Thinking hip dysplasia? :(

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melandjazz

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Hi, have got appointment at vets tomorrow for my 6 month old lab x springer think she may have hip dysplasia and just wanted people's thoughts or stories with same thing.

She vets active and full of beans, but when she first gets up she's ever so slightly stiff/limpy for first few steps( fine when trotting and running) ,she also sits to one side quite a lot. She dosent appear to be in pain or if she if she is she dosent show it.
 
My collie started sitting to one side at about 7-8 months, having previously been sitting straight, which made me suspect hip dysplasia in her. She was x-rayed when spayed and that confirmed it - she was moderate.
she's now 11 and very arthritic - she's on max pain meds and anti-inflammatories and she does ok on those but she won't be with me that much longer as she has steadily deteriorated over the last year or so and is now maxed on on meds so as she gets worse I don't have anywhere else to go with her.

If your pup is confirmed then first thing I'd do is have her on a good joint supplement (straight green lipped muscle is great and not expensive) as this will help delay the arthritis. Also lots of non-weight bearing activity, swimming is great, is good as keeping her well muscled will help. Lots of short bursts of running and turning is bad as it puts extra stain on them.
The only cure for hip dysplasia is hip replacements which run at about £4000 a hip and entails a good 3 months crate rest per hip. I chose not to go down that route for Meg as by the time she was bad enough she was too old to put her through that.
 
mynutmeg said:
My collie started sitting to one side at about 7-8 months, having previously been sitting straight, which made me suspect hip dysplasia in her. She was x-rayed when spayed and that confirmed it - she was moderate.
she's now 11 and very arthritic - she's on max pain meds and anti-inflammatories and she does ok on those but she won't be with me that much longer as she has steadily deteriorated over the last year or so and is now maxed on on meds so as she gets worse I don't have anywhere else to go with her.

If your pup is confirmed then first thing I'd do is have her on a good joint supplement (straight green lipped muscle is great and not expensive) as this will help delay the arthritis. Also lots of non-weight bearing activity, swimming is great, is good as keeping her well muscled will help. Lots of short bursts of running and turning is bad as it puts extra stain on them.
The only cure for hip dysplasia is hip replacements which run at about £4000 a hip and entails a good 3 months crate rest per hip. I chose not to go down that route for Meg as by the time she was bad enough she was too old to put her through that.
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Have p'med you, also what really helped our dog was Hydro on the treadmill. Metacalm did not make much difference but the vet and my husband had no choice but to admit Hydro works when I took my boy up x 2 a month and secretly said nothing till vet and hubby noticed dog improved.
 
Thank you for replies. ATM she's got quite good muscle tone, as am lucky enough that she can come to work with mem so she spends the day just wandering around, which I suppose helps in the sense she dosent have a build up of energy from been at home all day, so she dosent really hon around. Will let you know how it goes tomorrow p, hoping if she has it's not got to a point where it's really bad yet :/
 
How on earth have we got to this desperate state, when 30 years ago HD was only known in a very few breeds, mostly the larger varieties, GSDs, Labs, GRs etc, but now, after 30+ years of research and with focussed breeding programmes, HD is now prevalent in many other breeds of dog, and the research has been to no avail, at all. If it's possible, the situation is worse now than it was then.

Is there any research to suggest just why the situation appears to be worsening?

Alec.
 
perhaps vets are better at diagnosing and also people are more aware and are perhaps looking closer at their dogs and not assuming a dog that is a bit stiff is just getting older. after all years ago we all assumed that older horses and ponies grew a thicker winter coat because they felt the cold...now we know that cushings is the reason..
 
I picked my girl up young because I was concerned about her suddenly puppy sitting but then my previous dog had also had mild hip dysplasia so I had a good idea of what to look for.
On paper Meg shouldn't be high risk as although she is a border collie she's a little unregistered farm dog from working parents - you'd think they'd be healthy - however if it wasn't for pain meds she wouldn't still be here. She's just had a week of her anti-inflammatories because of an upset stomach and she could barely get up from lying down and walking was not easy at all, thankfully she's back on them now but makes a huge difference.

I think a lot of the reason it's getting more and more prevalent is because more and more people want pure bred dogs with little understanding of health issues and because dogs are worth more now so there are more people breeding anything they can.
 
Moya_999 said:
Have p'med you, also what really helped our dog was Hydro on the treadmill. Metacalm did not make much difference but the vet and my husband had no choice but to admit Hydro works when I took my boy up x 2 a month and secretly said nothing till vet and hubby noticed dog improved.
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Not sure if you pm'd me or the OP but if it was me, I haven't got it.

The metacam will only make a difference once the arthritis has set in as thats what it helps treat. If their stiffness and mobility is due to weak muscles then metacam won't make a huge difference whereas the swimming will.
I've just had to stop meg swimming as she's got to the point where it was making her too sore even with only a 5-10 minute session :-( Felt bad for her as she absolutly loves it but it was taking her almost the whole week to recover instead of just being a bit stiff the next day and much better the rest of the week
 
mynutmeg said:
Not sure if you pm'd me or the OP but if it was me, I haven't got it.

