Osteochondritis Dissecans is one of the diseases causing cartilage damage in dogs. OCD can occur in various joints and causes pain and stiffness. Soon we will start treating dogs with OCD in the shoulder, ankle and knee. Hy4Pt anticipates investigating other cartilage disorders and joints in the longer term.
OCD is a hereditary cartilage disease. It occurs in several rapidly growing large breed dogs, typically between 6 and 9 months of age. OCD occurs in multiple joints. For now, our focus lies on OCD in the shoulder, knee and ankle.
OCD is an inflammatory condition referring to abnormal development of the cartilage on the end of a bone in the joint. The diseased cartilage separates from the underlying bone. It most commonly affects the shoulder joint, although the elbow, hip, or knee may also be involved.
Eventually, OCD almost always leads to osteoarthritis. Dogs that are affected by OCD typically limp or are stiff. The disease usually manifests itself in both shoulder joints, even if the dog limps on one side.
Other triggers of cartilage damage are elbow dysplasia, a (traumatic) accident or an incorrect movement. We expect to be able to apply the hydrogel to other cartilage disorders in the future.
We strive to develop new products, specially adapted to cartilage damage in other animals, such as horses. New developments will be communicated on this website.