Rickets

Rickets

General Information:
Rickets is a disease of young, growing animals. It is characterized by improper bone development. Typical signs include swelling of the joints and bending or bowing of the bones in the legs. Fractures occur easily because of poor bone development.
Rickets is caused by a dietary imbalance of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D. Because most dogs are fed commercial dog foods that are properly balanced, the disease is not common. Improper mineral supplementation or a diet high in meats can cause rickets.

Diet control is extremely important in treating rickets. Do not make any diet changes without consulting your veterinarian.

Notify your veterinarian if any of the following occur:
Your pet refuses to use one or more legs.
Your pet becomes increasingly weak.




This is a disease characterized by interference with mineralisation and consequently with normal resorption of growth plate cartilage. Rapidly growing plates in rapidly growing bones are most severely affected.
Cause
Deficient intake or absorption or both of vitamin D or phosphorous or both are often the causes. The low level of phosphorous may result from disease of gastro intestinal tract, liver or kidney which may impair the absorption of phosphorous from the digestive tract vitamin D deficiency can be considered in animals, which are housed, or having abnormal metabolism of vitamin D.
Symptoms
The major signs of rickets are abnormal curvature of long bones and increased prominence of bone ends. There is widening of the growth plates (which is present a the end of the bones from where the bone elongates) which is due to the failure to reabsorb cartilage when X ray is taken of the cartilaginous area, which contributes to skeletal growth. The changes are more evident. The outer lining becomes very thin and may appear as a shell. Apparent bowing of bone is more evident. The cartilage may increase in width.
Treatment
Therapeutic doses of calcium phosphorus vitamin D in the proper balance are usually beneficial in rickets. Over supplementation of vitamin D can cause defects in bony matrix, soft tissue calcification, nausea, diarrhea and even renal damage.