OCD lesion

[Ollysmom]

My 8 month old Border collie was diagnosed with an OCD lesion in his shoulder. From what I understand it is not proven if this is genetic or not. It is also very common in big dogs. He has had a limp for about a month now. He was put on an anti-inflammatory/pain meds for 10 days and joint supplements basically for the rest of his life. My question is, have any of you ever had experience with your dog or know a dog with this? My vet wanted to go with conservative treatment to see how things go at first. But of course I couldn't help but do a little internet research...and apparently without surgery it is very likely he will develop severe lameness. He doesn't limp anymore after these ten days but he has been on strict rest. Now he is allowed to get moderate exercise. I noticed a slight limp after he romped around the yard for a while but it went away quickly. This leads me to believe he will have to be somewhat restricted the rest of his life if he does not have surgery. Any thoughts or opinions? Is surgery the only way to go? I really don't understand how conservative treatment will ever just make this problem go away.

[Eileen Stein]

You can find an excellent basic article about OCD in border collies written by a distinguished member of our Boards here.

 

Though the article says that conservative treatment tends to be less successful than surgery, I have personally known a few dogs who appeared to recover fully without surgery.

[scullywags]

Not dog related but have had 2 OCD chips removed from my horse

and they have rendered him 100% sound

I was told they would cause damage to joint capsule and arthritis to form if left

in the joint where they had already had damaged parts of the hock joint from the moving back and forth.

 

I am not a vet nor an expert but I also had a scare that my BC had OCD thankfully he did not but in my reserch on both species it was determined that nutrition and genetics play a part in its development. Internet has alot available to educate on this subject.

 

IMO get a second opinion it took me 3 equine vets to get my animal the proper care for long term success.

[Journey]

Yes, I had one with OCD in both shoulders a long time ago......if it was me I would opt for surgery.

[chip's mom]

We have gone through the same diagnosis with our boy Chip.We tried restricted activity without much luck so opted for the surgery.He has totally recovered.Our vet was able to just part the muscle and remove the lesions without cutting the muscle,so his recovery time was much shorter than what we had read about.He was pretty much back to normal after 6 weeks although we didn't let him go full out for a while,more for our peace of mind than anything.We have him on a daily dose of glucosimine,MSM,and chondroitin as suggested by our vet.

[gcv-border]

My male BC was diagnosed with OCD at ~15-16 months old due to limping. He was tested for TBDs - for which he was negative. The next step was X-rays. My vet thought he saw a cartilage flap and a few joint mice. Since he diagnosed OCD in 2 joints, he told me that my dog would need 2 surgeries at separate times with about 6 months of rehab after each surgery. Of course, I freaked. Something I read on the internet got me thinking about arthroscopic surgery. Pursuing this angle let me down a path to consulting with a specialist in rehabilitation/sports injury. After he looked at the X-rays, took a couple of his own and examining my dog, he pronounced that my dog did NOT have OCD - he had a strained ileopsoas muscle. It still required 3-4 months of leash walking, restricted activity and rehab exercises, but was totally worth it not to deal with surgery.

 

I highly recommend taking your dog to see a certified rehabilitation veterinarian or a veterinarian surgeon specializing in sports injuries.

 

Jovi

[DeltaBluez Tess]

I had a Border Collie that had OCD, it would appear off and on in both front legs from 6-10 months old. She was a fast growing large bitch. None of her sibings had any issues, nor her parents.

 

We gave her Adequan shots and hoped we didn't have to do surgery. It worked and she never was lame. I had her -ray and there were no signs of any lesions. When the vet first took the x-ray, we saw some small lesion but after the shots and controlled walking, they disappeared.

 

I know of a lot more that had to have the surgery. None of them had any issues after the surgery.

[G. Festerling]

Did bi lateral on my old man many years ago. After exhausting all other options. Worked out beautifully. A bit arthritic in his late years but nothing big.

[gooddogs74]

The vast majority of dogs do very well with arthroscopy. It is a quick and minimally invasive procedure with a quick recovery. The hardest part is the exercise restriction! There are lots of advantages to removing the cartilage flaps from the joint space. For an athletic dog like a bc, I would strongly consider it your orthopedic surgeon recommends it. Prognosis tends to be good to excellent for shoulder OCD.

[Mevidones]

My 8-month pup has been diagnosed with OCD in the left shoulder and have contacted an orthopedic surgeon who performs the surgery arthroscopically.  It’s a four-hour drive one way and the cost for one shoulder is almost $5,000.  If the other is diseased, the cost will significantly increase.  It seems near impossible to restrict him to a crate for several weeks.  He is a very active pup and loves being outside.  How can I keep him happy and quiet?  I have read that osteoarthritis sets in at the time of disease onset.  He is not in any pain and runs without a limp.  He did limp for a short time six weeks ago.  
 

