What is Osteochondrosis in dogs?

Osteochondrosis is related to the damage to bone  and cartilage tissue. With good developments of the joints, cartilage will  gradually be transformed into bone during growth. Abnormalities in this process are called osteochondrosis (AAC) and if there is a loose cartilage fragment osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD). In the event of an abnormality, widening is left in some places, causing local thickening in the cartilage  . Due to the thickening, the cartilage does not get enough nutrients from the joint liquid to the deeper layers. Because there are problems with the supply of nutrients, you get weakenings in the cartilage. The cartilage that is overburdened can tear or break down. Occasionally, bits of bone can come with it. You can now get abnormalities on the joint surfaces and that causes: swelling, pain and inflammation.

Osteochondrosis can  occur in all joints, but in a dog it is most common in the upper arm (humer's head), which forms the shoulder joint with the shoulder blade. This regularly occurs in large dogs that grow quickly such as the Newfoundlander, Benner sennen, Labrador and Rottweiler. In addition, it is twice as common in males of these breeds than in bitches. Nutrition and hereditary predisposition also play a major role in OCD. One of the most important factors is too high calcium content in the diet.

Symptoms in osteochondrosis in dogs

• Crippled walking
• Swellings
• Pain when bending and stretching the joint

Often the diagnosis is determined by means of an X-ray, occasionally a (viewing) operation has to be useful to be completely sure. Some dogs have enough when adapting in the diet, giving supplements with glucosamine and chondroitin and maintaining rest, but often surgery is needed. During surgery, loose cartilage fragments are removed and the joint surface is made as smooth as possible. Most dogs can walk well again after this operation.