David L. Dycus, DVM, MS, CCRP
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons – Small Animal
Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine

Dr. Dycus attended Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine for his veterinary degree, Auburn University for a small animal rotating internship, and Mississippi State for a combined surgical residency and Masters degree.

His research was focused on developing a model to evaluate oxidative stress on the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis. He also completed a biomechanical study looking at different knotting techniques to for cruciate rupture. To remain on the cutting edge of research, Dr. Dycus holds an appointment on the research committee of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Along with being a scientific reviewer for multiple journals, he serves on the editorial review board for Veterinary Surgery and numerous other veterinary and human orthopaedic journals.

Dr. Dycus has a strong passion for orthopaedics and sports medicine. He is particularly interested in helping patients with arthritis along with fracture mechanics and joint problems. He is trained in the use of arthroscopy, minimally invasive fracture repair, regenerative medicine, as well as a number of orthopedic procedures for the treatment of ruptured cruciate ligaments. Dr. Dycus received his stem cell certification in 2010, and he became a certified canine rehabilitation practitioner through the University of Tennessee in 2015. He is the co-founder and co-director of the Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Institute (VSMRI), an online veterinary rehabilitation learning platform. In addition he is the founder and CEO of Dycus Veterinary Consulting.

Dr Dycus kindly agreed to answer the following questions:
How do you feel that Canine Arthritis is currently managed?

Personally, I feel like canine arthritis (OA) is poorly managed. We as a veterinary profession have done a poor job at setting up owners to create the lifestyle changes needed to help slow down and minimise this disease condition. In the dog, OA is typically secondary to something, so the first thought should be how to  fix or prevent the “something”. In some situations this is easy, we need to begin talking to clients about maintaining an active low impact daily exercise routine in combination with keeping dogs fit and trim. I suspect that if we kept dogs lean and active many of the orthopaedic issues we see would decrease. In addition we need to do a better job of diagnosing and treating/managing conditions that can lead to the development of OA sooner. Such conditions as elbow and hip dysplasia have various management strategies that can be employed if detected early in life. Unstable joints should be stabilised such as with tearing of the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL).