By: DOGeNEWS
Your dog is vigorously playing in its favorite dog park when
the next day you notice that he is suffering a limp on his right
limb. Though it does not affect him that much, you are still
worried. Take special notice because the now and then limping of
your dog maybe a sign of degenerative joint disease. The limping
may come suddenly or gradually and the pain that degenerative
joint disease causes your dog can be continuous or alternating.
Degenerative joint disease (DJD) affects the cartilage in a
joint that acts as a shock absorber and provide lubricants for
joints. This cartilage is called articular cartilage. Once it is
damaged, you can never treat it. Instead, it leads to
inflammation and swelling. Injury or damage to the joints can be
cause by hip dysplasia, osteochondrosis (OCD), cranial cruciate
rupture in the knee or a traumatic injury. DJD can be diagnose
by means of a radiograph or X-ray, perform a computed tomography
scan or extract fluid samples from the joint. The treatment of
degenerative joint disease will depend on the condition of every
dog.
Dogs that are positive of DJD according to their radiograph
results but does not manifest or show any symptoms of lameness
does not need any treatment. However, to dogs that experience
intermittent lameness, a veterinarian may prescribe an
anti-inflammatory drug and complete rest until there is an
improvement. If the lameness of the dog improves then a
controlled, moderate and regular exercise plus supplements that
will protect cartilage may be given to the dog.
Moderate exercise means activities that do not cause more
injury to joints such as walking and swimming. Moderate and
regular exercise will give additional strength to the muscles
that help support the joints. Moreover, it will help your dog to
loose weight. It is important that dogs maintain their average
weight because the more weight they gain the more stress it puts
on their joints, meaning more pain. Hence, moderate and regular
exercise is one way of coping up with DJD.
Medical advancement is a great help for our dogs to live a
healthy and happy life. However, if despite all the advise and
medications taken by your dog he does not still show any
improvements, then you may consider surgery for your beloved
pet. The common surgical procedures for dogs experiencing
degenerative joint disease are total hip replacement, joint
arthroplasty (removal of a portion of the bone), or arthrodesis
(fusion of the joint).
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