animal
ONTARIO E D I T I O N
wellness I N S I D E
For a long, healthy life!
Nutrition tips for active dogs
Sports Dogs
Does your dog have what it takes?
3 common bone problems
Who won our
Photo
How to introduce
contest?
dogs & cats
10 tips for your water baby August/September
Display until September 17, 2007
$5.95 USA/Canada
VOLUME 9 ISSUE 4
Check inside!
Is your dog healthy?
How to tell with just a look www.AnimalWellnessMagazine.com
animal wellness
contents
38
40
features
20
20 Top 3 bone problems 38 8 ways to soothe in growing pups Here’s what you need to know
animal wellness
Keeping the peace when you have to be away
24 The cat’s meow
40 Eat & run!
30 King of the road
46 Sports dogs
Excessive vocalization can be a cry for help
24
separation anxiety
How to keep your best friend safe
Good nutrition for busy dogs
Sports that go to the dogs – and how to get involved!
54
73
Click on this icon to visit featured links tale ending 54 Do opposites attract? 67 Clicker training 101 76 Fairy Documentary film How to introduce dogs to cats (or the other way round!)
58 Eyeing up your
dog’s constitution Iridology offers an “inside look” at canine nature
62 Ten tips for your canine water baby Make a splash with your best buddy
An easy and effective way to get your dog to do what you want
72 Shoo!
8 ideas to discourage free-roaming felines
74 Improving quality
helps the stray dogs of Romania
81 Amazing Animals Photo Contest Winners!
Check out our gallery of prize-winning shots
of life for canine cancer patients
Supplements that ease the effects of this dreaded disease
ONTARIO REGIONAL SECTION
animal wellness
Top
bone problems in growing pups by Shawn Messonnier, DVM
W
e usually associate bone and joint problems with older dogs, but puppies also have their own skeletal issues. Though not as commonly encountered as arthritis in older animals, there are three conditions we see with some frequency in puppies: hip dysplasia, osteochondritis (OCD), and patellar luxation.
1. Hip dysplasia
By far the most well known joint problem, hip dysplasia is most commonly seen in larger dogs, but can occur in any breed. Those commonly affected include Labrador and golden retrievers, Newfoundlands, great Pyrenees, great Danes, Doberman pinschers, and of course, German shepherds. Hip dysplasia results in looseness of the hip joints. While some dogs do not show symptoms, those with severely loose hips show signs of lameness, usually in one hip, though both can be affected. This condition can affect dogs of any age, but is often a common cause of lameness in young puppies. It has both a genetic and environmental component.
20
animal wellness
Large dogs intended to be used for breeding should be screened via the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and preferably PennHip testing to determine their hip structure. Those with signs of dysplasia should not be bred. Even adult dogs with normal hip structure can still have puppies with bad hips, so all puppies should be checked for hip dysplasia. This is easily done at the time of spaying and neutering at four to six months of age. A simple radiograph of the hips, done when the puppy is sedated, usually allows diagnosis. Treatment varies with the severity of the disease. Puppies found to have dysplasia during routine screening, but who are not showing symptoms, often need no treatment other than a joint supplement to minimize cartilage damage. Puppies with clinical signs can be managed with restricted exercise, joint supplements, and limited use of NSAIDS to control pain. Those that do not respond to medical therapy will usually require surgery. The type of surgery done depends on the skill and preference of the surgeon, the cost of the procedure, the age of the
puppy at the time of diagnosis, the degree of hip looseness, and the dog’s size. •FHO (Femoral Head Ostectomy) involves surgically removing the head of the femur (the long bone of the leg involved in the disease). This relieves pain and creates a false joint between the femur and acetabulum (hip bone). Puppies do well with this procedure, although the leg will be slightly shorter than its opposite and a slight non-painful limp may persist. •TPO (Triple Pelvic Osteotomy) is a procedure in which the pelvis is cut in three places and then rotated to give greater coverage to the head of the femur. This resolves the dysplasia and pain and returns the dog to normal function. It is a very involved operation and not every surgeon is trained to do it. It is also limited based on the size and age of the dog, as
well as the amount of dysplasia present at the time of surgery. •THO (Total Hip Replacement) is the gold standard of hip surgery. Since it is also the most expensive (you almost need some gold to afford it as it can cost $2,000 to $3,000 per hip) it is not an option for everyone. In this procedure, your dog literally receives a new hip (head and neck of the femur and new acetabulum). Again, not every surgeon is trained to perform it and not every dog is an ideal candidate. The complication rate (post-surgical infection, breakdown of the new hip) is about 5%, higher than for most veterinary surgeries. Still, it is my surgery of choice for many of my patients and gives excellent results in most cases. •Pectineus Myotomy is an older (some might say outdated) procedure that involves cutting the pectineus muscle of the thigh to relieve the muscle’s pull on the femur. Most surgeons have abandoned the procedure; arthritis can still occur since the
hip looseness is still present. However, as a low cost alternative, it can offer relief to affected dogs and is easy to perform with few complications. (The main complication is that the dog is still showing signs of pain and lameness.)
2. Osteochondritis (OCD)
This is another common joint problem in growing puppies of larger breeds. It typically affects the same breeds that are prone to hip dysplasia. OCD is primarily a disease of growing cartilage. It develops due to reduced blood supply to a localized area of cartilage. The cartilage fails to mineralize (become bone) and the piece of cartilage separates from the surrounding bone, causing pain and lameness.
While any joint can be affected with OCD, those most commonly involved include the shoulder, elbow, knee, and ankle. Joint supplements, herbs, and homeopathics can help control pain and nourish the normal cartilage and joint structures, but ultimately surgery is needed to remove the malformed and detached piece of cartilage from the affected joints.
3. Patellar luxation
So far we’ve been talking about bone and joint problems in puppies of larger breeds. One particular problem that most commonly affects smaller breeds is congenital (present at birth) patellar luxation. Breeds that typically suffer from this malady include poodles, Pomeranians, Maltese, Yorkshire terriers, and chihuahuas. The patella is the
animal wellness
21