CAM LIVE: Osteochondrosis dessicans (OCD) with Karen Harris

Jul 24, 2020 FULL VIDEO: You can find the full video in CAM MemberZone. Osteochondrosis is a painful, developmental disease that can also cause arthritis. Karen Harris, a veterinary specialist surgeon, joins Esme Howells to discuss the disease and explains that although it develops at a young age it often isn’t diagnosed until the dog is much older. With the help of diagrams and x-rays, Karen shows us how it develops as a specific area of bone that doesn’t mineralise leading to lack of support and damage to the associated cartilage. We learn which dogs are more likely to be affected and how a diagnosis is made. There are surgical options for treatment but these are more successful in some joints than others. Karen Harris qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 2007. She joined Southern Counties Veterinary Specialists (SCVS) in 2010 as a surgical intern, then completed a residency in small animal surgery at the University of Cambridge and became a diplomat of the European College of Veterinary Specialists, and a European and RCVS recognised specialist in small animal surgery, in 2015. Karen has been back working at SCVS, a multi-disciplinary referral hospital based on the Hampshire/Dorset border, for the past six years. For more information and content check out our: Facebook - Website - Twitter - Canine Arthritis Management (CAM) is a veterinary driven initiative, set up by vet Hannah Capon who was becoming overwhelmed with the number of dogs she was having to put to sleep having “gone off their legs“. This was often seen by the owners as a sudden incident, when in truth that dog had probably been suffering in silence for a long time prior to that day. In fact, we believe that as many as 1 in 5 dogs in the UK, and 80% of dogs over the age of 8, will have some degree of osteoarthritis. Unlike humans, dogs are unable to express their pain in words. Chronic pain is no doubt something most people will understand and empathise with, but it can be difficult to tell when a dog is suffering in the same way. We want to challenge the preconceived notion that “just getting old“ or “slowing down“ should be accepted in our four-footed companions. Ageing in itself is not a disease! Here at CAM we think that by changing owner, vet and public perception of arthritis, we can improve and extend the lives of dogs.