Dysplasia (from Greek dys - violation, рlasia-formation, growth) is a disease in which organs and tissues are not properly formed.
Types and signs of dysplasia
Hip dysplasia is a congenital disease, often caused by a hereditary predisposition to it. With hip dysplasia in dogs from birth, the elements of the hip joint develop incorrectly.
Perhaps your pet is sick if you notice the following signs of dysplasia in dogs:
- pain in the joints and extremities;
- the animal tries to move as little as possible;
- the dog wobbles the back;
- begins atrophy of the hip muscle group;
- the dog does not rest on a sick limb;
- your pet is limping.
Hip dysplasia occurs mainly in large breeds - St. Bernards , Rottweilers , Labradors, Newfoundlands. The development of dysplasia is usually observed in the first six months after birth, and its progress, in addition to heredity, is affected by diet and exercise.
As a result of clinical studies it was found that prolonged consumption of food, which contains excessive calcium, leads to violations of bone formation; at an elevated phosphorus content, absorption of calcium by intestinal walls is impaired; with an excess of vitamin D, there is a delay in the development of bones and joints.
In overweight puppies, after trauma, symptoms of dysplasia due to deformation of the hip joints may be observed, but with timely treatment it is well curable.
If the diagnosis of "dysplasia" is put to the dog and confirmed, treatment should be appointed by the veterinarian on an individual basis. He will prescribe a course of medicines, diet, exercise. In advanced cases, surgical intervention may be necessary, which, unfortunately, can not be carried out qualitatively, but not all clinics.
Dysplasia of the front paws in dogs (elbow joints) - a violation of the correlation of angles in the joints.
Its symptoms are as follows:
- a puppy at the age of 4 to 8 months is lame, especially after rest;
- joints swell;
- When trying to sip the limb, it's wrong or the puppy has pain.
There are also such varieties of this disease as dysplasia of the shoulder joint in a dog of knee dysplasia in dogs.
Test for dysplasia
To owners of young dogs of breeds inclined to dysplasia, it is recommended to do an x-ray of the hip joints, elbow joints, front and hind paws. This X-ray is a test for dysplasia in dogs.
The result of the study of the hip joint (HD) is denoted by the letters of the Latin alphabet. In this case A and B - the norm or the closeness of the joints to the norm; C - the initial stage of the disease; O and E - medium and severe dysplasia.
How to choose a healthy puppy?
Unfortunately, dysplasia in pedigree dogs is encountered more often because the breeders are more interested in the quantity than the quality of the puppies in the litter. Please note that the exhibition awards of the puppy's parents are not a guarantee of his health, because at exhibitions only the appearance in accordance with the breed standards is assessed. And even if the puppy's parents are not sick with dysplasia, this does not mean that your puppy with 100% chance will not get sick with this ailment. Dysplasia may
By the way, in many countries only dogs that have passed all veterinary checks are allowed to breed. Puppies with deviations are usually sterilized.
When choosing a puppy, carefully look at the breeder. If you sell a puppy cheaply, or offer to buy an animal from another country at a bargain price, you better refuse. It's not a fact that such an animal will have a pure breed, and that the dog will grow up healthy.