What is E.D?
Elbow dysplasia (E.D) means the same as a transformation of the elbow joint. This transformation appears when there is growth trouble in the joint. E.D is a group name for a group of disorders to the elbow, which all have the same cause. The cause is a disproportionate growth of the radius and the ulna and/ or growth trouble in the bones around the elbow joint.
Under E.D we have:
Los Processus Anconeus (LPA)
OsteoChondritis Dissecans (OCD)
Los Processus Coronoideus (LPC)
LPC is a lose piece of bone in the dog’s elbow joint. It is the biggest cause of E.D. By excess load of a piece of bone of the ulna it breaks. It can break off or damage the joint. This can cause an overload of the processus coronoideus, which can also cause damage.
You can see problems from the fourth month. The dog starts to limp after a rest or after some effort. The dog has difficulty standing up, or doesn’t want to walk much or walk at all.
You can see it in how the dog stands when it has this disorder. The dog’s paw is turned out and the elbow is pushed against the body. When you grab the elbow or with certain movement it can be very painful. You often also see arthritis in the dog’s joints.
It is very important to make the right diagnosis because of the treatment. Extensive research has proven that dog’s that get operated on at the right time have a better prognosis than dog’s that get treated with rest and medicine. During the operation they remove the lose fragment and if needed the arthritis.
Which means: the quicker the diagnoses the better the prognoses.
The best way to stop this disorder in the Labrador retriever is x-ray the dog and the one’s who have it mustn’t be allowed to breed. But unhappily it doesn’t work this way.
