Inherited Musculoskeletal Disorders in Dogs

Inherited Illnesses, Inherited Musculoskeletal Disorders, Musculoskeletal Disorders - By Staff Writer on Friday, June 25, 2010 - 06:45

Musculoskeletal disorders are disorders that affect the musculoskeletal system which is comprised of the muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments and nerves of the body.  Musculoskeletal disorders can vary in severity and will affect each dog differently.  Mild cases could cause slight pain and inconvenience and severe cases can lead to the disruption of proper locomotion and movement.  In addition the origin of the disorder can vary greatly, some can be brought about by the physical stress and age while others are genetically predetermined at birth.    Below are a list of the most common genetically predetermined musculoskeletal disorders that can be inherited from a pups parents.

Cervical vertebral instability  (Wobbler syndrome)
Craniomandibular ostopathy
Elbow dysplasiaDysplaisa is a term used to describe a malformation or abnormal development. It is often used when cellular abnormalities restrict growth and formation in an area.
Hemivertebra
Hereditary myopathy
Hip dysplasia
Intervertebral disk disease
Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease
Masticatory myositis - eosinophilic myositis
Myotonia
Odontoid process dysplasia
Osteochondrodysplasia
Panosteitis
Patellar luxation
X-linked muscular dystrophy

Each breed has a unique set of genes to that breed and each dog gets a combination of parental genes.  To find out if your breed may be at risk for the below musculoskeletal disorders you can check your breeds profile in our Breed Directory.  In addition if you are planning on buying a puppy or a dog or are considering breeding you should check your breeds recommended health tests in the Breed Directory to make sure you acting as an informed buyer or responsible breederA responsible breeder is one that takes care of the breeding bitch and puppies, performs proper health screening and tests, does not breed sick or genetically weak dogs, does not over breed, and will not sell the wrong dog to the wrong owners regardless of profit. You can determine if a breeder is a responsible breeder by asking the right questions and visiting the kennel..  Consult with your vet to determine which tests your individual dog should undergo.