Orthopaedic Conditions

Orthopaedic Conditions

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of Arthritis in dogs. It is a chronic and degenerative disease involving the soft tissues and bones of a joint which causes inflammation, reduction of range of movement and pain.
 
Osteoarthritis can develop as a result of a dog's genetics, traumatic damage to the joint/s or as result of poor choices of activities of daily life. Additionally, it may develop as a result of a primary condition, affecting a joint such as, Hip Dysplasia. When this happens, Osteoarthritis is considered to be a secondary joint disease.
 
As the cartilage within the joint starts to degenerate the joint becomes thickened and bony spurs (osteophytes) are formed. The joint becomes inflamed and weakened, the ligaments surrounding the joint start to overcompensate by increasing their support to the joint's instability, as a result they in turn become thickened and start to compress around the joint. The cartilage is unable to repair itself appropriately and so in some cases the cartilage becomes thin and, as a result, the bone ends up rubbing on bone as the joint is used. This bone on bone rubbing eventually starts to wear down the bone and along with the formation of bony spurs, causes pain and the deformation of the joint. 
 
Symptoms:
  • Limping, gait changes
  • Difficulty getting in and out of bed
  • Reluctance to take part in usual daily activities
  • Yelping and whimpering in pain
  • Behaving unusually aggressively
  • Appearing withdrawn and disinterested  
  • Painful joints
  • Loss of mobility
  • Swollen joints
  • Stiffness
Canine Rebalance can support by:
  • Reducing stiffness
  • Increasing circulation to the affected joints
  • Reducing inflammation
  • Helping to maintain range of motion
  • Decreasing pain and discomfort 
  • Relieving overcompensated muscles of tension 
  • Increasing strength and condition 
  • Improving proprioception

Hip Dysplasia

The hip is composed of a ball and socket joint. The hip ball, being the proximal femur and the socket of the joint being the pelvic acetabulum, form the coxofemoral joint. 
Its main movements are to flex and extend the hip.
 
In a normal hip joint the head of the femur sits tightly and securely within the socket of the joint, allowing for correct and stable articulation. 
 
Hip dysplasia is the improper growth and development of the coxofemoral (hip) joint. In a dysplastic hip the head of the femur and the acetabulum do not articulate properly because either the acetabulum is too shallow to hold the ball securely or the femur head is badly misshapen creating a joint that is unstable. 
 
Hip dysplasia is one of the most common skeletal diseases seen in dogs and in particular the large and giant breeds of dogs. Hip dysplasia will often begin while a dog is still young and some puppies are born with it. The development of this disease is as a result of either genetic or environmental factors. Environmental factors include the weight of a dog, its diet, too much exercise during puppyhood and poor choices in activities of daily life.

Symptoms:
  • Less active
  • Difficulty getting in and out of bed
  • Reluctant to jump
  • Difficulty climbing stairs
  • Intermittent lameness
  • Bunny hopping
  • Swaying gait
  • Back legs will be positioned abnormally close together
  • Pain and discomfort
  • Decreased range of motion in the hip joints
  • Loss of muscle mass in thigh muscles
  • Increase in muscle mass in the shoulders
 Canine Rebalance can help by:
  • Aiding with toxin and metabolic drainage from the soft tissues around the hip
  • Reducing inflammation
  • Decreasing pain
  • Increasing mobility around the joint
  • Improving the development of soft tissue in wasted and atrophied muscles
  • Improving quality of life
  • Improving circulation
  • Increasing strength and condition to supporting muscles 
  • Improving proprioception

Elbow Dysplasia

Elbow Dysplasia is an abnormal development of the elbow joint. The joint itself is quite complex being that it involves the articulation of three bones, the humerus, the radius and the ulna. Elbow Dysplasia develops when problems occur with the cartilage or bone within this joint, as a result the three bones do not fit together perfectly and the joint suffers with weakness and instability. 
 
