Dog Arthritis Joint By Joint Part 2 - The Hind Legs

 Thank you for reading Part 2 of this article on common joint problems. Dogs really do give their joints a strenuous workout and dog arthritis is unfortunately a very common occurrences. Let’s continue our tour in Part 2, joint by joint through the common hind leg problems that can lead to dog arthritis.

Please note this is only a summary, I don’t have the time to detail each disease but the common ones you will find on other posts on my blog.

Hip Joint

One of the most common causes of hip joint problems in canines is hip dysplasia, a problem in development of the hip joint (coxofemoral joint) that occurs during your pet’s growing years. Lets put it all in a nutshell; the ball of the femur does not fit properly into the hip socket joint and the joint is looser than it should be. Most affected dogs show no signs of this condition, while others may develop signs as dog arthritis develops and sets in.

Other hip joint problems include:

• Hip dislocations known as ( Coxofemoral Luxations )
• Disease causing a deformity of the femoral head resulting in lameness (Legge-Perthes)

Knee (Stifle)

As in the case with humans, your dog’s knee joint is the articulation between the femur and the fibula / tibia. The stability of the knee joint comes from the surrounding soft tissue and muscles. The dogs knee is susceptible to a number of injuries, including:

• Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture, a tearing of the knee ligaments that lap over to deep inside a dog’s knee. Very common!
• Caudal Cruciate Ligament Injury, similar to the cranial cruciate ligament injury.
• Collateral Ligament Injury, injury to the ligaments on each side of the knee joint
• Multiple Ligament Injuries to both sides of the knee.
•  Meniscal Injury, a torn knee cartilage is also very common in the joints!
• Patellar Luxation, a displacement of the kneecap, usually towards the middle (medial).
• Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Stifle. Cartilage from the knee detaches and causes dogarthritis.

Hock or Ankle (Tarsus)

The dog hock joint is the equivalent of our ankle. One of the most common hock problems is OCD (osteochondritis dissecans), which means, as seen in the shoulder and the elbow, a small wedge piece of bone or cartilage has come loose in a young dog’s joint, resulting in inflammation, irritation and pain.

However, when examining your dog with hock pain or swelling, your veterinarian will also consider the following in order to make a correct diagnosis:

• Ligamentous injury of the Tarsus,  a sprained ankle!  
• Achilles tendon injuries also occur and are very similar to what people suffer from

Other Joint Problems

Not all joint problems are specific to a particular joint. Inflammatory arthritis is common in people as rheumatoid arthritis. Thankfully this disease is far less common in animals but they do suffer from a similar condition called immune mediated polyarthritis which can be painful and debilitating.

 

Cancer can sometimes be seen too. While not common in canine joints, bone cancer sometimes occurs around the knee, shoulder and wrist resulting. There will be no arthritis with bone cancer but a severe lameness in which the pain is virtually uncontrollable.

Dog joint problems should always be taken very seriously, as early intervention and treatment by your veterinarian can prevent or slow the associated onset of dogs arthritis. Please read my blog and you can ask me any questions in the comments section below.

Dog Arthritis Joint By Joint Part 2  (PDF)