What did others do to help the dog pass the time contently during rehab?  Did the breeder help in the cost of surgery?
 

Thanks for any help.

 

[Journey]

14 hours ago, Mevidones said:

My 8-month pup has been diagnosed with OCD in the left shoulder and have contacted an orthopedic surgeon who performs the surgery arthroscopically.  It’s a four-hour drive one way and the cost for one shoulder is almost $5,000.  If the other is diseased, the cost will significantly increase.  It seems near impossible to restrict him to a crate for several weeks.  He is a very active pup and loves being outside.  How can I keep him happy and quiet?  I have read that osteoarthritis sets in at the time of disease onset.  He is not in any pain and runs without a limp.  He did limp for a short time six weeks ago.  
 

What did others do to help the dog pass the time contently during rehab?  Did the breeder help in the cost of surgery?
 

Thanks for any help.

 

It's only impossible to restrict him if you fail do to so. Surgery is generally the best option for future non issues. Mind games and puzzles are a good way to pass some of the time while restricted. I'd not ask a breeder for any help as it's not 100% genetic. Environmental influences come into play and a breeder has no control over what you allow your pup to do once it leaves their care.

[Mevidones]

My pup will be confined and restricted but listening to his cry and bark for 6+ weeks will be hard to deal with especially when my other two BC’s will be leading a normal life.  I realize OCD is not 100% genetic and many other factors can possibly contribute to the cause.  When you purchase a pup, you purchase some unknowns and hope the pup is sound and healthy.  The breeder is listed several times on the Helsinki OCD list of border collies, a site I was unaware of.  

[urge to herd]

I just did a search for 'crate rest tricks for dogs'. You'll have to search a few sites to pick out some tricks that will work for you and your boy but it will help to have some different ways to interact with him other than feeding/sympathizing etc. If he's not used to a crate yet then start working on that. Some bc are water lovers. Ask your vet if you'll be able to take him swimming at some point before full recovery.

I know this is difficult, best of luck to you and your boy! 

Ruth & Gibbs

[Mevidones]

Thanks so much for your suggestions and well wishes.  I have researched crate-rest activities and You Tube has several videos.  My pup is a crate lover and will go in on command.  He sleeps and travels in his crate.  I guess the most difficult part of his long recovery restriction is not being able to interact with the other two dogs.  He’s such a happy boy.

[gcv-border]

I am glad you found a surgeon who can perform an arthroscopic surgery. The incision is so small (for my dog it was probably 1.5 inch or less) and muscle damage is much less - which leads to faster recovery time.

Start now with teaching him to be calm in the crate. And I agree with Journey that mind games and puzzles will be a big help. Also there may be some trick training that is appropriate for a rehabbing dog. Definitely make sure to connect with a rehab professional. (I would assume that the surgeon will recommend someone to help you with rehab.)

[alligande]

I would definitely contact a rehab pro, a friends young border collie had this surgery done last year (in her case it was genetic as a litter mate also had it) and she was never under full crate rest, she had restricted activity. 

 

[Mevidones]

2 hours ago, alligande said:

I would definitely contact a rehab pro, a friends young border collie had this surgery done last year (in her case it was genetic as a litter mate also had it) and she was never under full crate rest, she had restricted activity. 

 

I have a rehab vet that treats my older border collie.  Thanks so much for the info.  My goal is to know as much as possible to be prepared for his surgery and rehab.  Hearing other’s experiences and suggestions is very helpful.  

My pup had a slight limp on and off for a week or two and then it went away.  Because he will do many activities in his life and is much more than a house dog, the limping concerned me so I took him to the vet.  He has four other brothers who all went to pet homes.  If they have the same slight symptoms, it’s doubtful the owners would take them to the vet.  I almost canceled his appointment because I thought “it’s probably just pano.”  Glad I took him.  

[alligande]

On 9/6/2021 at 4:47 PM, Mevidones said:

I have a rehab vet that treats my older border collie.  Thanks so much for the info.  My goal is to know as much as possible to be prepared for his surgery and rehab.  Hearing other’s experiences and suggestions is very helpful.  

My pup had a slight limp on and off for a week or two and then it went away.  Because he will do many activities in his life and is much more than a house dog, the limping concerned me so I took him to the vet.  He has four other brothers who all went to pet homes.  If they have the same slight symptoms, it’s doubtful the owners would take them to the vet.  I almost canceled his appointment because I thought “it’s probably just pano.”  Glad I took him.  

My friends dog as well as the rest of the litter are all agility dogs, my friend had a similar experience he thought she had just over done it, (she shares a house with 2 other border collies, and 4 other dogs so it’s busy) but when her litter mate had the same symptoms he had her checked out. They were the only 2. She had the keyhole surgery and the recovery was very quick, and she is well on her way to becoming an agility dog, the surgeon was not concerned about her future as it was caught so quickly.