Bone Problems
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Have you ever noticed how some breeds of dogs have a little cork screw or screw-tailed appearance? Often these dogs tend to be the short muzzled or brachycephalic breeds as well, and their short little kinky tails tend to balance out their short, pushed in faces.While the short little kinked tails may be cute in appearance, it is also an indicator of a deformation of the vertebrae of the spine, known as hemivertebrae. There are also some types of hemivertebrae or hemivertebra that can occur in other areas of the spine as well resulting in other malformations and movement problems. The breeds most likely to have hemivertebrae at the tail include Pugs, Boston Terriers and the English and French Bulldogs. The breeds that are most commonly seen with hemivertebrae in other areas of the spine include German Short Haired Pointers and the German Shepherd. [...]
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Although it sounds somewhat similar to hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism affects the body much differently. The parathyroid glands are located right next to the thyroid glands and work to balance the levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood by secreting parathyroid hormone or PTH. This hormone will cause the absorption or release of calcium from the bones in the skeletal system to regulate the blood calcium and phosphorus levels. The Keeshond is the breed most commonly associated with primary hyperparathyroidism.There are actually two different types of hyperparathyroidism caused by two very different sets of circumstances. The first type of hyperparathyroidism, called primary hyperparathyroidism is caused when the parathyroid glands become tumerous. Usually the tumor is benign and is known as an adenoma. This tumor causes the parathyroid to produce large amounts of PTH, resulting in highly elevated calcium levels in the blood. [...]
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Hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD) is one of the many different bone growth problems that seem to strike the large and giant breeds of dogs far more frequently than the medium and small breeds. HOD has no known cause and is not believed to be genetic; rather it may be combination of several different factors. Some researchers believe it may be caused by a bacterial infection, others indicate a lack of Vitamin C and still others feel it is a nutritional problem caused by feeding high fat and protein diets that cause too rapid growth. Since different puppies seem to react to different treatment modes and programs there is really no consensus on how to treat the condition or what is the root cause. [...]
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One of the most distinguishing features of the Bulldogs, either English or French is their unique very small, often very kinky or corkscrew tail. This is a breed trait and while common is typically considered a fault or must be clearly defined as a screwed tail with definite kinks. A corkscrew tail may also be called an ingrown or internalized tail and is not as commonly noted in any other breed other than the Bulldog. Occasionally a Shar Pei or Bichon Frise may have what is known as a corkscrew tail or pig tail, but this is typically considered a disqualifying fault in these breeds.The Bulldog often have a growth problem in the tail that actually leads to the tail growing inwards instead of outwards. This tends to leave a rather large, or small, depending on the age and size of the dog, cleft or indentation just where the tail would normally be. [...]
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There are several differences in the human skeletal structure and that of a dog, but there are just as many similarities. The spine of both a human and dog is made up of a series of small vertebrae that form the solid structure of the spine. Each one of the vertebrae is made of bone, and if not cushioned from each other would be very painful and cause pressure and pinching of the delicate bundle of nerves known as the spinal cord that travels through the center of the vertebrae. To provide cushioning between each vertebrae there is a series of flexible cartilage discs known as intervertebral discs between each. These discs provide the movement of the spine as well as protection for the spinal cord during movement and protection of the bones of the vertebrae from rubbing and wearing. [...]
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Premature disc degeneration is a disease in which a dog's vertebral discs begin to degenerate more rapidly than could be naturally expected. Degeneration might effect either the discs themselves in that they can become calcified and less mobile, or the spaces between the discs when cartilaginous cushions begin to deteriorate. It is classified under the generalized heading of premature aging and has many profound effects upon a dog's overall health, causing at best chronic pain and at worst loss of motor function.Premature disc degeneration usually begins to occur in dogs that are between three and five years old, and seems to affect the discs in the cervical region of the spine most often. Depending on which discs are affected, the problem manifests itself visually in a variety of different ways. [...]
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Dachshunds and Basset Hounds may look cute as they scurry around on their short legs, but the familiar shape of these short-legged breeds is actually due to a congenital defect that results in a form of dwarfism. Specifically these animals have achondroplasia, an improper development of the cartilage at the end of the animal's long bones. It's a defect that can occur in any breed of dog, and is always present in certain breeds like the two mentioned above.Achondroplasia is one of several types of chondodystrophies, in which the cartilage does not develop properly in the womb, distorting the animal's bones. A dominant genetic defect, achondroplasia appears in about one out of every 10,000 births, and can usually be diagnosed at birth, since the deformities are easily visible. Any dog with the defective gene will be affected, and if the dog is bred, its offspring have a 50 percent chance of being achondroplasic. [...]
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Ununited anconeal process is a form of elbow dysplasia that is inherited. This condition is present at birth and can range in severity from mild and relatively unnoticeable to a severe impairment in the dog's ability to move. In some cases ununited anconeal process is very painful on an ongoing basis for the puppy or dog, while in others the pain seems minimal and may only flare up if the dog is exercised more than usually or has been relaxed for a long period of time and then suddenly gets up to move.Ununited anconeal process is inherited by a polygenetic factor, which means that more than one gene combination causes the condition. This complicates the ability to simply breed out the condition within a line or breed since there are many different genes that could be involved. [...]
