Category Orthopedics

Cranial Cruciate Injury

According to James K. Roush, D.V.M., MS and Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, “cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture is the most common cause of hindlimb lameness in dogs.” Untreated cranial cruciate ligament injury quickly results in osteoarthritis…

Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy

Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD) is a condition of young dogs. The cause of HOD is unknown. It has been reported in young, rapidly-growing dogs since the 1930s. Signs can range from local pain near the growth plate of a long bone…

Lateral Patellar Luxation In Dogs

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…

Medial Patellar Luxation In Dogs

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…

Great Dane Puppy Harley Breaks A Toe

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: …

Canine Hip Dysplasia

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…

Jabba And Hip Dysplasia

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…