Osteochondrosis is a developmental joint disease causing significant pain in young, large-breed dogs and requires early diagnosis for the best welfare outcomes.
OCD causes chronic joint pain in young dogs at what should be the most active and joyful phase of their lives. The condition typically manifests when puppies are 4-8 months old - precisely when owners expect playful, exuberant behavior. Instead, affected dogs show lameness, reduced play motivation, and pain on joint manipulation that is often initially dismissed as 'growing pains.' Early surgical intervention removes or reattaches the cartilage flap before secondary joint damage occurs, providing dramatically better welfare and functional outcomes than delayed treatment. Prevention through appropriate puppy nutrition - avoiding excess calcium and rapid growth-promoting diets - represents an important upstream welfare intervention in predisposed breeds.