Answer to our quiz from last week of the GD Pup: This is a very classic case of HOD or hypertrophic osteodystrophy, a developmental disease of rapidly growing young dogs. The puppies have signs of fever, lethargy, lameness and swollen joints. X Rays show bony production (white arrows) above the growth plate (red arrows). The growth plate is also abnormal in appearance with a black line indicative of a loss of density above the growth plate line. The cause of the disease is not really understood and thoughts that it is caused by nutrition or reactions to vaccinations has not been proven. There is a significant inflammatory component to the disease and some dogs will improve with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAIDs). Most cases require treatment with steroids like prednisone however, at immunosuppressive dose to achieve resolution. Prompt treatment is needed to avoid long term damage to the affected joints.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 15:58:51 +0000