Elbow dysplasia - Page 1

How is elbow dysplasia made evident? One of my 11 month bitches seems to lame on the front right foot. It is as if she feels some pain in the elbow. Could this be elbow dysplasia? I have read that elbow dysplasia is caused by the non uniform grow of the bones at that point. Could products such as Biogesan (joint supplement for hips and joints) worsen the situation? Any of you...need your advise. Thanks in advance.

take your pup to your vet. Have them do an Ortho exam, and x-rays to rule out pano and OCD. Good luck.

ditto -- above -- 11 months is a good age for Pano too you definately need x-rays and someone who knows what they're looking it. I have an old bitch who's preliminary x-rays at about 1 year caused her to be diagnosed with 'mild' elbow dysplasia on one side only. Her grandmother had it very bad (in older age). Because of this diagnosis, I never bred my bitch - She is turning 14 years old next week and can still climb stairs, with an assist now and then - and most of her problems are related to arthritis in her spine -- not her elbows.

Boy...14 years old and still active...that's amazing...the oldest GSD that I've ever had the pleasure to own was 13 when I finally put him down...just about all GSD's have problems in the rear end or elbows as they get older...just like us humans do...I now have a 12 1/2 year old female...she's blind in 1 eye and has a hard time now and then...but she still runs the kennel...she still teaches my young ones how to behave and how to mind their elders...

Boy...14 years old and still active...that's amazing...the oldest GSD that I've ever had the pleasure to own was 13 when I finally put him down...just about all GSD's have problems in the rear end or elbows as they get older...just like us humans do...I now have a 12 1/2 year old female...she's blind in 1 eye and has a hard time now and then...but she still runs the kennel...she still teaches my young ones how to behave and how to mind their elders...

Thanks Sheila and Pineridge. What do pano and OCD stand for?

panosteitis.... growing pains, wandering lameness, long bone disease.... is a growth type affliction that affects young dogs, OCD - Osteochondritis Dessicans..... your vet can best describe and give you examples of both when you go in for the exam...and xrays

Thank you all for your advise!

Then there's ununited anconiel (sp?) process -- another technical elbow abnormality !! WOLFGANG:-- 12 AND 13 ARE GREAT OLD AGES FOR THIS BREED AS YOU KNOW !! We have had 3 dogs go past 13 (still functioning - by that I mean not having to be carried everywhere or in a underbelly brace or messing all over themselves while lying down. And, I will admit that there are SOME --American lines that do have a lot of longevity -- My old gal is American for all practicality -- but close enough to her german ancestors that you can easily find Hein von der Lockenheim (imported to the US)and Canto Winerau (who did not live long and I guess died of 'mysterious' causes) depending on who you talk to-- but anyway -- we should be quick to hold up ANY good lines we see with longevity and vigor and publicize them simply because they deserve the good press. We always told people that if your Shepherd sees 10 1/2 years it is a 'full lifespan for the breed'. Anything past that is to be especially thankful for. Unfortunately, there are still dogs dying at 3 or 4. and years ago, the adage was if your (am.bred) Shep did not bloat by 5 years of age - you had better odds going forward that it would not -- but, of course, it still happens. And we have had the dreaded spinal myalopothy that took our beloved boy at 10 1/2. GOOD HEALTH - LONG LIFE - is what we wish for all !!

I just had to put down one of my "imports"...he was just 4 years young...just too dam young to have gone through what he went through...he had liver cancer but was the 2nd toughest dog I have ever met in my 32 years around the GSD...he was line bred on Mink...and too dam close of line breeding too...the best thing we can do for our dogs that we can't do for each other is to put them out of their misery...and out of their bodies when the time comes...one of my first GSD's was an American line dog that lived to 13 and we waited too too long to help him out of this life...my vet gave him a shot to put him down and it took 10 minutes to stop his heart...he was undoubtedly the "toughest" dog I have ever met to this day!...I have been there for every one of my dogs, holding them as they pasted into the next life...