I have a 2 year old female labrador retriever. She is such a sweetheart. We noticed that she would start limping after strenuous exercise (e.g. off-leash play w/ another dog in backyard, zoomies in our basement). The limping would completely go away after a day or so. During limping periods, it seemed to be worse after rest but improve w/ time. I've been avoiding dog parks and other strenuous activities over the last month and she's been completely fine. I made an appointment w/ our regular vet anyway and they did X-rays this week.
This was is the radiologist's assessment:
A faint, amorphous mineral opacity is seen at the right bicipital groove. There is marked periarticular remodeling of the elbows. Osseous remodeling is seen along the proximal aspect of each anconeal process. The medial coronoid processes are blunted. Subchondral sclerosis is present at each semilunar notch. An amorphous mineral opacity is seen cranial to the left radiohumeral joint. The cortices and medullary cavities of the long bone diaphyses are unremarkable. The visible thorax is unremarkable. No other significant findings are noted.
Conclusion: The described mineral opacity at the greater tubercle of each humerus could represent chronic insertionopathy of the infraspinatus or supraspinatus tendon, chronic avulsion fracture or summation artifact. Marked bilateral elbow osteoarthrosis with periarticular calcific body at the left elbow, likely due to fragmented medial coronoid process. Concomitant pathologies cannot be excluded.
I have an appointment w/ an orthopedic specialist (late January 2023 is the earliest I could get in). Obviously, I'm worried about my baby girl. But I'm trying not to freak out until we have a definitive diagnosis. Her Embark DNA profile did find any genetic mutations that would put her at risk for joint disorders. I can't help but think this is our fault. Maybe we should have been more careful w/ amount of time on hardwood floors or jumping off the bed when she was younger.
I just wanted to see if there any owners out there that have experienced similar issues w/ their dog and hoping perhaps things didn't turn out quite as bad as initially suspected. I just want my girl to grow up and have a normal life as a dog. Thank you for reading.
This was is the radiologist's assessment:
A faint, amorphous mineral opacity is seen at the right bicipital groove. There is marked periarticular remodeling of the elbows. Osseous remodeling is seen along the proximal aspect of each anconeal process. The medial coronoid processes are blunted. Subchondral sclerosis is present at each semilunar notch. An amorphous mineral opacity is seen cranial to the left radiohumeral joint. The cortices and medullary cavities of the long bone diaphyses are unremarkable. The visible thorax is unremarkable. No other significant findings are noted.
Conclusion: The described mineral opacity at the greater tubercle of each humerus could represent chronic insertionopathy of the infraspinatus or supraspinatus tendon, chronic avulsion fracture or summation artifact. Marked bilateral elbow osteoarthrosis with periarticular calcific body at the left elbow, likely due to fragmented medial coronoid process. Concomitant pathologies cannot be excluded.
I have an appointment w/ an orthopedic specialist (late January 2023 is the earliest I could get in). Obviously, I'm worried about my baby girl. But I'm trying not to freak out until we have a definitive diagnosis. Her Embark DNA profile did find any genetic mutations that would put her at risk for joint disorders. I can't help but think this is our fault. Maybe we should have been more careful w/ amount of time on hardwood floors or jumping off the bed when she was younger.
I just wanted to see if there any owners out there that have experienced similar issues w/ their dog and hoping perhaps things didn't turn out quite as bad as initially suspected. I just want my girl to grow up and have a normal life as a dog. Thank you for reading.
we have a young lab and I worry about this stuff too. If there is a problem, it's certainly not your fault.