My Chow Chow Thor has recently been diagnosed with arthritis and I don't understand how its happened. He started with intermittent lameness about 6 months ago but now he is almost always lame.

He has just turned 3 years old, is entire and not overweight. He has never been allowed upstairs or on the furniture and I was very cautious with his lead walks as a puppy as my previous 2 Chows had elbow dysplasia so I am very aware to take care of joints. I kept him on the same food as his breeder (Royal Canin) until he went onto adult food when I switched him to the same as my other dogs (Markus Muhle).

His breeder has advised that his Sire developed arthritis only in old age and was PTS just recently at age 13 (average for the breed). The Dam and Grand Dam are healthy but I don't know about other pups, Thor was his Dams first litter and he was a singleton, she is now spayed after producing another singleton just recently (different Sire).

The vet has confirmed arthritis in both elbows and both shoulders but says the joints are well formed and there is no apparent cause, she said it was something she was seeing more and more often in young Labradors.

I'm gutted for him (as is his breeder) and am scared for his future. My other Chows had extreme dysplasia, clear even to me in their x-rays, but Baloo only needed daily medication from age 8 and is still coping now at age 10. Thor needs daily medication now and he is only going to get worse.

Has anyone had any experience of this? I just don't understand how young, normally formed joints can become arthritic for no apparent reason. I am so sad about this and scared that his life will be short.

Have you had him elbow scored? Were the parents scored? I'd have thought elbow dysplasia was the most obvious reason as either bad elbows or bad hips will develop arthritis sooner or later. :(

I did not have him scored, I was too shocked actually to even think of it and it is not a recommended test for the breed. The parents were scored for hips with good results.

The vet said there was no sign of dysplasia at all, the joints all look very well formed. There is a huge difference between Thors x-ray and those of Baloo who does have elbow dysplasia. I have been so careful with him. I just don't understand it.

I have just had a brief search of arthritis causes, and not that it helps very much, this is the link I did find which says 'causes'.  http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/arthritis-in-dogs-symptoms-and-causes

I have had one who started this at was a far too young age, but over time he seemed to 'improve' and for sure, when the weather was cold and damp, he was worse than when it was warm and dry.

Is there some hereditary involvement - it can be so in humans ..... my mother had rheumatoid arthritis and my sister developed this too.

Hopefully your vet can get him onto a pain medication programme that will let him live a good life despite this unexpected diagnosis.

The breed is statistically one of the worst for Elbow Dysplasia, according to the USA OFA they rank 1 (worst).
Of 953 evaluated, 49.8% were normal and 24.7% grade 1, 17% grade 2, and 6.7% grade 3.

Were his parents scored and has he been?  I would not blame the breeder too much as the Elbow scheme is still quite new, http://www.bva.co.uk/public/documents/chs_elbow.pdf so few generations even in the most susceptible breeds have ben evaluated and in most other breeds scoring is not done, as it isn't considered to be a breed problem.

Certainly they should be advised and would be wise to start scoring breeding stock if they do not already do so, and your dog being scored would add to breed data and show them if a problem in their lines is evident.

Based on the OFA findings I'm rather surprised to not see Chows listed as one of the most at risk breeds in the BVA information/literature.

Just found it: The current BVA/KC scoring scheme for elbow dysplasia (ED) was launched in 1998.
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/glossary/screening-scheme.aspx?id=BVA%2fKC+Elbow+Dysplasia+Scheme&ReturnUrl=%2fservices%2fpublic%2fglossary%2fscreening-all.aspx

If Elbow dysplasia is not the cause (I assume your vet is an orthopaedic specialist, otherwise I'd want the x-rays seen by one and to be scored), then could it be Viral Arthritis. 

Someone in my breed had this happen to their dog (the spine was primarily affected). http://www.vetinfo.com/infectious-arthritis-in-dogs.html and http://www.bhrt-resource.com/bacterial-arthritis-in-dogs.html

This gives various categories and causes of osteoarthritis in dogs. http://dogs.about.com/od/caninediseases/p/Arthritis-In-Dogs-Information-About-Osteoarthritis.htm

It would be worth trying a bio flow magnetic collar.  I think they still do a money back offer if it doesn't work on your dog. 

My staff was diagnosed years ago and was very lame on one leg.  I used the collar for a while and although she has slowed down a bit now she is an old lady she still plays like, a pup when she's in the mood.  I haven't had to treat with medication.

Hope you find a solution that works for your pooch.

Gosh Brainless, thanks for taking the trouble to find all those links for me, and thank you everyone.

I don't think my vet is an orthopaedic specialist, I just didn't think to ask about sending the x-rays for scoring, I have the type of brain that just shuts down when I'm stressed.

I'll ask them if the x-rays they took are suitable for scoring to be done but I don't want to put him under another GA to do them again.

I don't blame his breeder, I did ask if he scored elbows and he said it wasn't a required test for the breed but hips were done. Even if he had, it wouldn't have covered the shoulders. I remember feeling a bit uneasy about it but thought, 'what are the chances of it happening a third time', from breeding animals that have never shown signs of lameness themselves. Hmph :(

Reading the subsequent comments here - I'd ruled out dysplasia in the elbows but have to say my Basset suffered with premature closure of the growth plates, ulna both sides, and at the time (around 8 months) - he'd started to be lame so I had x-rays done, front to back and it was only this that showed up - opted not to go for surgery which probably would have needed to be repeated.  No thanks.  I was warned that because of the stress on his elbows caused by his eventual incorrect front (too much turn out), he'd probably develop arthritis later on.   He's now coming up to 5 and is having intermittent lameness on his front.   Twice.  He was treated with antiinflammatories but if it happens again, I will be having x-rays on his front done to see what's going on.  

