musculo skeletal problems

GENERAL GUIDELINES

THE BRACCO IS A BIG DOG , PARTICULARLY IN THE FIRST YEAR OF ITS LIFE, IT IS EASY TO LET A LARGE FRIENDLY PUP DO TO MUCH, DISCIPLINE YOURSELF-LIMIT EXERCISE TO SHORT WALKS WHERE THE DOG GETS A CHANCE TO SOCIAIZE AND EXPERIENCE NEW THINGS, EIGHT HOURS  ALONE ON THE MOORS WITH YOU NEEDS TO WAIT UNTIL YOUR DOG IS A BIT OLDER AND STRONGER . AVOID STAIRS, AND JUMPING DISTANCES AND ANYTHING WHICH MAY DAMAGE THOSE SOFT BONES AND DEILCATE CARTILAGE UNTIL THE DOG IS AT LEAST 12 MONTHS OLD.

BENDY LEGS

THERE HAVE BEEN SOME OCCURRENCES OF THE FRONT LEGS ON SOME PUPPIES BOWING, AND IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THEY DO STRAIGHTEN OUT SATISFACTONILY HOW EVER WE DO NOT KNOW CONDITION DOES EXIST  IN ITALY AND HAS ALSO BEEN EXPERIENCED ELSEWHERE ON THE CONTINENT IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE A HEREDITARY FACTOR, RATHER A TRAIT PARTICULAR TO BRACCHI SHOWING ITSELF IN 10% OF PUPPIES IN VARYING DEGREES,  IT IS CURRENTLY FELT THAT RESTRICTED EXERCISE FOR PUPPIES MUST REMAIN A PRIORITY FOR THIS FAST GROWING LARGE BONED BREED,

HIP DYSPLASIA [HD]

 IT WOULD APPEAR SO FAR THAT THE BRACCHI HAVE REASONABLE  HIPS, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ANY DOG BEING USED FOR BREEDING IS HIP SCORED. THIS MEANS THAT AFTER THE AGE OF 12 MONTHS THEY ARE TAKEN TO YOUR VETS AND HAVE A GENERAL ANAESTHEIC AND THEIR KENNEL CLUB REGISTRATION NUMBER AND KENNEL NAME IS PLACED ON THE X-RAY FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES.  THE X-RAY IS THEN SENT OFF TO THE  KENNEL CLUB/ BRITISH VETERINARY  ASSOCIATION  [KC/BVA] HIP DYSPLASIA SCRUTINY SCHEME. THEY WILL ASSESS THE X-RAY ON NINE SEPARATE POINTS FOR BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT HIPS THEN GIVE A SCORE

WHAT IS HIP DYSPLASIA

HIP DYSPLASIA IS THE ADNORMAL DEVEIOPMENT OF THE HIPS, PUPPIES ARE BORN WITH NORMAL HIPS, BUT SOME THEN DEVELOP ABNORMALLY RESULYING IN A DEFORMITY OF THE HIP JOINT, THE DEFORMED HIP JOINT IS LESS STABLE THAN A NORMAL ONE, AND LATER IN LIFE, ARTHRITIS DEVELOPS AS AN ATTEMPT BY THE BODY TO STABILISE THE JOINT, THE HIP JOINT IS MADE UP BY THE FEMUR [THIGH BONE],AND THE PELVIS. THE FEMUR JOINS THE PELVIS BY A BALL AND SOCKET ARRANGEMENT, THE SOCKET FORMED BY THE PELVIS, WHICH SURROUNDS THE BALL, OR HEAD OF THE FEMUR, IN A DYSPLASTIC JOINT, THE HEAD OF THE FEMUR IS INCOMPLETELY ENCOMPASSED BY THE PELVIS, WHICH RESULTS IN A LOOSE JOINT, THIS IS CALLED SUBLUXATION, THE DEGREE OF DEFORMITY VARIES TREMENDOUSLY BETWEEN AFFECTED DOGS, BUTUNFORTUNATELY, THE DEGREE OF DEFORMITY DOES NOT CORRELATE VERY CLOSELY WITH THE SYMPTOMS THAT THE AFFECTED DOG DISPLAYS.

