Section: Information In-depth
Lameness in young, growing dogs may be caused by a number of diseases. Some of the more common causes of lameness in this age group are:
Hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD) HOD causes inflammation and swelling in the growing region of young bones. This differs from panosteitis, where the pain and inflammation tend to occur in the mid-section of the bone.
Osteochondrosis and osteochondritis dissecans Developmental cartilage abnormalities in the joints of growing dogs, such as osteochondrosis (OC) and osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) can produce a similar lameness. But with these conditions, the problem exists in the joints, and pain is elicited when the joint is manipulated, rather than when pressure is placed on the bone as in panosteitis.
Bone cysts Bone cysts can occur in young dogs that have a history of lameness. Affected dogs exhibit pain when the diseased bone is palpated (technique of examining organs and body parts by touching and feeling them). This is an uncommon disorder.
Hip dysplasia When the hind legs are affected owners may mistake the lameness for hip dysplasia.
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