hip dysplasia

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suestowford

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I am posting this on behalf of a friend whose two-yr old dog has just been diagnosed with hip dysplasia. Does anyone else on here have experience with this? Are there any dietary supplements which can help a dog with this condition? My friend is also investigating this but I thought, there are so many people on here into dogs there's bound to be someone with some useful advice. (he is already putting the dog on a diet, although dog is not fat).
 
We had a Old English Sheepdog with hip dysplasia and she lived to a very respectable 11 years old. She was on a small white tablet daily but it was many years ago now and I'm sorry but I can't remember what it was called!! Not very helpful I kinow. Your friends vet will recommend medication.
 
I take my dog hydrotherapy swimming(see pic below!). Not for hip dysplasia but the woman I go to has a lot of HD dogs who go and she says its really good for them as it stops them losing muscle tone (which can happen with HD) and causing further problems. The vets might know of someone locally.
 
I'd definitely agree with not letting the dog get too fat. And well exercised to keep the muscle tone built up. It depends how bad the hd is. Has the dog been hip scored, depending on where the high scores are would indicate the likelihood of arthritis causing problems. I had a GSD who scored 96 (out of a worst possible score of 108! ) She lived until she was 13 and never had problems with her hind legs, and used to win in the show ring on her movement. Our vet reckoned her hips were so far out of the socket there were no edges to cause arthritis. I would use supplements such as cortaflex or similar, and keep the dog as fit as possible. Swimming is excellent. HD is certainly not a death sentence so tell your friend to think positively.
 
Our GSD has dysplasia which goes through better and worse periods; she might be a bit lamer on some days than other. It's controlled quite well though with a product called Artrin (but this is Argentina, remember!) Occasionally she gets something else, but I don't remember the name.
Cora runs around like mad and seems to enjoy life to the full, but isn't good at stairs and stuff.
 
my old collie has it, vet told me that we should think about what we want to do for him because he prob wouldnt make it to 5 he is now 13 and acts like a two year old. We had him on metacalm for about a year then i took him off it and since then he has never had anything. He doesent go on long walks just a few short ones and if he plays like mad he will get half a parecetomol he know just to go lie down and rest.
 
My old lab had this, following numerous trips to the vets all we were advised to do was give him a daily dosage of metacam. Which IMHO didnt help him at all. Hydrotherapy is supposed to be very good on keeping muscle tone. Unfortunately my dog didnt make it that far and was PTS last september at the age of 7. I cannot stress enough to take up any supplements/exercising for the dog, as mine went downhill in a matter of weeks.
 
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