ELBOW DYSPLASIA

PREVENTION OF ELBOW DYSPLASIA CAN INDEED BE A FRUSTRATING ENDEAVOR.  WHILE SOME OF THE CAUSES ARE KNOWN, THE LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING AS TO THEIR RELATIVE IMPORTANCE, AND HOW THEY RELATE TO EACH OTHER IS STILL BEING EXAMINED, THE PRIMARY FACTORS WE NEED TO BE CONSCIOUS OF ARE : GENETICS, NUTRITION, AND TRAUMA.

[ED ]CLEARLY HAS A GENETIC , BASIS, HOWEVER, IT IS NOT HIGHLY PREDICTABLE AS TO WHICH DOGS WILL BE AFFECTED BY ITS PRESENCE. THIS LACK OF PREDICTABILITY ELIMINATES OUR ABILITY TO CONFIDENTLY SELECT BREEDING STOCK OR PUPPIES IT THEY ARE FROM A BREED THAT IS PREDISPOSED  E D .IN SPITE OF THIS LOW LEVEL OF PREDICTABILITY, EVERY EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE TO ELIMINATE THIS PROBLEM.CHANGES IN AN ELBOW THAT APPEAR SINGNIFICANT AT A YOUNG AGE MAY BE INSINIFICANT AT  AN OLDER AGE A LONG AS THERE HAS BEEN NO PROGRESSION IN THE CHANGES. THESE DOGS COULD POTENTIALLY BE CLEAR OF  ED AT A MATURE AGE.

NUTRITION  HAS ALSO BEEN SHOWN TO PLAY A ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ED.

THE SPECIFIC FACTORS THAT HAVE BEEN SHOW TO BE OF PARTICULAR CONSEQUENCE ARE IN THE FEEDING OF HIGHT ENERGY FOOD, ESPECIALLY IF FED IN EXCESSIVE  VOLUMES, AND THE LEVEL OF CALCIUM IN THE DIET.

RAPID GROWTH HAS BEEN SHOWN TO INCREASE THE RISK OF  ED  EVERY  EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE IN THE BREED TO KEEP THEIR GROWTH RATE AS LOW AS POSSIBLE BY KEEPING FOOD VOLUMES AS WELL AS THE ENERGY CONTENT LOW. A HIGHER ENERRGY CONTENT OF A DIET  INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF A DOG CONSUMPTION SURPASSING ITS REQUIREMENTS   SINCE FAT IS A SUBSTANTIAL COMPONENT OF ENERGY DENSITY, FAT CONTENT OF A CHOSEN DIET FOR A YOUNG DOGS SHOULD GENERALLY BE BELOW 17% TOTAL ENERGY DENSITY SHOULD BE KEPT BELOW 4.0 KCAL/G

FOR MANY YEARS IT WAS FELT THAT THE RATIO OF CALCIUM TO PHOSPHORUS IN A DIET WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE ADSOLUTE VOLUMES, THIS HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE INACCURATE AND CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS ARE THAT CALCIUM LEVELS SHOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 9-1.5% ON A DRY MATTER BASIS.

IN RECENT YEARS THERE HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS SURGE IN NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTATION FOR DOGS. INASMUCH AS  ED  IS CONCERNED[ AS WELL AS OTHER SKELETAL DEVELOPMENTAL ADNORMALITIES ]  SUPPLEMENTATION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CREATE FAR MORE PROBLEMS THEN IT CAN  PREVENT.     BEWARE !

NUTRITION HAS ALSO SHOW TO PLAY A ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ED THE SPECIFIC FATORS THAT HAVE BEEN SHOW TO BE PARTICULAR CONSEQUENCE ARE THE FEEDING OF HIGH ENERGY FOODS, ESPECIALLY IF FED IN EXCESSIVE VOLUMES, AND THE LEVEL OF CALCIUM IN THE DIET.