title: Associations between canine juvenile weight gain and coxofemoral joint laxity at 16 weeks of age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluation of the relationship between canine weight gain from 6 to 15 weeks of age and passive coxofemoral joint (CFJ) laxity at 16 weeks of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Full- or half-sibling hounds (n = 56).
  
  
  METHODS
  Hounds were weighed weekly from 6 to 15 weeks of age. Individual average daily gain (ADG) was calculated for each week (weekly) and for the study (overall). PennHIP distraction index (DI) was determined for each CFJ at 16 weeks. Mixed effects linear models were evaluated for associations of DI (highest and mean) with 15-week weight and ADGs (actual or normalized). Left and right DIs were compared with a Student's paired t-test. Significance was set at P<.05. Trends were considered at P<.10.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (+/-SD) 16-week DI score and 15-week weight was 0.67 +/- 0.16 and 12.5 +/- 1.8 kg, respectively. Within animal left and right DIs were not significantly different. There were no significant associations between DI and any of the weight gains evaluated. There was a trend for a negative relationship between normalized 14-week ADG and DI in one statistical model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weight gain from 6 to 15 weeks of age was unrelated to 16-week PennHIP DI in a homogenous canine population with moderate-to-severe CFJ joint laxity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on our results, ad libitum feeding between 6 and 15 weeks of age does not appear to have an adverse impact on joint laxity at 16 weeks of age as measured by the PennHIP DI.
authors.affiliation: Comparative Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA. mlopez@vetmed.lsu.edu
authors.forename: Mandi J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Margaret M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Markel
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004285:Dogs / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000502:physiology; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008098:Litter Size; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015430:Weight Gain