9 Common Bone Issues In Growing Dogs

By Author: Jack Arthur
Total Articles: 24
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Bone and joint problems are common in dogs of all ages. But these are especially more prevalent in young dogs undergoing growth spurts and in large dog breeds. Your furry friend might show signs like limping or lameness, reluctance to jump or run, stiffness, depression, tiredness, and irritability due to such joint issues.

Is your dog showing such symptoms? If yes, this might be due to some underlying bone and joint problems. Take your dog to the vet and get appropriate medical care at the earliest. Now, there are several types of orthopedic problems seen in growing dogs.

Some might be due to minor issues and will go away within a few days with proper care, but some may persist for more than 14 days and if not brought to proper medical attention, it can cause some serious issues like arthritis. In this article, we will be discussing some of the most common bone and joint issues seen in young dogs. So let us get started!

1. Panosteitis
This is caused when the shaft of the long bones in their legs gets inflamed. Due to the inflammation, the dog experiences pain and discomfort in that specific leg and ...
... this results in lameness. This can affect one or more bones at the same time or might shift from one bone to another which results in the shifting of lameness too.

Panosteitis is also known as growing pains or pano. This is a self-limiting condition that will resolve on its own as the dog grows. If the pain is severe, vets normally prescribe some painkillers, no specific treatment is required.

Omega 3 for pets has been proven to reduce inflammation and associated pain. . It is normally seen in large breeds of dogs under the age of 2 years which is the age of rapid growth. This might get better with joint health supplements for dogs.

2. Hypertrophic osteodystrophy
When there is decreased blood flow to the growth plates of long bones in your dog's leg, the bone formation doesn't occur adequately in such areas and will result in less hardened, soft bones. Eventually, there might be inflammation in such areas.

This causes severe joint pain, fever, and swelling in young dogs. It is more painful than pano. And unlike pano, it can cause permanent damages resulting in permanent lameness and malformed limbs. This too is usually seen during the rapid growing time of large breed puppies. This is usually a self-limiting problem that will go away after some time on its own.

3. Osteochondrosis

This occurs due to the abnormal development of the smooth cartilages present on the tip of the bones. Mostly there is a malformed cartilage flap or cracks in cartilages that results in discomfort, in such cases, severe rest and restricted activities with some painkillers and cartilage supporting medications will help.

Some other times, a small part of the cartilage may break off and float freely in the joint fluid. This is known as osteochondritis dissecans or joint mouse. It causes severe joint pain and the vet usually recommends surgical removal of the floating flap to solve the problem. This too is commonly seen in big dog breeds undergoing a growth spurt. It commonly affects the shoulder joints.

4. Osteoarthritis
This condition is caused by inflammation of the joints due to deterioration of the cartilages. It usually occurs in adult dogs as a result of aging as a degenerative disease but might be seen in young dogs too.

In young dogs, it occurs due to some congenital malformations and serious injury or trauma to the joints. It is painful and as the condition progresses, the pain will also increase. Omega 3 for pets can help in such conditions due to its immense anti-inflammatory properties.

Large breeds and overweight dogs are mostly affected. This is a progressive disease and will get better only with adequate nutrition, proper exercise, and Omega 3 for pets.

5. A fragmented coronoid process
It's a kind of elbow dysplasia. At the end of the ulna of the dog's elbow, there are two protruding bony processes known as the coronoid process. When this coronoid process has some deformities, it forms a crack and detaches from the bone, it causes pain and discomfort in the area.

It can cause instability of the joints as well. It is more of a hereditary condition that mostly occurs in large breeds. If not early diagnosed and immediately treated with appropriate surgery, it may cause further inflammation in the joints leading to osteoarthritis.

Read More: https://frezzor.com/blogs/news/9-common-bone-issues-in-growing-dogs