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As with most types of medical symptoms or conditions there is always more than one possible cause for spinal paralysis in dogs. Understanding what caused the paralysis in the first place is essential in being able to successfully diagnose, treat and even limit the progression of the paralysis. Since there are so many different possible causes of spinal paralysis understanding what the causes are for your breed of dog is important.In the long, low to the ground breeds with stubby legs and longer backs such as Dachshunds and Basset Hounds spinal paralysis is often caused by intervertebral disc disease that is caused by the rupturing of the discs putting pressure on the spinal cord and resulting in paralysis. [...]
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One of the more catastrophic ailments that can affect your large-breed dog is a condition known as Wobbler Syndrome, or clinically as cervical vertebral instability. This syndrome occurs when the spinal cord is compressed in the cervical (neck) area. This compression, or pinching, happens because the vertebra through which the cord passes is malformed or misaligned. The compression injures the part of the spinal cord that's necessary for an animal to stand and/or move normally.What causes these deformities in the vertebrae isn't yet known, but it is believed to be related to both genetics and nutrition. In some young dogs, Wobbler can develop if the animal is fed a diet excessively high in protein, calcium and phosphorus, in an attempt to accelerate the growth process. This is believed to cause the skeletal changes that occur in some affected dogs. [...]
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Arthritis means joint inflammation, but the term is somewhat misleading because arthritis is much more than joint inflammation and cats do contract many forms of arthritis depending upon the breed and external factors. The particular forms of arthritis that cats suffer from are: Traumatic Arthritis (sprain) and Osteoarethritis, from there, there are several diseases that belong to one group or the other.Traumatic Arthritis as the name implies occurs when there is some sort of a trauma, (sprain) injury. In cats that could be the result of being hit by a moving vehicle, a cat fight, or bad fall. If the trauma is a result of a simple sprain chances are the pain will go away in no time and is really not that serious. However, if the traumatic arthritis is more serious, resulting from being hit by a car or other serious accident, a fracture may occur in the joint and your cat may require surgery to repair the damage. [...]
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As we know, the bone structure that is needed in the process of chewing food is the jaw. The entire vault of the mouth is referred to as the jaw. There is an upper and lower jaw. The Maxilla is the upper jaw and the mandible is the lower jaw.Certain dogs or cats have problems with the alignment of the jaws. If the upper jaw protrudes it is called an overshot in dental terms or an overbite in layman terms. If the lower jaw protrudes it is called and undershot or under bite.Persian cats are subject to teeth and jaw problems. Since Exotic Shorthairs have much of the same genotype as the Persian and Himalayan Cat, they too will suffer from same teeth and jaw problems. These cats can have crocked teeth, sometimes the baby teeth are crooked but the adult teeth will grow in normal which is straight. [...]
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Osteosarcoma is a form of bone cancer that tends to be most commonly diagnosed in middle aged to senior dogs. Any breed can develop osteosarcoma but the larger heavier boned breeds tend to be the most prone to the condition. The breeds most often associated with the condition include the giant and large breeds such as the Great Dane, Newfoundland, St. Bernard, Irish Wolfhound, Rottweiler, Labrador, Golden Retriever, Boxer and Weimaranar. The group of dogs that weigh over 80 pounds are the most commonly affected, with this weight range 60% are more likely to develop the cancer than any lighter breeds of dogs. Males of any breed are more commonly diagnosed with the condition than females, perhaps because the bones tend to be heavier and more developed in males of most breeds. [...]
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Skye Limp, also known as Puppy Limp, is most common in the Skye Terrier breed, hence the name. Skye Terriers are achondroplastic dogs, which means they are actually a full sized dog - just on dwarf limbs. The Skye Terrier is very long and rather sturdy and stocky throughout the body, but they do have the dwarf or very small legs. This means that the growing puppy has a lot of weight to carry on their short legs and often the distal radial growth plates close too soon, resulting in painful movement while the puppy is young and growing. The good news is that this condition is not life long and most puppies will grow out of Skye limp or puppy limp by the time they are 8 months to one year old. Other breeds of dogs, particularly large or giant breeds such as the Great Dane, St. Bernard, Mastiff, German Shepherd or even the Labrador may occasionally have the condition. Since this lameness is caused by lots of exercise and rapid weight gain, any puppy overfed or that is exercised very strenuously during its growth phase of 5-12 months is more prone to the condition than puppies from the same litter that have less strenuous exercise and a more balanced diet. [...]
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OCD is a degenerative bone disease that is found in many types of animals, including horses. Osteochondritis dissecans or OCD is most commonly associated with younger horses that are rapidly growing and developing, and is also typically associated with horses that have longer leg bones. Longer leg bones means taller horses, so usually breeds that have a mature height of over 15 hands are more prone to OCD but it can also be seen occasionally in smaller and shorter horses. What is interesting is that there seems to be no difference between the tall heavy horses and the tall lighter horses, so weight itself is not the key factor, it is the length of the bones.In normal growing horses the ends of the bones that meet up at the joints are soft and this is where the growth occurs. As the cartilage becomes hard it adds to the length of the bone, resulting in growth. In horses with OCD the softer, growing ends of the bone do not harden, rather they stay soft and actually begin to break down, resulting in pain, swelling and lameness that may seem initially to move throughout the limbs. [...]
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Bone Problems
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