I mention this re the possibility there is something involving the elbows going on with this dog, despite the vet's suggesting his elbows are okay.   Scoring?   Many multiple vet practices (UK) these days have a vet who specialises in various areas, be it eyes, heart, skin and bones/joints.   Finding one of these may cost you rather less than going to a 'specialist'?

> xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The vet has confirmed arthritis in both elbows and both shoulders but says the joints are well formed and there is no apparent cause

Elbow displasia is not just a badly formed elbow joint, the way the joint is able to move can be 'displastic' - anything that puts uneven pressure on the elbow joint can cause 'elbow displasia', including the way the bicep attaches and the length/angle of forelimb bones. I'd want a specialist to have look, if they can find the cause they may be able help much more than just managing arthritis.

My dog (English Mastiff) has elbow displasia, his elbows are almost fused solid with arthritis and now he's on permanent metecam as he's started to show a some occasional lameness. He was diagnosed at 5 months of age and is now 7 years old (we opted for a non-surgical approach to his displasia, which was a problem with the joint itself). I know how much of a worry it is.

Good luck with your boy.

>Elbow displasia is not just a badly formed elbow joint, the way the joint is able to move can be 'displastic' - anything that puts uneven pressure on the elbow joint can cause 'elbow displasia', including the way the bicep attaches and the length/angle of forelimb bones. I'd want a specialist to have look, if they can find the cause they may be able help much more than just managing arthritis.<br />

I didn't know this, so thanks for the extra information. Both my other Chows were diagnosed at 5 months and had successful surgeries soon after. It just seems strange that Thor was 2 and a half before he showed any signs, I recognised that stilted walk straight away, it was like a knife through my heart. 

I've asked at the vet about sending the x-rays but typically the vet that did them is away for 2 weeks, she'll give me a call when she gets back.

It really makes me cross that when vets do x-ray hips and elbows that they don't suggest scoring which is only around £50 on top.

it's also a shame not to have the data for the breed too. A lot of people in chows are currently having the elbows scored along with the hips we have always done. I have just had 5 done myself as prior to this year we only did hips. I always have everything sent away for scoring even if it is obviously bad although there are people I know who don't (and hopefully just exclude the animal from their breeding program...eh!). We need as many people to score as possible to see the state of the breed as a whole. Good or bad better to know, then you can work around it. There has been a lot of discussion around the world regarding bad elbows in chows (Sweden being one place) in a numerically small breed we will not be able to exclude every animal with a bad score (and i believe in looking at the whole animal) but we can't be ostriches either! Did the person you bought your chow from hip score?

Hi summer

Yes my breeder does score for hips and showed me the paperwork which I double checked on the kennel club website. But even if they had checked for elbows it would not have picked up the problem in the shoulders. Is there even a test for shoulders?

When you say there is a lot of discussion regarding bad elbows, is that just with people in the Show World or is there a Chow forum that I'm not aware of and could join? I had thought up until this point that I had just had unbelievable bad luck for all 3 of my Chows to have this crippling disease. If it is a problem in the breed but the test is not recommended, then I just don't see how I could ever have another. I have bad joints myself so I know how much they suffer even if they do put on a brave face.

yes it's a chow health forum and there was a big discussion a while back on elbows. bear with me and i will try and give you a link and scroll through it all to try and get that bit up again too.

yes it's a chow health forum and there was a big discussion a while back on elbows. bear with me and i will try and give you a link and scroll through it all to try and get that bit up again too.

it's a facebook page called chow chow health forum......not a closed group. As this discussion was some time ago now it might take me a while to find it (I wish there was a way of having an index!) why don't you post all of this on there as people with chows all over the world will reply

Thank you so much!

The elbow scheme is actually the joint so includes the shoulder, ( OCD) as arthritis will be in the joint, between elbow and shoulder.  The leaflet for the scheme shows what I mean. http://www.bva.co.uk/uploadedFiles/Content/Canine_Health_Schemes/Elbow_Scheme/CHS-elbow-dyspalsia-feb-2014.pdf

Shoulder blades themselves are not in part of a joint anywhere else, they attach to the ribcage by muscles, ligaments etc. http://www.canineortho.com/index.php/anatomy-of-canine-shoulder-disorders

There was a shoulder expert in the US after I did research as had a dog with this. Elbow scores of zero both sides.
If you can get the shoulder xrayed and sent to her she can sent a report on it, probably not worth it now? But maybe of some use for anyone for the future.
I found her through google and Bernese with shoulder OCD. I emailed her so will see if I can dig out her email again if you wish?

Thanks for the explanation! I think I just didn't absorb a lot of the information the vet was giving me.

Thanks suejaw,
I think I've missed the boat for getting the right type of x-rays done, I just didn't think to ask as I was so worried about my boy.  I don't want to put him through another GA to get it done, he's going through enough right now.

im sorry to hear this and I know you have already received some great advice, but just to tell you my saluki peg was finally diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 6.prior to this she was very athletic ( as you would expect ) and it seemed sudden, saw many vets and went round in circles until we went to see an orthopaedic vet.We have kept her on a low dose of steroids for 8 years, as she is now 14. I tried to look for every answer and just could find no reason and that's really hard, we have managed peg dogs illness and she has had a pain free happy life,( and still is) i wish the same for your boy, Ash

Thanks for you kind thoughts, Thor is doing quite well on Metacam, still seems a bit stiff but hasn't had lameness for a few weeks and he's happy in himself.