Orthopaedic conditions including hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and osteoarthritis affect millions of dogs. Proactive management through veterinary care, weight control, and physiotherapy preserves quality of life.
Orthopaedic welfare in dogs is profoundly affected by body weight management. The epidemic of canine obesity directly amplifies joint disease severity — a dog at ideal body condition score experiences significantly less pain from the same degree of hip dysplasia than an overweight individual. Veterinarians increasingly use multimodal pain management combining medical treatment, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, and environmental adaptation rather than medication alone. Welfare-positive orthopaedic care involves regular veterinary monitoring, owner education about pain signs, appropriate exercise that maintains muscle mass without exacerbating joint damage, and honest quality-of-life assessment as disease progresses. Genetic screening of breeding animals is the highest-leverage preventive welfare intervention for hereditary orthopaedic conditions.