Re: [pyrnet] OCD of the shoulder

["Linda Weisser" <lmweisser@home.com>]

At the National specialty in Fredrick MD 4 years ago we had a health seminar
on orthopedic problems presented by Dr. Gary Brown one of the preeminent
canine orthopedists.  He spoke extensively on OCD and had a number of quite
good slides.

Bottom line--only surgery will effect a complete and permanent solution.
You can use a conservative approach in which the cartilage flap eventually
breaks down and "dissolves".  Except that it doesn't.  No matter what the
dog looks like, those tiny little grains of cartilage remain in the joint
and can well create problems in the future.  Dr Brown showed us some pretty
startling x-rays demonstrating this. Rest and conservative treatment may
well be enough for a lot of dogs.  Just be aware that it will not give the
results that surgery will.

Many good general practice vets with surgical skill can do this kind of
surgery.  I know someone who had it done in my area for around $500.  The
recuperation is long and very exacting if you want complete normalcy in the
end.  It's not as "hard" as cruciate surgery but harder than patella
surgery.

I don't know about arthroscopy but its pretty successful in humans.  My
guess is that only an orthopedic surgeon can make that choice.

What causes it?  The jury is still out even among ortho specialists.  Most
believe that the proximate cause is some kind of "trauma".  This is why many
breeders are so firm about not letting pups jump down and jam their
shoulders.  Excessive weight and size can create the same results.  Please
pay attention to what Joe has to say here.  The open question is whether or
not there is an underlying genetic predisposition.  I asked this specific
question of Dr. Brown.  He said that his colleagues were about evenly split.
If I wanted to pin him down, he'd say no.

Bottom line?  Dr Brown's advice is that if you want a full and functional
shoulder, you do the surgery asap.

Linda Weisser
Great Pyrenees Club of America
Co-chair--Health Information Committee
lmweisser@home.com