Your new puppy has just arrived home. You have big dreams for the long and happy life you will have with this dog. You understand how critical these early months are in creating a solid foundation for your pup in terms of developing their social skills, their training but also their health.

A key consideration during the early stages of puppyhood, especially with larger breed dogs, is their musculoskeletal development. On this front we know two things:

1. puppy’s bones continue to form until they are nearly a year old
2. nutrition plays a role in the strength and health of the puppy’s skeletal structure

So with these two things in mind, what are the effects of adding some extra protein or calcium to a puppy’s diet? Surely, the more nutrients a puppy consumes the healthier their bones will grow. Well this is not necessarily the case.

What is OCD?

Osteochondritis dissecans or OCD is a condition that affects growing dogs. It is characterised by disturbances in the formation of bone and cartilage during the growth phase. Common ways these disturbances are seen include:

• Joint growth – Thickened joint cartilage particularly seen in the shoulders, elbows, knees and ankles

• Growth plate areas – Bones are enlarged and weakened at these sites. At these sites, growth can be uneven with one side growing more than the other. This is seen in the limbs as angular limb deformities and in the vertebral column especially in the cervical vertebrae.

• Bone growth – Bones grow at different rates. This is often seen in the elbow joint where the radius and ulna have grown at different rates.

Physical signs of OCD may include splayed feet, “knobbly” elbows and ankles, angular deformities in the limbs, neck and upper back, and asymmetrical growth of bones. These physical signs are accompanied by pain and ultimately, lameness.

What contributes to OCD?

For these symptoms to occur, it is thought that rapid skeletal growth and overloading the growing bones with too much muscle mass are major contributors (along with genetics and the dog’s conformation).

Rapid skeletal growth is caused by overnutrition. This refers to overfeeding the puppy so they grow too quickly. “Rolly polly” puppies are cute to look at but increased body weight, combined with inappropriate exercise stresses the skeletal structure causing bones to develop abnormally.
Puppies’ bones grow in two phases. The first phase follows a growth oriented pattern. During this phase the primary spongiosa (spongy bone) grows so it can support the cartilage where bone articulates with other bones. The second growth phase follows stress patterns associated with growth and resistance to biomechanical stresses.

When puppies are overfed their skeletal growth is accelerated. The bones grow large but the compact bone has low density. It also has poor resistance to loading from the dog’s body weight and forces exerted on the bone from exercise. Overfeeding increases muscle mass and body weight which exerts compressive forces on joints and overloads them.

Inappropriate exercise also overloads joints and the puppy’s growing bones. While cartilage tissue at skeletal growth sites needs biomechanical forces from movement to simulate growth, it can be easily damaged. Cartilage can be damaged when forces from over exercise and sustained pressure from body weight are applied to bones that are unable to inadequately support the pressure.

Depending on the site of early cartilage damage, degenerative joint disease may develop later in the puppy’s life.

Preventing and treating OCD

Grow puppies slowly

Keep puppy lean and athletic so you feel the puppy’s ribs but not see them.

Dogs derive energy from protein sources such as meat, eggs, legumes, and grains. Excess protein is excreted through the kidneys or stored as body fat. As a general rule, the higher the quality of the protein source the less a puppy needs to consume to derive all the essential amino acids. So to avoid overfeeding, it stands to reason that providing a puppy small amounts of high quality protein ensures they consume the essential amino acids and are not storing excess energy. The best sources of protein are animal products and to ensure the bioavailability of amino acids the protein should be raw. (For more details see blog http://www.fullstride.com.au/blog/what-is-the-best-source-of-protein-for-dogs )

Ensure mineral balance

Ensure the puppy’s diet comprises 1.1 – 1.5% calcium for healthy bone growth.

Excess calcium can bind other nutrients making their unavailable to the dog. Nutrients which may be affected including phosphorous, iron, copper, zinc, iodine, magnesium, manganese, chromium and others. If the puppy is unable to absorb these minerals they can show signs of deficiency.

Excess calcium can also interfere with the production and release of hormones like thyroxine which is required for a healthy thyroid function and calcitonin. Calcitonin moderates the amount of calcium in the blood stream and in excessive amounts can interfere with normal bone remodelling and cartilage maturation.

In a study of Great Dane puppies aged 6 – 10 weeks old, when feed a diet containing 3.3% calcium, abnormalities in cartilage maturation and bone remodelling were observed. Specifically, cartilage maturation was inhibited in the growth plates of the ribs, humerus, radius and ulna (forelimb) and the tibia (hind limb) and other weight bearing sites. Outward signs of abnormalities included enlarged joints and uneven growth in the puppy’s growth plates. In these dogs, bone growth was found to be retarded and abnormal.

Provide appropriate exercise

We all want our puppies to grow strong and healthy so we start walking them, running them with older dogs for long periods and taking them to beach from a young age. This type of exercise however overloads growing bones and joints and may damage cartilage growth. Ideal exercise for young puppies is short walks, free running, and play with dogs their own age. Of most importance with puppies is to allow the puppy to stop when they want, to avoid overexertion. Until the dog’s skeletal structure if fully formed, jarring exercises such as jumping and sudden change of direction should be avoided.

Massage

For a puppy suffering from symptoms of OCD, massage can ease the pain and muscle tension in the affected and unaffected limbs. Massage and physical therapy can also assist to maintain the puppy’s mobility. While massage will not cure OCD, it can serve a valuable role in a conservative management plan for a puppy with the signs of OCD.

For assistance formulating a suitable diet and exercise programme for your puppy, please contact me at http://www.fullstride.com.au/contact/ . Full Stride provides massage and physical therapy and nutrition advice in the Brisbane area.

Sources

Billinghurst, I 1993, Give your dog a bone:the practical common sense way to feed dogs for a long and healthy life, Warrigal Publishing, Bathurst NSW.

Billinghurst, I 1998, Grow your pups with bones, Warrigal Publishing, Bathurst NSW.

Case, L.P, Daristotle, L, Hayek, M & Raasch, M.F, (2011), Canine and feline nutrition (3rd ed), Mosby Elsevier, Missouri.

Goedegebure, S.A, & Hazewinkel, H.A.W, 1986 “Morphological findings in young dogs chronically fed a diet containing excess calcium”, Veterinary Pathology (23) 595 – 605

Dammrich, K, 1991 “Relationship between nutrition and bone growth in large and giant dogs” The Journal of Nutrition, 121:S114 –S121

Nap, R.C & Hazewinkel, H.A.W, 1994 “Growth and skeletal development in the dog in relation to nutrition: a review”, Veterinary Quarterly (16), 1 50 – 59