What Is Elbow Dysplasia
Elbow Dysplasia is an inherited orthopaedic problem commonly seen in dogs, where the elbow doesn’t develop properly.
It includes several issues affecting different areas of the joint, including cartilage growth around the joint’s surface or the structures around it. Even a small change in the shape of a part of the joint can lead to a major impact on the dog’s health, behaviour and welfare.
It’s important to screen for elbow dysplasia so informed decisions can be made about the dog’s care plans be put into place.
How screening works
X-rays are used to evaluate joint health, showing irregular or poorly shaped elbow joints caused by elbow dysplasia.
The vet will upload the dog’s x-ray to the British Veterinary Association’s portal, where it is checked for quality control before being sent to a panel of expert veterinary surgeons for assessment.
The panel works in pairs to assess the dog’s elbows and provide a grade. A digital copy of the assessment will be provided by the vet.
Understanding the results
Once your dog has been graded, the certificate is returned to your vet and passed on to you.
A grade is given for each elbow, and then the overall grade is determined by the higher of the two grades.
- 0 = Radiographically normal
- 1 = mild osteoarthritis
- 2 = moderate osteoarthritis or primary lesion with no osteoarthritis
- 3 = severe osteoarthrosis or primary lesion with osteoarthritis
It’s recommended to only breed dogs with grade 0 elbows.
Elbow dysplasia is common in a lot of breeds but the most at risk are:
- Basset Hound
- Bernese Mountain Dog
- Dogue de Bordeaux
- German Shepherd Dog
- Great Dane
- Irish Water Spaniel
- Newfoundland
- Goldendoodles
- Labradoodles
- Labrador Retriever
- Rottweiler
