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Hip Dysplasia is the abnormal development of the hip joint, resulting in hip laxity (looseness). Over time, abnormal motion in the joint results in degenerative osteoarthritis. It is a genetic condition, but the actual development of clinical symptoms can be influenced by severity of dysplasia, reproductive status, age, body condition, conformation, diet and other environmental factors. Diagnosing Hip Dysplasia starts with X-rays and assessment by your primary veterinarian. There are both surgical and non-surgical methods to treat hip dysplasia depending on its severity.

Arthritis is the inflammation of one or more joints. The thinning and breakdown of cartilage leads to inflammation, joint swelling, watery joint fluid and thickening of tissues around the joint, stiffness, muscle atrophy and pain. Osteoarthritis is unfortunately an incurable disease in both animals and people; however, there are many effective treatment options to successfully manage the condition long term.

Intervertebral disc degeneration is the cause for the most common forms of IVDD. The gel-like nucleus degenerates to fibrocartilage, meaning that the jelly like center of the disc calcifies and hardens. This results in failure of the intervertebral disc. This can lead to a portion of the disc bulging or rupturing upwards into the spinal canal and causing injury to the spinal cord or pinching of the spinal nerve. Symptoms include pain, limping, wobbly gait, stiffness when getting up, and paralysis. Treatment of spinal cord injuries depends on the type of injury that occurred, some are best managed with formal rehabilitation, others with a combination of surgery and formal rehabilitation.

The shoulder is a highly mobile joint and is surrounded by many muscles that are responsible for moving the limb forward (extension) and backward (flexion). There are several tendons and ligaments that support the shoulder. Often the initial injury to a tendon or ligament is minor, but over time if the injury does not fully heal, a tendinopathy develops. Due to the area having a lower blood supply, healing can be slow. Lameness often resolves until normal activity is resumed; at which time the symptoms recur. Formal rehabilitation can quicken the healing process and reduce the chances of re-injury.

Elbow dysplasia is a degenerative joint disease resulting from one or more pathologies of the elbow joint structures. Fragmented Medial Coronoid Process (FMCP), Osteochrondritis Dissecans (OCD), and Ununited Anconeal Process (UAP) are examples of Elbow Dysplasia. The elbow is a complex joint; unequal growth of any of the three bones (humerus, radius and ulna) can cause abnormal stresses to be placed on joint structures, leading to elbow dysplasia. Trauma and dietary factors may also play a role. Affected dogs may have dysplasia in one elbow or both and may have more than one type of pathology in the same elbow joint. There are both surgical and non-surgical methods to treat elbow dysplasia. Treatment is determined based on the severity of changes within the elbow.