OCD occurs when the cartilage, which surrounds and cushions the bones within joints, becomes damaged or grows in an abnormal manner. This results in cracking or even small pieces of cartilage breaking off and floating around within the joint, causing irritation, inflammation and great pain.
Several factors contribute to cartilage damage, including a strong hereditary component where certain genetic lines of dogs are much more likely to develop the disease. Parents should be carefully screened for this disease before being used for breeding. Other factors that contribute to OCD include trauma to the joint and consequent restricted blood flow following the injury, rapid growth and over-nutrition.
As large and giant breeds are already predisposed to rapid growth, they show a high incidence of OCD, particularly if they are fed a diet that is too high in calories and put on too much weight too quickly. Males are more susceptible than females, due to their larger size and higher growth rate, and most affected puppies begin showing symptoms between
4 and 8 months of age, although older dogs can also be affected.
The main symptom is lameness which shows up in the limb with the affected joint. The degree of lameness will vary with individual dogs and with the severity of their condition – some may only show a slight limp whereas others will hardly be able to bear any weight on the affected leg. If the shoulder joint is affected, this often shows up as a shortened forelimb gait, as the dog is reluctant to flex and extend the shoulder joint. Owners may notice that the lameness increases after a period of exercise and improves after a period of rest. The shoulder joint is the most often affected (74%), followed by the elbow joint and a small percentage in the hock. In rare cases, the disease will affect joints on both sides simultaneously, making the dog very reluctant to move altogether.
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