The term Elbow Dysplasia intimates a single condition, however there are four different developmental conditions that cause Elbow Dysplasia in dogs. Firstly Osteochrondrosis Dessicans, a condition whereby damaged cartilage breaks off from the bone or cracks. Instead of this cartilage dying it continues to grow within the joints soft tissue causing pain and inflammation. 
 
Secondly, a condition related to the Anconeal Process, whereby during the growth process cartilage should grow in to bone to eventually attach to the ulna, however in some cases the Anconeal Process does not attach and becomes a separate bone, which is then referred to as the Ununited Anconeal Process. 
 
Thirdly, a dog can suffer with a fragmented coronoid process whereby a small piece of bone breaks away from the inner side of the ulna. This piece of bone irritates the cartilage within the joint, wearing away at the cartilage leading to the bones grinding together. 
 
Lastly, elbow incongruency whereby the elbows are unable to articulate properly due to the development or unnatural conformation of the joints. It is likely that these abnormalities of the joint will eventually lead to progressive Arthritis as the joint is put under undue wear and tear.
The causes of Elbow Dysplasia are primarily due to a dogs' genetics and its environment. Environmental causes could be down to obesity in puppyhood, over exercise during the early stages, injury to the joint, poor nutrition and poor choices of activities of daily life.

Symptoms:
  • Lameness
  • Pain and discomfort
  • Lack of reach in the forelimbs
  • Mobility issues
  • Gait irregularities
  • Inflammation in the elbows
  • Disinterested in going on walks
 
Canine Rebalance can support by:
  • Increasing range of motion in the elbow joint
  • Reducing post-surgery recovery times
  • Increasing circulation around the joint
  • Decreasing pain and discomfort
  • Aiding with toxin and metabolic drainage from the soft tissues around the elbow joint
  • Strengthening and conditioning the muscles to support the joints weakness
  • Improving proprioception

Cruciate Ligament Disease and Injury

The Cruciate Ligament is located in the knee/stifle joint. It comprises of bands of tough fibrous soft tissues called ligaments that join the femur bone to the tibia. These ligaments cross over one another in the knee joint providing extra stability, support and movement to the joint, they also prevent the tibia from shifting forward of the femur and the knee from rotating or over-extending.  
 
Injury to these ligaments is quite common, in some cases the ligament gradually degenerates over time as the individual fibres of the ligament start to tear, rather like the fraying of rope. In other cases, there is a complete rupture severing the ligament from its attachment. If your dog sustains a complete rupture then it is more than likely that surgery will be required. The most common surgeries for this injury are TPLO (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy) or TTA (Tibial Tuberosity Advancement). 

Common causes of Cruciate Ligament Injury are:
  • Ball chasing, in particular chasing after a ball being thrown by a ball launcher
  • Obesity
  • Trauma to the area
  • Sudden twisting of the joint
  • Females are twice as likely to suffer from a Cruciate Ligament Injury
 Symptoms:
  • Lameness and limping
  • Stifle inflamed and swollen
  • Unable to weight bear
  • Dog will present a semi flexed leg with only toes touching the floors
  • Show signs of pain, yelping and crying
  • Sitting with injured stifle rotated out
 
Canine Rebalance can support by:
  • Reducing pain
  • Resolving overcompensation issues with other areas of the body
  • Improving mobility and getting your dog walking about again
  • Aiding with weight bearing issues, making your dog feel more comfortable
  • Helping to strengthen the affected leg
  • Improving circulation
  • Speeding up the recovery time after surgery
  • Improving the development of soft tissue in wasted and atrophied muscles
  • Strengthening and conditioning the musculature
  • Improving proprioception

Luxating Patella

The Patella (known as the knee cap) normally moves along a groove within the femur (thigh bone) when the knee is flexed. The tendon of the patella attaches to the tibial crest (a bony prominence which can be found on the tibia). The patella is usually well aligned with this and the quadricep muscles. The condition 'Luxating Patella' is referred to when the knee cap no longer rides in this groove and this alignment is not maintained and the knee cap pops out of the groove when it is flexed. A Luxating Patella can be further specified by describing the knee cap as either being medially luxating or lateral luxating depending on whether the knee cap rides on the inner or the outer part of the stifle (knee).
 
