Why is my senior Rottweiler's elbow suddenly limping? Arthritis or fragment?

Hello, sorry to hear about Baloo. His elbows definitely show signs of arthritis. Elbow arthritis is common in Rottweilers has 3 components to it. 2 of these components, a fragments coranoid process and an ununited anconeal process can cause moderate to severe pain. The therapy for this disease includes surgery to remove the chipped bone fragments in the joint. You should consult with an orthopedic surgeon regarding Baloos elbow disease so that his problem can be addressed. In the mean time, you can ask your veterinarian for additional pain meds to try and help keep Baloo as comfortable as possible. Hope this helps and best of luck

Yes, I would be worried. I don't want to scare you but it is actually very common for Rottweilers to get bone cancer. It will often times start out as an occasional limp but then will rapidly progress to a severe, constant limp. Sometimes you will see a noticeable swelling on the outside of the affected leg. Please take her to your vet for an exam and an x-ray of that leg. It is better to catch this sooner rather than later. If it is not that, the other option is arthritis which can be managed well with medications. Either way she sounds uncomfortable and in some pain so it would be best to find out what is going on. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

It's hard for me to say what could be going on without examining Oskar and seeing the x-rays. My concern in a Rottweiler that has persistent limping despite anti-inflammatories would be osteosarcoma, a bone cancer. I would recommend discussing additional diagnostics with your vet, including repeat x-rays, and possibly a biopsy or CT scan.

Hello, sorry to hear about Rex. It does appear that he is having severe osteoarthritis of the elbow. This will directly limit his ability to move that arm and cause some obvious lameness. Unfortunately as seen by the radiographs, osteoarthritis is not reversible and thus managing his weight and activity will be the most fruitful with the goal focused on making him comfortable and not to make him not lame. There are some surgical procedures being explored that in the near future could offer a replacement of the elbow joint in dogs like Rex with severe elbow disease. I would recommend using joint supplements, anti-inflamamtories, and pain medications as necessary to keep him comfortable. Unfortunately, Rex may never be able to walk normally with how severe his arthritis int hat elbow is. You may discuss having Rex referred to an orthopedic surgeon for further evaluation and care. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hello, sorry to hear about Mollie. There are multiple causes of pain and lameness in the front legs. One of which includes inflammation of the biceps tendon, most often diagnosed with an ultrasound. Elbow dysplasia which can be composed by 3 different disease processes (elbow incongruity, fragmented medical coronoid process, and ununited anconeal process) which is diagnosed with a CT scan. And any injuries to the wrist or toes often seen with x-rays. Most of these can be treated first with medical management, strict rest, and occasionally a splint or bandage. However, of this is not working for Mollie, then she may need to see an orthopedic surgeon to determine if surgery is necessary. At that time, depending on what the findings of the orthopedic exam are, you may be faced with having to do additional diagnostics. Unfortunately, your insurance may or may not cover these. Speak with your veterinarian about adding more pain medications or considering a referral to an orthopedic surgeon if deemed appropriate. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Without being able to do a physical exam on Gypsy Rose, it is a little difficult for me to tell you what exactly is going on with her wrist. If it is very hard, then that could indicate that a small fracture did not heal properly, that her body is continuing to try to heal something in that area, or that there is bone cancer present. If it is soft, that could indicate a seroma (small pocket of fluid) or ongoing inflammation. Hygromas do not typically form in this area, but that is another possibility that would not necessarily turn into cancer. I would recommend that Gypsy Rose go back to the vet for additional x-rays. Rottweilers are prone to developing bone cancer, and I would want to make sure we caught it as early as possible. She may also benefit from anti-inflammatory medications

Generally that little piece of bone will eventually scar down to the joint capsule and will not cause much of a problem. If it becomes a chronic source of lameness, it can likely be arthroscopically removed. The thought is that maybe there was some arthritis forming and a small piece broke off. It could also be the result of trauma or a developmental condition causing a flap of unhealthy bone to form of the femoral head that eventually broke off. Please post again if you have any further questions.