TOO many sore and injured legs

(This commentary is courtesy of Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM)

I have been seeing what seems to be far MOREjoint injuries. More specifically Anterior Cruciate Injuries.

This is the main ligament which supplies support to the knee. It can be injured during exercise, such as a misplaced knee- or if the knee is overextended. I was recently asked WHY?

Meaning why are there so many more ACL injuries than what was occurring 20 years ago?

Good question.

1. Conformation - There is the discussion around genetics. Some believe that the conformation of many dogs (and a few cats)with straight knees, makes the knee prone to injury.

2. Types of play - Sudden stops and starts - such as repeatedly throwing a ball put more force on the knee- increasing the chance of injury.

3. Weak Ligaments - I do see MORE ACL injuries from certain litters- SOMETHING is making the ligaments weaker and more prone to injury. Some of the suspected culprits are what I have OFTEN talked about.

4. Conventional Medication - Prednisone is a classic example of a medication that will weaken the ligaments.

5. Vaccines - IF there is an auto-immune basis to joint damage, vaccines will be at the top of the list. It's NO surprise that the increase in Cruciate Injuries correlates with increasing number of vaccines.

6. Diet - yup the BIG one. First obesity plays a big role. IF your pet is overweight, they are FAR more likely to injure their knee. Then the unknown is WHAT else is missing in dog and cat diets to weaken the ligaments. The farm dogs of 50 years ago had few injured knees. And their diet consisted of fresh meat, some carbs, and fruit and vegetables.

NO kibble. Clearly there are NUTRIENTS missing which are KEY to keeping the joints strong and healthy.

Which is why it is imperative that your dog be eating a HIGH QUALITY dog food.