A Luxating Patella may be as a result of an accident or trauma to the knee or the genetic makeup of the dog.

Symptoms:
  • A hop hop skip action
  • Holding affected leg off the ground for a period time before resuming usual activity
  • Crying out in pain
  • Lack of natural movement in the stifle
 
Canine Rebalance can support by:
  • Resolving issues with overcompensation in other areas of the body
  • Minimising referred pain
  • Helping with weight bearing issues
  • Resolving areas of muscle tension
  • Lengthening the leg muscles which attach or insert around the area of the patella, therefore minimising the kneecap popping out or sliding
  • Reducing pain, stiffness and soreness
  • Increasing mobility
  • Strengthening and conditioning the musculature
  • Improving proprioception

Spondylosis

Spondylosis is a disease associated with ageing or issue with the intervertebral discs. It is also referred to as Ankylosing Spondylitis. Its main characteristic is the production of bony spurs, also known as osteophytes, originating from the vertebrae end plates. These spurs are projected growths of bone, usually grown as a result of changes in bone formation. This could be as a result of ageing, degeneration, disease or mechanical instability.
 
Spondylosis is a chronic degenerative disease. The pain and discomfort caused by this disease is as a result of the continual production of further osteophytes. As they attempt to restructure the damaged discs, pressure is put on the soft tissue which in turn compresses on the nerves. In dogs, the most common vertebrae affected by this disease are T9-T10 and L2-L4. Spondylosis is normally as a result of repetitive bone wear and tear, injury or genetic disposition.

Symptoms:
  • Motor and sensory dysfunction
  • Muscle weakness in the hind limbs
  • Gait issues
  • Pain and discomfort
  • Difficulties with walking
  • Roaching of the back
  • Lack of proprioception of hind limbs
  • Lack of flexibility
  • Bony spurs on spine
  • Trouble with sitting down
 Canine Rebalancecan support by:
  • Providing comfort and relief from pain
  • Reducing nerve pain
  • Increasing the flexibility of the surrounding tissues making it easier for the dog to move
  • Increasing circulation
  • Increasing recovery time after surgery
  • Improving the development of soft tissue in wasted and atrophied muscles
  • Strengthening and conditioning the musculature
  • Improving proprioception

Osteochondrosis Dessicans

The majority of joints in the dogs’ body are made up of two bones supported together by ligaments. Where the two bones meet, smooth cartilage covers the surfaces which act as a cushion, protecting the underlying bones. If this cartilage becomes damaged or disrupted the movement of the joint becomes painful and restricted. It is the disease Osteochrondrosis Dessicans (OCD) that affects this cartilage, damaging it and preventing its normal growth. The cartilage starts to thicken and grow rather than being absorbed into the bone. As a result of this thickening the cartilage starts to weaken and crack in the form of flaps and in some cases entire pieces may break off, known as an Osteochondral Fragment.
 
OCD primarily affects large breeds of dogs and it can be seen in male dogs more than females. The disease is most likely to be seen in a dog between four and ten months of age, although it can occur in older dogs. 
 
OCD occurs due to injury to the surface cartilage, genetics, rapid growth, hormone imbalances and nutrition.  

Symptoms:
  • Lameness
  • Abnormal posture
  • Muscle wastage
  • Decreased muscle development
  • Restricted mobility
  • Pain
 Canine Rebalance can support by:
  • Aiding with pain referral in other areas of the body
  • Increasing flexibility and elasticity in muscles around the joint
  • Removing painful muscle spasms
  • Decreasing pain and discomfort
  • Increasing nutrients, blood flow and oxygen to the affected areas
  • Flushing away toxins from the affected area
  • Increasing recovery time from surgery
  • Influencing the body to renew and regenerate
  • Strengthening and conditioning the musculature
  • Improving proprioception

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