Today's Veterinary Practice

SEP-OCT 2016

Today's Veterinary Practice provides comprehensive information to keep every small animal practitioner up to date on companion animal medicine and surgery as well as practice building and management.

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Today's Ve T erinary Prac T ice | s eptember/ o ctober 2016 | tvpjournal.com Ju V enile o r T ho P edic d isease in d ogs & c a T s Peer r eviewed 32 Treatment Dogs without angular limb deformation do not require treatment, but these dogs must be monitored with weekly to every-other-week physical examination for the development of an angular deformity. 3 Early intervention, in many cases a distal ulnar physial ostectomy (Figure 9), is the key to a successful outcome. Those with more severe angular deformities may require corrective osteotomy of the radius and, in some cases, multiple surgical procedures are necessary. 12,16 In all cases, owners should be questioned about the dog's diet and environment, and a balanced diet appropriate for age and size should be prescribed. Prognosis Ultimately, prognosis depends on the severity and presence of any angular deformity. Animals identified and treated early can have a favorable prognosis. Those with a severe deformity have a more guarded prognosis. For all patients, owners should be warned that additional surgical procedures may be necessary. 12 PEDIATRIC JOINT DISEASES Puppy Carpal Laxity Overview Puppy carpal laxity—also known as carpal instability—is a syndrome in young dogs characterized by carpal hyperextension (angle of extension greater than 190 o ) and carpal hypoextension (angle of extension less than 180°). 3,17 Hyperextension conditions are also known as dropped carpus; hypoextension conditions are also known as carpal flexural deformity, bucked carpus, and carpal flexion syndrome. 3,16 The cause is not known but may be related to unbalanced growth, poor muscle tone, or weakness between the flexor and extensor muscle groups. 17 Improper exercise, poor footing (eg, slippery surfaces), inappropriate nutrition, and genetics have also been implicated. 3,12 Signalment Age of presentation is usually 6 to 16 weeks; animals may be unilaterally or bilaterally affected. While all breeds can be affected, large breeds tend to be affected more often than small breeds. 3,12 Diagnosis Diagnosis is usually based on clinical signs, orthopedic examination, and radiographs of suspected dogs. The orthopedic examination is characterized by carpal laxity and, in cases of carpal hyperextension, a palmograde stance (Figure 10). In cases of carpal hypoextension, the dogs stand with the carpus sitting more cranial than usual (hence the term Figure 10. Photographs of 2 dogs displaying the classic palmograde stance seen in dogs with puppy carpal laxity. Courtesy Dr. Jamie Peyton, University of California–Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital A B Figure 9. Postoperative radiographs in 6-month-old, male large-breed dog that has undergone a distal ulnar physial ostectomy for treatment of retained cartilage cores and associated angular limb deformity. A B

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