Definition

Osteoarticular diseases due to nutritional imbalance that can affect all dogs in a kennel or only some of them. This imbalance may involve various nutrients, beginning with the calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D, but also iodine, copper, zinc, manganese, fluorine, vitamins A and C, and protein-energy balance of the ration.
- These diseases are found on farms where:
- Attempts to minimize food costs
- Are given rations "homemade" unbalanced
- Applies a diet based on various nutritional supplements and not a complete dry food, premium-quality, well balanced.
These imbalances lead to the almost systematic occurrence of lameness and musculoskeletal pains very polymorphic, especially in puppies.

Causes
Source metabolic
Bone diseases associated with metabolic phenomena osteoplasa and resorption of bone matrix:
- Failure to osteoid formation (osteoporosis)
- Osteoid mineralization defect (osteomalacia)
- Excess bone resorption (osteofibrosis).
Genetic origin
Genetic diseases with bone impact: mucopolysaccharidosis, hemophilia, familial osteopetrosis, some types of dwarfism, peri-articular calcinosis multicentric and even osteochondrosis.

Endocrine origin
Some early endocrine diseases can cause bone disorders, osteoporotic (hipercorticalismo adrenal or pituitary dwarfism), osteofibróticos (primary hyperparathyroidism), or related to a hipermineralización (hipercalcitoinismo). Conditions which respond to dietary intervention
Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
Osteofibrosis associated with meat consumption only, not home rations supplemented with calcium or industrial food of poor quality, poorly articulated.
Calcium deficiency causes decreases in serum calcium, transient and limited, but sufficient to cause chronic hypersecretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH), which induces a progressive demineralization of osteoid tissue.
Clinical symptoms include generalized lameness, musculoskeletal pain on palpation and spontaneous fractures. Radiographically, there are images of bone demineralization, but unfortunately, late onset.
Diagnosis is based on symptoms, even when they are light, and historical data regarding diet.

Disorders excess dietary calcium
This problem is still prevalent in hatcheries and relates, generally, with an excess of zeal by some breeders, which leads them to add a balanced industrial foods, vitamin and mineral supplements useless and even dangerous.
The diagnosis is mainly based on historical data regarding diet. The observed disorders are varied: panosteitis (or enostosis), hypertrophic osteodystrophy, osteochondritis dissecans, hip dysplasia, hypothyroid with short bones syndrome (poor thyroid uptake of iodine), osteoporosis (impaired gastrointestinal absorption of copper) and even early death .
Osteochondrosis
Impaired endochondral ossification, which may lead to osteochondritis dissecans in the case of articular cartilage degeneration. This disease appears to be closely linked to an excessive increase in the rate of growth due to global food intake too abundant
Hypertrophic osteodystrophy
This is the opposite phenomenon to that seen in osteoporosis, also associated with a growth rate too large and a global-nutrition. It has been suggested the involvement of an excess of energy, protein, calcium and vitamin D, and a deficient synthesis of vitamin C, but has never seen one of these isolated factors arising from the disease.
Chondrodysplasia that responds to the contribution of zinc
Form of dwarfism that affects the northern races, including the Alaskan Malamute, and produces shortening and bowing of the limbs, mainly the former. The puppies have also normochromic hemolytic anemia and delayed sexual maturation. The diagnosis is easily established. Treatment consists of nutritional supplementation with zinc can be administered up to 200 or 300 mg of zinc per day without risk. At the beginning of treatment, can cause vomiting, when they persist, we must reduce the doses of zinc.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of all these diseases is mainly based on the detailed assessment of diet during the history and clinical symptoms observed. Laboratory tests and radiographic studies provide elements to confirm the clinical diagnosis.
Treatment
Since these diseases are due to nutritional imbalance, the mere introduction of a dry food, complete and balanced enough to gradually normalize the status of the dog. It is imperative to choose food depending on age, size and physiological status of the animal and make a strict rationing, which meets the daily needs. We must avoid any improper supplementation. Secondary symptoms can be corrected with proper medical treatment. Do not use orthopedic reconstructive surgery before the puppy has passed the point of inflection in the growth curve and recovered a normal bone structure.
Forecast
Between benign and serious, depending on the duration of the food bug.