Archive | Bones and Joints

Most dogs with rupture of the cruciate ligament will have some degree of new bone formation in the areas highlighted by the arrows. This bone formation is associated with osteoarthritis and is expected to become progressively worse with time.

Cruciate Ligament Rupture (Cruciate Disease) in Dogs

Injury or failure of the cranial cruciate ligament (commonly referred to as Cruciate Disease) is a very common problem that can be encountered by dogs of all shapes and sizes. Some breeds such as the Labrador Retriever, Rottweiler, Mastiff breeds and West Highland white terrier appear predisposed whereas some breeds such as greyhounds are seldom […]

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Fig 2: Right sided hip dislocation in a dog with hip dysplasia

Hip Dislocation in Dogs

The hip joint is made up of a ‘ball’ (the femoral head) and its respective ‘socket’ (the acetabulum). The ball and socket configuration allows a wide range of free movement during normal activity. Hip dislocation in dogs occurs when the femoral head loses its close association with the acetabulum. It can dislocate in a range […]

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Total Hip Replacement in Dogs

Hind limb (back leg) lameness is a common reason small animal patients present to a veterinary surgeon. This is a more frequent scenario in dogs but we also see cats with this type of lameness. The causes of hind limb lameness are varied, but hip pain is a frequent reason for our patients to become […]

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Carpal Hyperextension

As you probably have noticed, dogs and cats walk a bit differently compared to human beings – cats and dogs walk on the tip of their toes. What is hyperextension? Sometimes we can encounter animals that are walking with the palm or plant of their paws touching the ground (known respectively as a ‘palmigrade’ or […]

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