A Summary of Elbow Dysplasia & Dog Arthritis

Elbow dysplasia is the abnormal development of parts of the elbow. It is believed that elbow dysplasia is genetic and this disorder tends to affect larger breeds of dogs like Labradors, German Shepherd, Rottweilers and Golden Retrievers. Elbow dysplasia is a serious and debilitating cause of dog arthritis as we will discuss.

Signs of elbow dysplasia start appearing from 5 months old to 12 months of age but are often not fully appreciated until later in life. Dogs affected by elbow dysplasia suffer from lameness, swelling and arthritis in one or often both elbows.

Elbow dysplasia can be evident in several ways including:

Fragmented Coronoid Process –occurs when a small wedge of bone from the ulna (the long bone in the foreleg) at the bottom of the elbow fails to fuse with the ulna.

Ununited Aconeal Process –occurs when a small wedge of bone at the top of the ulna fails to fuse during growth. 

Osteochondritis of the Elbow –occurs when cartilage fragments become loose from the elbow and float around in the joint.

Elbow Joint Incongruity – occurs when the surface of the joint becomes bumpy, instead of smooth, causing friction around the cartilage.

Symptoms of Elbow Dysplasia

Dogs suffering from this condition show signs of dog arthritis. They may appear stiff after a rest, licks frequently over the elbow area and are usually less active. The affected elbow(s) will show signs of swelling and pain and they will be lame some or all of the time. If these signs are showing in a younger dog, there is a high probability that the dog is suffering from elbow dysplasia.

Diagnosis of the Elbow Dysplasia

Veterinarians diagnose dog elbow dysplasia after running a variety of tests. X-rays are very useful in showing dog arthritis and spotting joint incongruity. More and more commonly used is arthroscopy – a joint endoscope that is inserted to the affected area as a means of diagnosing (and in some cases treating) elbow dysplasia. The last option is MRI which is very helpful for diagnosis but often not used unless surgery is a consideration.

A proper diagnosis allows proper treatment, which will hopefully slow or prevent the development of dog arthritis. Visit my blog http://www.dogarthritisblog.info/ for more information on dog arthritis and what can be done to control this common and debilitating condition.

Elbow Dysplasia & Dog Arthritis (PDF)