http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/OCD.asp Articles about Ocd en-us Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:30:07 EST Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:30:07 EST dogs@terrificpets.com Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/10266765.asp Yet another of the many arthritic conditions that can disable your dog is one known as OCD, which stands for either osteochondritis dissecans or osteochondrosis dissecans. OCD is a disease that affects the cartilage - the spongy tissue that cushions the space between joints and allows them to work smoothly together. Anything that damages or erodes this cartilage can lead to arthritis, resulting in joint pain, swelling and lameness. In the case of OCD, the cartilage is either damaged or grows abnormally. Instead of remaining attached to the bone that it's cushioning, the cartilage either separates or develops cracks. Sometimes pieces of cartilage will break off and float freely within the joint itself, where they continue to grow. All three of these problems cause extreme pain for the affected animal. http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/10266765.asp#comments http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/10266765.asp> Mon, 1 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/102118665.asp Much like with humans, obsessive compulsive disorder in dogs is characterized by the uncontrollable repetition of bizarre, out of context behavior. This behavior can be literally anything and is directed either at other animals or humans or even at inanimate objects such as food dishes or a piece of furniture. In the least severe cases, your dog's disorder might manifest through something simple like pacing back and forth, or hiding in a particular spot for seemingly no reason. At other times, it can become more problematic such as when they begin to bark at "nothing" for hours at a time, or destroy your or other's property with no provocation. In the worst cases, your dog might cause serious problems by turning its frustration against itself. In many cases, this might manifest as destructive behavior such as the dog compulsively chewing on its own foot, resulting in infections and problematic lesions. http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/102118665.asp#comments http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/102118665.asp>