Bone Spurs

[jbarrett]

My nearly 5 year old doodle Max has developed a bone spur on his elbow. He doesn't exhibit any pain but limps heavily. The vet is recommending arthroscopic surgery. I had it done to both my shoulders and know it works well. How common is this for the tallest of our friends?

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

It would seem to me that the limping is exhibiting pain.  I can't honestly say that I recall hearing of a bone spur on here before, but I'm sure others will chime in with any experience.  Best of luck to you both.  I hope Max feels better real soon.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm sorry to hear this. I tried looking it up, and it seems that the development of bone spurs is linked to elbow dysplasia and/or osteoarthritis. Did the vet mention that at all? 

[Stella]

Karen, elbow dysplasia is the first thing I thought of too. If he is limping, then he is in pain. If here was no pain, he wouldn't be limping. They usually do really well with arthroscopic surgery, it is minimally invasive and recovery is usually pretty quick. My only advice is to have the surgery done by an ortho specialist, they will be more skilled. After surgery he may benefit from seeing a canine rehab therapist to get his range of moron and strength back, as well as re-educating his gait, limping often becomes a habit and can be difficult to break. Did you get the other elbow x-rayed too? These conditions often affect both sides, even if they are only limping on one.

[Emily, Bentley, & Maserati]

I don't have any advice but I wish you ease in making a decision and Max healing vibes!