OCD

Question
Recently at 8.5 months old our great dane puppy was diagnosed with OCD. She limps only on her right paw, some days she limps worse then others. We were feeding her Eagle pack for large breed dogs and we were told by our vet to switch to science diet to try to help alleviate and correct this process. However, is there anything else we can do to try to heal this without surgical intervention? I am very nervous that she will not grown out of it and she will need surgery, and I would like to try to prevent surgery, I would hate to see her go through another surgery.

Answer
Another surgery? I am confused. Has she had one already on the other shoulder?
It is pretty hard to grow out of a problem like this since it is a piece of cartilage that is the problem.

With OCD, the dog tears or breaks off a tiny piece of the cartilage and then it floats or rubs in between the humerus and the joint. These pieces of cartilage continue to grow-causing great pain and discomfort for the dog.

Science Diet Large Breed Puppy food was designed after a three year study on joint problems just like this as well as the relationship between nutrients and bone growth problems with large breed dogs. It will help the dog's joints grow correctly and at 8.5 months for a large breed that continue to grow until the age of 2 this will be very beneficial for her.

Here is an article about OCD that will help you understand it a bit better:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2084&aid=464

I hope that this helps you see how OCD affects the joints and why surgery will probably still be necessary for her to heal and why. Your vet will evaluate her after being on the Science Diet to see whether or not it has helped enough so that she might not need surgery after all. I will hope for that!

Once she reaches a year old you could put her on the Large Breed Adult or leave her on the Puppy for another 6 months. Please let me know how she does.