Dogs are prone to a number of diseases that affect the skeletal system, resulting in lameness or bone deformities. These diseases can be congenital, hereditary, infectious, or inflammatory, metabolic, traumatic, or neoplastic.
A congenital disease is one a dog is born with. Hereditary conditions are passed on from one or both of the parents. Infectious or inflammatory diseases can be caused by injury, degeneration from age, or bacterial contamination of a joint through a wound. Metabolic diseases result from too much or too little of a particular hormone or other substance in the body. Traumatic injuries include getting hit by a car and breaking a leg. Neoplastic diseases are caused by cancer. Dogs can suffer from one or several of these diseases; proper diagnosis is key to design effective treatment and promote health.