Lateral patellar luxation, unlike medial patellar luxationoccurs almost exclusively in large-breed dogs. However, large-breed dogs can also experience patella luxation to the medial aspect of the femur. Let’s break down the term. Lateral comes from the Latin lateralus, meaning “belonging to the side.” Therefore, when something is lateral on the body, it is relatively further [...]
Medial patellar luxation in dogs is very common in those under twenty pounds. Let’s break down the term. Medial comes from the Latin medianus, meaning “middle.” Therefore, when something is medial on the body, it is relatively further toward the middle or midline of the body than whatever it is being compared to. Patella [...]
Harley the Great Dane had a run-in with another Great Dane, Maverick, with whom he lives. Unfortunately, Harley came out on the short end of that encounter. Harley, the last of the puppies at home (previous posts on the litter: the puppies are born, puppies’ three-weeks-of-age visit, Great Dane puppy update, The last Great Dane [...]
Canine Hip Dysplasia is a highly preventible condition of dogs (cats can also suffer from hip dysplasia) which is genetically transmitted from one or both parents to their offspring. The end result is poor hip conformation. Read here about the prevention process. A normal canine hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint in which at least [...]
This started out to be a story about numerology. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m fascinated by numbers. I was examining Jabba because a family was considering purchasing him from his current owner. Jabba had been diagnosed with “some kind of hip problem that needs surgery” and his present master doesn’t have the funds to get [...]
Intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD) is a common condition in dogs and people, much less common in cats. As in people, the canine and feline disk (or disc) consists of an outer fibrous ring called the annulus fibrosus (annulus) and an inner, vanilla-pudding-like cushion called the nucleus pulposus (nucleus). The normal, everyday function of the spinal [...]
What are the chances of one family getting hit with osteosarcoma twice in less than a year? Pretty good if your dogs are of a certain age and certain breeds. Traditionally, we have placed St. Bernards, Rottweilers and Great Danes at the top of the list, while recognizing that all large breed dogs are at [...]
What causes limping? Essentially limping, or irregularity in the gait, is caused by pain or a problem with conformation. If a pet is born with one leg shorter, or crookeder, than its counterpart on the same side or end, the gait will be unusual. Injuries can also cause abnormal shapes. A growth plate is the area [...]
In an ongoing series on how different kinds of cases are worked up, today we will look at pet orthopaedic patients. Most veterinary orthopaedic cases present as dogs or cats that are limping. These patients are in pain, regardless of whether they exhibit their pain vocally or visually. Like their wild ancestors, pets instinctively hide [...]
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