PREVALENCE OF ELBOW DYSPLASIA AMONG COMMON DOG BREEDS IN EGYPT

Developmental anomalies of the elbow joint (elbow dysplasia) in dogs are a relatively common presentation for some young growing breeds of dogs. The present study focused on the status of elbow dysplasia in pet clinics in Egypt. Seventy-two dogs out of 888 presented with thoracic limb disorders had elbow dysplasia (ED) which represented 8% of the examined
animals. The affected dogs were of different breeds and aged (45 cases, 6-12 months) and (27 cases, <12 months). The majority of the recorded dysplastic dogs were of males (53 dogs) (73.6%) and females (19) accounted for (26.4%). The most common presented breeds were German shepherd (37) (12.1%), Rottweiler (16) (6.4%), and Golden Retriever (7) (5.2%). The other breeds represented as individual cases (Pitbull -3, Great Dane - 2, Saint Bernard -1, Caucasian -1, Kangal -1, Labrador -1, Bengal -1, Mastiff -1, and Native breed 1). Elbow joint screening radiography revealed that ED were found bilateral in 15 dogs (21%) while in 57 of dogs (79%) were unilateral. Thirty-one- (43%) elbows had single primary lesions, thirty elbows - (41.6%) had two combined lesions, nine elbows (12.5%) had three combined lesions, and two elbows (2.7%) had four combined lesions. From the obtained data it could be concluded that, most veterinary clinics that care for pet animals are located in Cairo, and certainly reflect the prevalence of common diseases and surgical problems in pets in Egypt.
Since the present study is concerned with the study of the current status of elbow dysplasia in front legs of dogs, the problem that is often overreached or ignored by veterinary practitioners during their examination especially when diagnosing cases of intermittent or imperceptible lameness in the front legs of young dogs of some breeds. Early diagnosis of such elbow problems is of great importance to proper treatment in appropriate time and also to take precaution when breeding is concerned as a genetic problem.