Hip and Elbow Dysplasia
Hip and Elbow Dysplasia are conditions which can occur in any breed, especially larger ones. They are thought to be partly hereditary, but many other factors need to be considered. Hip and Elbow scoring of parents and ancestors is essential. How puppies are reared may also have an impact on the state of their hips and elbows as an adult. Puppies should not be allowed too much free play, especially with mature dogs. A good, nutritious diet which doesn’t promote too rapid growth should be fed to puppies and they should not be allowed to become overweight.
Royal Kennel Club Health Announcement on Elbow Dysplasia
“The Kennel Club would like to make you aware of the change to breeding advice for the British Veterinary Association/Kennel Club Elbow Dysplasia scheme. Originally, it was recommended that breeders select dogs with an elbow grade of 0 or 1, as a grade 1 was considered relatively mild at the time. However, graded radiographs have shown that the majority of dogs with grade 1 elbows display obvious signs of unilateral and bilateral arthritis. Therefore, the revised breeding advice from the BVA is as follows: It is strongly recommended that breeders wishing to reduce the risk of elbow dysplasia should select their breeding stock (both dogs and bitches) only from animals with an overall grade of 0. Dogs with elbow grades of 2 or 3 have marked osteoarthritis likely to be due to ED, with or without a visible primary lesion. Dogs with elbow grades of 1 show mild or early osteoarthritis which is also likely to be due to ED."
