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Hi .. We have a 2.5 yo, 175lb male GS who has had elbow dysplasia practically from birth (on account of growing too fast we think). He's been on Cosequin and Metacam and manages to run about quite happily - he's quite an active dog, but we try and curtail him from too many chases with other dogs as our vet has warned us that his elbow will give way at some point. The vet has recommended that when this happens, we should have his elbow bones fused. Would you recommend this option? I guess the alternative is removing the leg completely, which seems quite severe in a dog of his size. Or do you think there's a possibility that the muscles surrounding the joint will have developed to the extent that they can support his leg? I appreciate your advice.

Elbow dysplasias are most successfully treated by surgical intervention when dogs are adolescents. I'm assuming that the weight stated in your question is a typographical error. If not, the most useful strategy for easing the stress on your pet's joints would be a strict diet. Otherwise at this point in your dog's life anti-inflammatory drugs and compounds such as glucosamine and chondroitin are probably your best hope for minimizing his discomfort. Fusing a joint, known as arthrodesis, is occasionally used in severe disease of the wrist, ankle or smaller joints, but I'm not aware of its utility in the elbow of such a large animal. You might want to have your dog evaluated by a veterinary orthopedist. Your vet should be able to refer you to one.

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