In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Ellie Lederer, an ECVS board-certified small animal orthopedic surgeon, and the founder of MOVES, a free online orthopaedic journal club for vets across the Middle East. We get into the subtle signs that your dog might be in more pain than they're letting on, the most common orthopedic conditions in small dogs, what slippery floors are actually doing to your puppy's hips, when waiting is fine versus when you really need to see a vet, and, something that is incredibly close to my heart, why feeding posture matters so much more than most of us realise, especially for dogs already navigating joint issues.

Guest Bio:

Our guest today is Dr. Ellie Lederer, an ECVS board-certified small animal orthopedic surgeon currently running a referral orthopaedic service at Umm Suqeim Veterinary Centre in Dubai. She specialises in joint replacements, fracture repair, cruciate disease, elbow disease, and all things bones and joints in dogs and cats.

With two decades of veterinary experience, five years of training followed by fifteen years in practice, including a full residency in the UK Dr. Ellie holds one of the highest qualifications available in her field. She is also the founder of MOVES (Middle Eastern Orthopaedics Veterinary Excellence Society), a free online journal club designed to improve clinical outcomes for pets across the UAE by making the latest research accessible to vets in practice.

Outside the operating theatre, she competed as a contender on the BBC reboot of Gladiators and is an avid bagpipe player, which, as it turns out, is excellent training for surgery.

Takeaways:

• "They're limping but they're not in pain" is almost never true. Dogs are hardwired to hide discomfort. Limping, lameness, or gait changes are pain signals 99% of the time. The 1% exception is a structural leg-length difference — everything else warrants investigation.
• Pain shows up as behaviour change, not just limping.
• Common orthopedic conditions such as luxating patella, hip dysplasia, and cruciate ligament injuries prevalent in specific breeds
• The significance of early diagnosis and appropriate interventions to improve quality of life in senior and arthritic dogs
• How breed, age, and body condition influence decisions around neutering timing and orthopedic health
• The importance of proper feeding posture and how elevated bowls support joint health and reduce strain.
• The role of scientific research, including MOVES, a veterinary orthopedics journal club, in advancing pet care
• The benefits of collaboration and shared knowledge among veterinary professionals for better clinical outcomes

Relevant links mentioned in the episode:

• Dr. Ellie Lederer: Instagram Dr. Ellie USVetCentre/ Youtube/ Website
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Timestamps to relevant points within the episode:

[00:00]-Intro

[02:30] BBC Gladiators, bagpipes, and what they have in common with surgery

[04:25] What does ECVS board-certified actually mean? Breaking down the credential

[06:34] The difference between "specialist" in the UK vs UAE, and why it matters when choosing a vet

[07:04] What drew Dr. Ellie to orthopedics, putting things back together and keeping pets pain-free

[07:56] How do you actually know if your dog is in pain? The signs most owners miss

[09:10] "They're limbing but they're not in pain", why this breaks Dr. Ellie's heart (and why it's almost never true)

[11:22] More hidden pain signals: licking joints, reluctance to exercise, lying down on walks

[12:47] Mariska's own story, Piper becoming snappy with dogs, and how pain was the real reason

[13:35] Hip pain and behaviour at daycare, why irritability with other dogs is a common red flag

[15:17] The most common orthopedic conditions in small dogs, luxating patella, cruciate disease, elbow disease

[16:13] How luxating patella (dislocating kneecap) actually works, and why grade matters

[17:58] Piper's grade 3 luxating patella — Mariska's story, the snap in the park, and the physio she wishes she'd prioritised

[19:15] Traumatic vs developmental patella luxation, and "let dogs be dogs" (the guilt-free moment)

[21:00] Community question: can running (zoomies) on tiles cause joint trauma or luxating patella?

[21:13] The hip dysplasia + slippery floors study, and why runner rugs are a simple fix

[23:37] Wait and see, when is it fine and when is it a problem?

[25:18] "I'm the same", Dr. Ellie as a pet owner, and why going to the vet is never a waste

[26:09] Which breeds walk through Dr. Ellie's door most? Labradors, French Bulldogs, Dachshunds, and more

[28:42] Community question: does early neutering (7–8 months) negatively affect body development in Pomeranians?

[29:08] How neutering affects calorie needs, hormones, joint development, and cancer risk, and why it's breed-specific

[32:36] Chemical castration, the reversible implant option most people don't know about

[33:43] MOVES: Dr. Ellie's free online orthopaedic journal club for vets across the Middle East

[34:47] Feeding posture, what is actually happening in your dog's body when they eat from the floor?

[35:08] Why Dr. Ellie recommends elevated feeding for dogs with osteoarthritis, neck pain, and disc disease

[36:26] The French Bulldog head weight question, proportionally, how much pressure does that big head put on their front legs?

[37:46] Elevated feeding for senior dogs, esophageal motility, aspiration risk, and why height helps

[39:16] The 60/40 rule, how weight should be distributed across your dog's limbs at mealtime

[40:48] How high should the bowl actually be? The ergonomic posture principle

[41:38] "If your dog is getting into an extreme posture to eat, trying an elevated feeding bowl seems like a sensible step."

[42:22] The one thing Dr. Ellie wishes every dog parent knew before their first orthopedic appointment

[42:36] Biggest misconception revisited, "they're limbing but they're not in pain" and why early intervention changes outcomes

[44:04] Quality of life with arthritis, body condition scoring, keeping dogs lean, and what's actually possible

[46:41] Where to find Dr. Ellie, Instagram, YouTube, MOVES, and the new joint replacement program