Tendonitis And Bursitis

[sandgrubber]

Over my lifetime most limping owes to tendonitis and bursitis.

I notice lots of people dogs who suffer from mysterious lameness. I can't remember anyone implicating inflammation of tendons or bursae. Is that because dogs don't have the same problems we do (maybe because they don't wear shoes. . . or walk on four feet)? Or because these things escape diagnosis?

[Rappie]

They certainly can suffer from tendonitis (commonly in the biceps tendon) and bursitis. It's not a common diagnosis but definitely possible.

[FHRP]

Dogs definitely get tendonitis. My older Vizsla was diagnosed with bicipital tendonitis when he was about 4 years old. Thankfully after the initial symptoms he rarely had a flare up.

[becks]

I've had a dog with a bursa but it didn't affect her movement

[Siralee]

Humans generally tend to get tendonitis and bursitis from doing repeated fine movements of muscles and tendons (and hence the bursae that surround these tendons) using parts of their body that were originally designed for much larger movements. eg typing a lot can inflame tendons/nerves and sheathes of the wrist and hand. These areas were originally for weight bearing, or simple grasping.

In humans bursitis is characterised firstly by pain and then by limited range of movement later on.

I can't speak for its incidence in dogs but I believe dogs tend to hide pain if at all possible so you may only notice the bursitis/tendonitis once it gets to the limiting range of movement stage. Also I guess they may be less likely to get it due to them not using a keyboard, but I am just assuming that :D