OCD: Osteochondritis Dissecans, a specific form of arthritis. DJD: Degenerative Joint Disease, a more generalized form of arthritis. Read this: http://www.vet-vsc.com/surgery_odissecans.htm -- also read the other links at the top of the page.
OCD/DJD is 99% inherited, regardless of anything you may see to the contrary. The remaining 1% or so derive from injuries.
Bel is NOT too young to have OCD/DJD -- either can show up as young as four MONTHS, particularly when triggered by a structural abnormality [inherited] in a joint.
Okay, swelling in the stifle joint does peg something as gone-wrong there, tho unless she actually gopher-holed the foot and went down hard enough to draw screams, it probably didn't originate wholly as an injury, tho it could have been an injury to an already-substandard structure: Since chows have absolutely straight stifles and hocks (which is abnormal with respect to functional canine structure) their stifles and hocks are by nature weaker than average, and less able to flex and recover under stress.
If it's the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), you can expect the other side to go too, within a few months (most ACL cases are bilateral).
If it's OCD/DJD, it may remain confined to that joint, but typically when they have OCD/DJD in the stifle, they eventually get it in both stifles, both hocks, and the shoulder joints. -- Chows have an elbow dysplasia rate of 48% (worst of all breeds) and in my observation there is some correlation between *incidence* levels of OCD/DJD and ED, even tho the two inherit separately. (Arthritis in elbows and hips inherits separately from generalized OCD/DJD.)
Whether it's surgically fixable, and economically feasible to do it -- you'll have to see xrays first. (Do remember that soft-tissue problems generally are not visible on xrays.) It may be most practical to leave well enough alone and treat her with mild anti-inflammatories, or plain aspirin... particularly if it's the losing battle of generalized OCD/DJD.
Cutting this in half, cuz LJ complains that I wrote too much. (Max 4500 characters? WTF?! Talk about a takeover by the cellphone generation!)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
You won't believe this!
Date: 2007-06-27 05:00 pm (UTC)OCD/DJD is 99% inherited, regardless of anything you may see to the contrary. The remaining 1% or so derive from injuries.
Bel is NOT too young to have OCD/DJD -- either can show up as young as four MONTHS, particularly when triggered by a structural abnormality [inherited] in a joint.
Okay, swelling in the stifle joint does peg something as gone-wrong there, tho unless she actually gopher-holed the foot and went down hard enough to draw screams, it probably didn't originate wholly as an injury, tho it could have been an injury to an already-substandard structure: Since chows have absolutely straight stifles and hocks (which is abnormal with respect to functional canine structure) their stifles and hocks are by nature weaker than average, and less able to flex and recover under stress.
If it's the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), you can expect the other side to go too, within a few months (most ACL cases are bilateral).
If it's OCD/DJD, it may remain confined to that joint, but typically when they have OCD/DJD in the stifle, they eventually get it in both stifles, both hocks, and the shoulder joints. -- Chows have an elbow dysplasia rate of 48% (worst of all breeds) and in my observation there is some correlation between *incidence* levels of OCD/DJD and ED, even tho the two inherit separately. (Arthritis in elbows and hips inherits separately from generalized OCD/DJD.)
Whether it's surgically fixable, and economically feasible to do it -- you'll have to see xrays first. (Do remember that soft-tissue problems generally are not visible on xrays.) It may be most practical to leave well enough alone and treat her with mild anti-inflammatories, or plain aspirin... particularly if it's the losing battle of generalized OCD/DJD.
Cutting this in half, cuz LJ complains that I wrote too much. (Max 4500 characters? WTF?! Talk about a takeover by the cellphone generation!)