Elbow Dysplasia in Dogs: What It Is and How Rehab Can Help

Helping your dog move better, feel better, and stay active for longer.
If your dog has been limping on a front leg, slowing down on walks, or showing signs of discomfort when getting up, you may have heard the term “elbow dysplasia” from your vet. It’s one of the most common causes of front limb lameness in dogs — especially large and fast-growing breeds — and it can have a big impact on quality of life.

But here’s the good news:
Even though elbow dysplasia is a lifelong condition, with the right rehabilitation plan, your dog can still live a happy, active life.

At Apollo Animal Physiotherapy & Hydrotherapy, we support dogs with elbow dysplasia every day — helping them move more freely, build strength, and enjoy the things they love.

What Is Elbow Dysplasia?

Elbow dysplasia is a developmental condition that affects the elbow joint — where three bones (humerus, radius, and ulna) come together.

In dogs with elbow dysplasia, these bones don’t fit together perfectly, causing uneven weight distribution through the joint. Over time, this can lead to:

Joint instability
Abnormal wear and tear
Arthritis
Pain and inflammation

There are several types of elbow dysplasia, including:

Fragmented medial coronoid process (FMCP)
Ununited anconeal process (UAP)
Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD)
Elbow incongruity (bones not aligning properly)

Some dogs are diagnosed as puppies, while others aren’t spotted until they start showing symptoms later in life.

Common Signs of Elbow Dysplasia

Dogs with elbow dysplasia may show:

Intermittent or consistent front leg lameness
Stiffness after rest
Reluctance to go on walks or play
Changes in gait or posture
Weight shifting to the hind limbs
Muscle loss around the shoulders

If left unmanaged, these symptoms often get worse — not just from the elbow itself, but from compensatory strain elsewhere in the body.

How Canine Rehab Helps

Whether your dog is newly diagnosed, recovering from surgery, or managing arthritis, rehab plays a crucial role in long-term joint health and comfort.

✅ Reducing Pain and Inflammation
Hands-on manual therapy techniques, cold laser, and hydrotherapy can help settle inflammation in and around the joint — giving your dog relief and a better starting point for movement.

✅ Improving Strength and Stability
We target specific muscle groups to stabilise the joint, offload pressure, and give your dog more control during movement. Strength = stability, and stability = less pain.

✅ Restoring Functional Movement
Many dogs with elbow dysplasia start to move differently to avoid pain — changing how they walk, stand, or get up. Over time, this causes imbalances. Rehab helps correct those patterns and restore efficient, balanced movement.

✅ Supporting Recovery After Surgery
If your dog has had elbow surgery (like a fragment removal or arthroscopy), rehab is essential to rebuild strength, restore range of motion, and guide a safe return to activity.

✅ Slowing Progression of Arthritis
While we can’t reverse the bone changes, we can reduce strain on the joint, improve load through the limb, and help your dog stay active for longer — with far less pain.

Real-Life Example: Life After Diagnosis

We recently supported a young Labrador diagnosed with bilateral elbow dysplasia. He’d become reluctant to walk and had started favouring one side. After a thorough assessment, we built a tailored program including:

Gentle hydrotherapy sessions
Manual therapy for shoulder and neck tension
Strengthening exercises to stabilise the elbows
Advice on daily activity, surfaces, and joint supplements

After 6 weeks, he was walking more confidently, enjoying play again, and his limp was barely visible.

Final Thoughts

Elbow dysplasia isn’t the end of your dog’s active life — not with the right support.

At Apollo, we combine physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, and expert guidance to give dogs with elbow dysplasia the strength, stability and confidence they need to thrive.

Because every dog deserves to move through life with ease.

Restoring mobility, one paw at a time