Juvenile canine orthopaedic screening – Identifying problems early to improve lifelong outcomes

Developmental orthopaedic disease is a major contributor to chronic pain and osteoarthritis in dogs. Importantly, many of these conditions originate during rapid skeletal growth — long before obvious lameness develops. Traditionally, intervention occurred only once clinical disease became apparent. At that stage, treatment often focuses on pain management or salvage surgery rather than restoration of normal joint biomechanics.