Elbow Dysplasia- UAP

[Trinitii]

It looks like Athena has ED. I will know for sure Monday or Tuesday. The vet has said surgery is a serious possibility. I read that in studies rottweilers have not shown a increased benefit with surgery versus therapy.

I would like to know if a member's rottie has had this surgery how did they do? What advice can you give me?

If it is ED should I tell the breeder? I suspect they already know as mysteriously her siblings that were showing havn't been seen in quite a while. In fact I can't even find who owns them.

Thanks,

Trinitii

[Judi W]

I've not had a dog with surgery however, I do know others who do. I don't think one can say surgery vs therapy. If there is a mouse, bone chip or torn cartilege, surgery is necessary and quite successful. I'm not sure what kind of therapy you are referring to however.

Yes, you should inform the breeder and not just assume they might know.

[Trinitii]

Judy,

Here is the sentence from the article:

Owners and breeders need to be aware that not all breeds behave in the same way in regard to elbow disease. for example, most published reports suggest that surgery in Rottweilers has little benefit compared to medical therapy, whereas our results in the Labrador Retriever have been rewarding.

I'm not sure what therapy they speak of besides maybe adequan shots, rimadyl, and those type of treatments.

Trinitii

[Judi W]

source?

[Trinitii]

Here ya go :)

http://www.acay.com.au/~dissi/elbow.htm


Roger Lavelle: University of Melbourne

[Judi W]

Go back to the article and reread "management of elbow disease" You will find that surgery is recommended UCP and if lameness persists in the other processes, surgery is indicated.

[chivas]

Chivas developed a limp at around 7 yrs of age. I took her into the vet and she was xrayed and shown to have "mice" on her elbow. I then took the xrays to another vet for a 2nd opinion, first vet said surgery was needed, 2nd vet told me to monitor her for a little while (2 weeks it was) and give her some pain meds ( we used ascripitin) and see what happens before we do surgery. Well, in less then 2 weeks the limp stopped and we re-xrayed her and the "mouse" had disappeared, she never limped again. I realize we were lucky and not all cases end up like that, but I do have to say (and I dont want to alarm you cause all dogs are different), when she developed osteosarcoma, it was in that shoulder where the "mouse" was. Coincidence? I just dont know, some studies say this a link to bone injuries and osteo, others arent too sure. When she was seen by a new vet while battling osteo, he mentioned that her elbows bowed out a little, besides that once incidence when she was 7, she never had a minutes problem with them.
Not much info, I know but I just thought I should share this with you.
kim

[Carina43]

If you do a search on elbow dysplasia on this forum, there's a number of good discussions.

Cooper was dx'd with it, both UAP and FCP (fractured coronoid process.) The vet and I were convinced we were looking at surgery, but after putting him on supplements and making him lose weight (he wasn't heavy, but the vet wanted him VERY lean) there has been no limping for 9 months, and he can walk a good 3-5 miles without a problem. I also encourage him to swim and play in water as much as possible.

Not to discount surgery, but I would try a couple of non-surgical avenues first to see if it works. Something like 60%+ of Rottweilers have somewhat dysplastic elbows, but most show no weakness or lack of structural integrity.

And yes, I did contact the breeder, just to give her a heads up.

[Barb and Raven]

Raven had a limp for a few weeks about a year and a half ago. When my vet did xrays she diagnosed her with Fractal Coronoid Process. I was given a referral to the university clinic for a confirmation which was confirmed. However, when the surgery was done the vet found that she only had a spur (or bone fragment) on her elbow and removed it. Raven had not limped at all from then until about two months ago. The vet had said she would likely have flare ups and I should limit her activities. She can have low impact exercise. I have always taken my dogs on long walks and none of them had any effect on her until just recently. She has to have Gluco/Chondroitin supplements and I also am feeding her food with these added to it. I was also told that swimming is good for her but I have no pool. I do have a lot of lakes here where I live (one behind my house) but she only gets in up to her belly.
Raven was four when she had this surgery. To me she just seems so young to have such problems. By the way, the vet also said she would likely have arthritis in that elbow as she gets older.
I really hate to limit her activities as Raven is a very active girl.:D

I don't know if any of this is of any help but I do wish you luck.

[Trinitii]

Thank you all for your help and for sharing your stories.

I am frustrated that it seems the rottie breed is having so many health problems. I am going insane with Athena's pent up energy and I know it is only going to get worse.

We have done the acriptin, rimadyl, glucose thing for a couple of months now and she is still getting worse. I hope to hear the exact diagnosis tomorrow.

Trinitii