Freqüência da displasia coxofemoral em cães da raça Pastor Alemão / Frequency of hip dysplasia in German Shepherd dogs

One hundred twenty-three radiographs of German Shepherd dogs (47 females and 76 males) from Military Police of Minas Gerais State were studied from April 2001 to july 2004, with the purpose of establishing the frequency and asymmetry of hip displasia. The radiographs were taken with the animals in the ventrodorsal position, with the limbs parallel and the pelvis symmetric. The average age of the dogs was 33.8±23.5 months-old. The study indicated that 89.4 percent of them had hip dysplasia (91.5 percent of females and 88.2 percent of males), being 6.3 percent unilateral, 17.3 percent bilateral asymmetric, and 76.4 percent bilateral symmetric. The frequency of hip displasia in the studied population was high, indicating the necessity of an efficient control program of the disease.

Incidência de displasia coxofemoral em cães da raça Border Collie / Incidence of hip dysplasia in the Border Collie / Incidencia de displasia de cadera en caninos border collie

A Displasia Coxofemoral (DCF) é uma doença poligênica de natureza quantitativa, multifatorial e extremamente complexa, que comumente resulta em alterações degeneratiyas irreversíveis. O presente trabalho é um estudo radiográfico que avalia a freqüência e as lesões osteoarticulares da DCF em cães da raça Border Collie. Através do Ângulo de Norberg, classificou-se 52 pelves de cães da raça Border Collie, que foram submetidas ao exame radiográfico no Hospital Veterinário CESUMAR. Embora sejam cães de médio porte, mais da metade da população estudada (76%) tinha algum grau de displasia, mostrando incidência maior do que a referida pela Orthopedic Foundation for Animais.

Hip Dysplasia (HD) is a quantitative polygenic disease, multifactorial, and extremely complex, which commonly results in irreversible degenerative alterations. This article is a radiographic study which evaluates the frequency and the osteoarticular injuries of the HD in dogs from the Border Collie breed. Through the Norberg Angle, 52 pelvises of dogs from the Border Collie breed were submitted to radiographic exams on CESUMAR Veterinary Hospital. Although they are medium size dogs, more then half of the population studied (76%) had some degree of Dysplasia, presenting a larger incidence than that referred by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.

Superalimentação e desenvolvimento do esqueleto de cães da raça Dogue Alemão: aspectos clínicos e radiográficos / Overfeeding and skeletal development in Great Dane puppies: clinical and radiographic aspects

Estudou-se o efeito da superalimentação no desenvolvimento do esqueleto de 14 cães da raça Dogue Alemão, utilizando dieta hipercalórica (ração super-premium) associada ao método de alimentação à vontade. Os animais foram distribuídos em dois tratamentos, sendo a ração fornecida à vontade ou restrita. O consumo de alimento foi registrado diariamente e realizaram-se, mensalmente, radiografias do cotovelo e, bimestralmente, do ombro, do quadril e do carpo, visando acompanhar alterações do esqueleto, especificamente quanto ao aparecimento da osteocondrose do ombro e da metáfise distal da ulna, da osteodistrofia hipertrófica e da displasia coxofemoral (DCF). Ao final do experimento, seis cães do grupo que recebeu alimentação à vontade apresentaram-se gordos (87,7 por cento) e um animal obeso (14,3 por cento). Do grupo de alimentação restrita, três filhotes mostraram condição corporal ideal (42,8 por cento), e quatro apresentaram-se magros (57,2 por cento). O exame radiológico revelou alterações compatíveis com o diagnóstico de DCF nos dois grupos; nos alimentados à vontade, a prevalência foi de 51,1 por cento e nos restritos, de 28,6 por cento. A osteocondrose na metáfise distal da ulna, conhecida como retenção do núcleo cartilaginoso, foi observada apenas nos cães alimentados à vontade (57,1 por cento). A superalimentação provocada pelo método de alimentação à vontade, associada com dieta de alta palatabilidade e alta densidade energética em filhotes da raça Dogue Alemão, induziu ao aparecimento de osteocondrose na metáfise distal da ulna e de displasia coxofemoral.

The effects of overfeeding on growing Great Dane puppies were examined by ad libitum feeding of a hypercaloric diet (super premium ration). Fourteen puppies from six litters were divided into two groups, with representation from each litter in each group. The dogs in the overfed group were provided ad libitum access to the diet from 8 AM to 6 PM daily, while the restricted group received the same feed but in amounts recommended by the manufacturer at 7 AM, 12:30 PM and 5 PM. Daily intake was individually recorded. To monitor skeletal changes due to osteochondrosis, hypertrophic osteodystrophy and hip dysplasia, elbow radiographs were taken monthly and shoulder, pelvis and corpus radiographs were taken bi-monthly. Weekly feed consumption and weight gain were greater in ad libitum than in restricted puppies (P<0.01). At the end of the experiment, 85.7 percent of the ad libitum group was over weight and 14.3 percent was obese, whereas 57.2 percent of restricted puppies were slim and 42.8 percent had ideal body weight. None of the dogs had hypertrophic osteodystrophy. Radiographic examination showed alterations compatible with hip dysplasia in both groups, but such observations were more frequent and more severe in the ad libitum group. Osteochondrosis of metaphisis distal ulna, known by the retention of cartiloginous nucleus, was observed only in the ad libitum group, at a rate of 57.1 percent. The thickness of the cortical and diameter of the ulna were greater (P<0.01) in ad libitum dogs than in those fed a restricted amount of the same diet. In summary, overfeeding caused by ad libitum access to a highly palatable and high energy food caused osteochondrosis and hip dysplasia in Great Dane puppies.

Freqüência de displasia coxofemural em cäes da raça Rottweiler em Minas Gerais / Frequency of hip dysplasia in Rottweiler dogs in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Sixty X-rays of Rottweiler dogs, males and females, obtained between March 1992 and April 1994, were studied with the purpose of establishing the frequency of hip dysplasia. The X-rays were taken with the animals in the ventrodorsal position, with the limbs parallel and the pelvis symmetric. The study indicated that 31.67 por cento of animals were carrier of hip dysplasia in differents grades