The Health

Orthopaedic pathology consisting of malformation of the coxofemoral joint that develops during growth. The puppy suffering from dysplasia presents an incongruence between the femoral head and the acetabular cavity that is associated with instability of the joint ends. Movement causes progressive wear of the joint margins resulting in degeneration of the articular cartilage. Over time, a progressive and painful chronic arthrosis develops, sometimes disabling for the affected individual.
Hip dysplasia is a MULTIFACTORIAL PATHOLOGY, i.e. numerous factors come into play, such as: hereditary genetic, environmental, nutritional.
Important environmental factors are also involved in expressing the extent of the pathology and thus the degree of dysplasia, such as diet, type and amount of exercise, possible trauma and possible concomitant diseases.
Environmental factors are able to affect the degree of dysplasia, and thus the severity of disease expression, but the presence/absence of this skeletal malformation is genetically based. In unilateral dysplasia, in which one hip appears normal and the other degenerate, the cause must be sought in other factors such as trauma and/or lumbosacral malformations (not genetic causes).

The mode of hereditary transmission is polygenic, i.e. the disease can be transmitted from a parent to a descendant even if the parent does not have dysplasia, because it is a healthy carrier of the disease genes. 
In fact, dysplasia is not expressed in all genetically affected individuals, but only in part of them and in different ways (different degrees of dysplasia).

Breeding animals are tested from 12 months onwards with official X-rays taken by certified veterinarians (Ce.LeMasche or F.S.A). 
The ENCI recommends the use of A, B, C (to be evaluated) grade animals for breeding.  

The selection of controlled and disease-free animals makes it possible to decrease the incidence of these diseases in the breed.

Approfondimenti: FSA-displasia anca e CeLeMasche-displasia anca

A skeletal disorder typical of the growing dog; it involves abnormal development of the elbow joint with progressive onset of arthrosis and pain expressed with variable lameness and decreased mobility of the limb. Elbow dysplasia encompasses four primary pathologies, such as: 

• FCP (fragmentation of the coronoid process);
• OCD (osteochondritis dissecans of the medial humeral condyle); 
• UAP (non-union of the anconeal process of the ulna);
• INC (articular inconsistency).
• 
  These orthopaedic conditions can occur singly or in association with each other, making joint damage more severe.

The causes of primary disease are not currently defined but a multifactorial aetiology is considered with predisposing factors such as osteochondrosis, asynchronous growth between radius and ulna and a genetic component.

The genetic component underlying a person’s predisposition to develop elbow dysplasia is polygenic, as with hip dysplasia, involving multiple genes and without direct transmission. Also involved in expressing the severity of the disease are important environmental factors such as diet and the type and amount of exercise that can aggravate but not cause dysplasia.

Elbow dysplasia begins to appear in growing subjects, aged between 4 and 7 months, and belonging to medium, large and giant breeds. In adult subjects, the clinical signs are secondary to the resulting arthrosis.

The diagnosis is made with an official radiographic examination from 12 months, and the reading centres make a classification from grade 0 (normal elbow) to grade 3 (severe arthrosis).  The ENCI admits subjects with grade 0, BL and 1 to breeding.

The selection of controlled subjects free of these pathologies makes it possible to reduce the incidence of these pathologies in the breed.

Approfondimenti: FSA-displasia gomito , CeLeMasche-displasia del gomito

Patellar luxation (or patella) is an orthopaedic condition that consists of the dislocation of the patella from its physiological position within the trochlear groove of the femur. 

The condition is a symptom of misalignment of the hind limb leading to a deviation of the patellofemoral axis. The luxation can be medial (inwards), which is typical in small to medium-sized dogs, or lateral (outwards), in medium to large breeds. 

The dog with patellar luxation presents a lameness that may vary in severity depending on the degree of luxation, the severity of the joint lesions and the size of the dog, with the symptoms being more pronounced in heavier dogs. Sometimes patellar luxation can lead to rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament.

Patellar luxation is diagnosed clinically with the dog awake (not sedated); it is made by palpation and manipulation of the knee and paw to define a grade. 

The degree of luxation is classified by clinical examination in 4 grades (grade 0 to grade 4). The official diagnosis of patellar luxation can be carried out by FSA-CeLeMasche referring veterinarians who have attended a course with a practical test. The diagnosis of patellar luxation is a clinical (palpation and manipulation of the patella) and non-radiographic diagnosis that is made after the age of 12 months. 

The ENCI recommends the use for breeding dogs with  GRADE 0 and 1 .

Approfondimenti: FSA-rotula, CeLeMasche-rotula

Osteochondritis dissecans, commonly known as OCD, is a cartilage disease that can affect several joints in dogs. The most affected are the shoulder, knee, elbow and hock.

In every joint of the body, the bony surfaces in contact are covered by a smooth, thick layer of cartilage that acts like a cushion to protect the underlying bone from trauma. During the growth phase when the cartilage is still thin and delicate, repeated microtrauma can lead to a disruption in the blood supply from the capillary vessels that reach through the bone. The end result is an abnormality of endochondral ossification with failure to ossify the deeper layers of cartilage and subsequent focal abnormal thickening of articular cartilage. The cartilage that forms is then less resistant to mechanical stress. This phase is called ‘osteochondrosis’.

When, as the pathology continues, there is a real separation between this region of thickened cartilage and the underlying bone, the pathology is called ‘osteochondritis dissecans’.

Four degrees of Osteochondritis dissecans have been described.

Grade 1, the mildest, is identified as a macroscopically normal articular surface with only a small sub-cartilaginous defect. In grade 4, on the other hand, there is a true separation of the articular cartilage from the underlying bone with the formation of a flap.

The cause of Osteochondritis dissecans is considered multifactorial. It is thought that, in addition to trauma, there are several factors that contribute to the formation of OCD lesions. Genetic factors, rapid growth, hormonal imbalances, and nutritional excesses.

Disease limited to fast-growing animals of larger breeds and males are generally more frequently affected than females. Nutrition plays a role in the development of osteochondrosis mainly through high caloric intake. The fact that certain breeds are more frequently affected suggests that there is most likely a hereditary predisposition for osteochondrosis.

This disease is mainly reported in large breeds, in particular a high incidence has been shown in Newfoundland, Labrador retriever, Golden Retriever, Bernese Shepherd, Chow Chow, Rottweiler, Setter, Dalmatian and German Shepherd, but it cannot be excluded that it can affect any breed. In particular, it has also been reported in cocker spaniels, springer spaniels, Scotch terriers, whippets, border collies, beagles and even poodles.

The age of onset of the disease is on average 5-8 months.

Pain appears to appear when the fissures separating the calcified cartilage zone and the subchondral bone extend, resulting in the creation of a flap that exposes the subchondral bone to synovial fluid.

Symptomatology varies greatly depending on whether the pathology is mono or bilateral (very common). In the unilateral, lameness can be mild to very noticeable with periods of improvement after rest but increasing with increased activity. In addition to this, there are clinical signs such as muscular atrophy of the affected limb, reduced joint range of motion with pain on passive movements.

In bilateral pathology, having pain on both shoulders, the dog, rather than showing an obvious lameness, is reluctant to move and wants to rest often during activity.

The diagnosis is initially clinical. Symptoms and examination lead to a suspicion of pathology. However, confirmation is essentially radiographic.

CT scans are rarely necessary, mainly in injuries of the elbow and hock.

The official diagnosis of shoulder OCD can be carried out by FSA-CeLeMasche referent veterinarians who are qualified to read X-rays, which can be done after the age of 12 months. 

The ENCI recommends using GRADE 0-FREE subjects in breeding.