Lets say you had a pup that was having severe allergy problems from environment. This pup was on all types of allergy meds, steroids, bedding that was dry cleaned weekly,different type food including Science Diet, allowed to jump up on beds...etc for three years. Now after three years this same dog was taken out of that environment and all traces of allergies completly gone, on normal food again. She was re exposed to several factors she was previously allergic to and no reaction what so ever. Okay now she is x-rayed on hips and elbows and is rated fair on hips and Grade 1 elbows. History behind her is normal elbows (no elbows issues behind her), goods and excellets with hips. Sire, dam, littermates all normal elbows and either good or excellent on hips. My
question is could the meds have affected bone growth to cause the fair hip rating and Grade 1 elbows ?

No.

Anything can affect growth and development of joints, but up to what point you want to use that as an excuse for her unhealthy joints. If the problem is bilateral, it is probably genetic. I've bred a dog with unilateral joint decease, and no one single offspring came back affected. Now into the third generation, and no one affected yet. I'm please I didn't just neuter the dog.

As a previous poster asked, how far do you want to go to excuse bad joints? First off, Fair hips is still considered "normal" under OFA's grading systems, however the grade 1, does mean that something is going on there (and it might have been a bad xray too).

One thing we have to remember is that these are DOGS first! We can't keep them in a plastic bubble! They also have genes that we cannot control which good and which bad ones they will inherit. We should all be doing our best to breed for and maintain soundness along with everything else we've accomplished with looks, temperament and workability.

I know my last bitch that was just xrayed, was not kept lean, was not kept in a bubble and has this almost annoying greeting style of jumping up and down in place on tile. And boy could she jump high! LOL She passed her xrays with normal gradings hips and elbows. So for me, knowing that this bitch had normal to a little above normal stress on her joints and passed, makes me feel a lot better about the strength of her joints being able to hold up to her silly antics (oh did I mention she like to climb the wood pile in search of "critters"? lol) She's just an active girl like most normal Labs. I'd much rather see a dog pass xrays with a lifestyle like hers then to see dogs passing who have been kept lean and in kennels or crates.

Just my opinion,

Dianne Mullikin, EMT-B
Los Angeles, CA

Not trying to make an excuse, just want to find out of the extreme amount of meds given constantly from 8wks of age to 3yrs may have played a part in bone development. X-Rays may be questionable also. In all the years I have been breeding only 1 other dog didn't pass elbows(not releated to this first dog, and no elbow issues in pedigree) and both these dogs were x-rayed by the same vet (not my vet). I do plan to re-do x-rays so I can see for myself what her joints look like with proper positioning.

I *suppose* anything could be possible. I had a nice line of good hips for four generations. The sire I bred my two girls to also had a sound pedigree. I kept a nice bitch from each litter. BOTH bitches failed hips! Go figure. It's genetics and sometimes you have a problem pop up. That was the end of my line for me. Fortunately for me, I have some good friends to shows dogs for and have a couple up and coming, but with my job schedule, I don't get to show nearly as much as I'd like. So I'm not nearly as involved in showing and breeding as I once was.

Best of luck!

Dianne Mullikin, EMT-B
Los Angeles, CA

Yes problems can just pop up and you end up with an unsound dog. I've also seen two strong lines put together and disaster strikes.
It may just be bad films with this girl, but if not I was just simply asking if the extreme amount of meds could have maybe played joint problems. Just some like to know information

My first Labrador - something similar. She had a bad reaction and very high fever after a vaccine, and from that point on her health, immune system and perhaps her soundness went to heck in a handbucket. She was far from perfect, but developed awful allergies (food and inhalent), and back in the day the only treatment was massive steroids; she did go thru skin testing, had the shots, but they never worked to make a difference. Put her on raw as a last resort and the itches finally stopped. Her inhalent allegies changed frequently but were managable. She then went on to several orthopedic surgeries, inlcuding but not limited to OCD of one shoulder and one knee, a luxated patella on one knee, blown ccls on both knees (so each knee was opened up twice). She was quite game, despite being lame, but lived to the ripe old age of 13. I always pondered and tried to reasearch immune system breakdown with the breakdown of other systems and structures in the body.