to grow into the socket of the joint, and subsequently rotate smoothly inside the socket during canine mobility. Dysplasia is the condition that occurs when the head of the femure grows to the outward direction, causing the bone to thicken, and leaving a gap in the spot where the femoral head is meant to be in contact with the joint socket. That space leads to some troubles with motion, as the rotation can not take place smoothly without skipping. That can make it painful and unreliable for the dog to walk and run around.
In the event that you have a young dog that your vet diagnoses as having hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia, some approaches can be taken which might make the dog’s life more bearable and enjoyable. Let’s have a look at some pointers to take to heart and follow seriously:
A) This doesn’t affect your dog’s condition, but it does affect future generations of the breed and spieces: have your pet neutered. This is for the prevention of passing on the dysplasia genes to future generations of dogs.
B) You may be under the impression that giving your dog calcium supplements will help his condition. But the reality is that calcium might actually result in calcium deposits in the area of bone that is already unnaturally shaped and causing problems. A preferable approah is to supplement your canine’s diet with additional vitamins and minerals in consultation with your veterinarian.
C) One thing that can aggravate canine dysplasia is a fast growth rate. Eating a high calorie diet influences a high grow rate. So try to limit your dog’s rate of growth by feeding him just a healthy but balanced and light diet. Avoid feeding him too many calories, and also too much protein, since protein is used to build body tissue.
D) Help reduce the impact of your dog’s feet hitting the floor by putting down carpeting to cushion against this. This will bring your dog some immediate relief through lessened impact, but can also help prevent the condition from becoming worse.
E) Discourage your dog from running and sprinting. I know these activities are highly enjoyable for your pet, but running creates a harder impact on your dog’s joints and can cause inflammation, aggravation of the condition, and increased pain for your pup. Your dog still needs exercise, and exposure to the outdoors and nature, but try to minimize his pace.
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