The metacam will only make a difference once the arthritis has set in as thats what it helps treat. If their stiffness and mobility is due to weak muscles then metacam won't make a huge difference whereas the swimming will.
I've just had to stop meg swimming as she's got to the point where it was making her too sore even with only a 5-10 minute session :-( Felt bad for her as she absolutly loves it but it was taking her almost the whole week to recover instead of just being a bit stiff the next day and much better the rest of the week
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Sorry I meant the OP, that is who I have p'med
 
Alec Swan said:
How on earth have we got to this desperate state, when 30 years ago HD was only known in a very few breeds, mostly the larger varieties, GSDs, Labs, GRs etc, but now, after 30+ years of research and with focussed breeding programmes, HD is now prevalent in many other breeds of dog, and the research has been to no avail, at all. If it's possible, the situation is worse now than it was then.

Is there any research to suggest just why the situation appears to be worsening?

Alec.
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It's not the research that counts, Alec, it's hip scoring of the parents which is still rare, IME, unfortunately. Labs and springers (along with GSDs) are notorious for it. One of mine has very shallow hip sockets, he bunny hops when running, but has the most elegant trot.

OP, only an x ray can confirm HD and I would definitely be asking the vet for a BVA type x ray, legs blocked so you get the proper picture as opposed to a slack pose. As the dog is only a pup, this is especially important given the bones aren't yet fully formed. Depth of hip sockets won't realy improve if it is HD, but you can definitely help. If you have slippy laminate/Lino, you want to look at options for flooring that aren't slippy, for example.

The best thing, IMO, is proper exercise to keep the muscles supporting the joint in excellent shape, so look at going up hills, walking through sand etc. Twisting to retrieve is not a good exercise, although mine does a lot of this and jumping up to get a ball is also contraindicated. It's not the end of the world, but you do need to be even more careful with the pup than you would be normally with a youngster.

In terms of pain relief, the vet probably won't want to prescribe too much at her age, so I echo the green lipped mussel, turmeric and hydro/careful exercise. With mine, I don't let him overdo his exercise and I occupied him taking him everywhere with me in the car as a pup. He now does search work when I take him out, not much running round. It takes him a very short time to become worn out. He goes swimming as often as possible.

I hope you get a good result at the vet's!
 
cinnamontoast said:
It's not the research that counts, Alec, it's hip scoring of the parents which is still rare, IME, unfortunately. Labs and springers (along with GSDs) are notorious for it. ……..!
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We were most certainly hip-scoring Labs 35 years ago, and only breeding from clear (or nearly so) parents. To my 'ALMOST' certain knowledge, and at that time, HD was unknown (certainly to me) in Springers, and we never gave 'elbows' a second thought.

My point is that despite diligence, the condition of HD has now spread to those breeds which previously were known to be clear, and all the while whilst under the noses of both researchers and breeders. I'm just wondering how this apparently worsening condition has occurred.

In about 1975 I attended an interview with a lady called Joan Macan (she was subsequently murdered!), and she wanted someone to Trial her Show bred Labradors. I didn't take the job because not one in her extensive kennels could have ever been considered suitable, but we did discuss HD extensively, and she said that ALL puppies were housed as pairs, they were never allowed on concrete, and that ALL exercise until they were 10 months old was severely restricted, which by their appearance, was obvious! How restricting exercise was going to influence the formation of a hip joint, I never discovered!

It was fashionable during the 1970s for the Show breeders to blame the Working dog breeders, and vice versa. There was hardly if ever a crossing of the two types, so just how both branches of one breed should have succumbed the the same condition, remains a mystery.

Alec.
 
Some breeders were hip scoring, Alec, tbh, not many, as evidenced by the lack of scores on the KC a website if you have a quick look.

The rule of thumb that many pet owners follow (as opposed to working dogs, I have zero idea on this) is 5 minutes of exercise per month of age to ensure joints aren't adversely impacted.
 
mynutmeg. Have you thought about using Turmeric to help your girl. I have a Springer Spaniel that was diagnosed with Arthritis in both elbows and hocks in 2004. He was on the full dose of pain killers and still moving badly. I had started to use Turmeric with a mare that has Navicular and was very stiff too. Because of that I started to give it to my dog. I have been able to reduce the meds and he has been able to continue with his Hydrotherapy once a week.
 
Hi,

I have just found out my collie cross has hip dysplasia. One hip is much worse than the other but he has it in both.

We have started a course of synoquin and also previcox on bad days but id rather not have him on long term meds as this stage as he is still very young! Luckily he is insured as he is a large dog (30kg) and meds alone were close to £80 a month.

Our vet told us excersise and keeping him muscled up is key although we haven't tried hydro. We do live on the beach though and he swims a lot!

I've been searching for other suppliments etc to try but not sure which would be any good.

My dog has unknown parentage, so I guess not scored!

Good luck with your dog!
 
paulineh said:
mynutmeg. Have you thought about using Turmeric to help your girl. I have a Springer Spaniel that was diagnosed with Arthritis in both elbows and hocks in 2004. He was on the full dose of pain killers and still moving badly. I had started to use Turmeric with a mare that has Navicular and was very stiff too. Because of that I started to give it to my dog. I have been able to reduce the meds and he has been able to continue with his Hydrotherapy once a week.
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mm, no haven't tried it yet, have looked at it, may need to go look again. Thanks
 
mynutmeg said:
mm, no haven't tried it yet, have looked at it, may need to go look again. Thanks
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My lad is on a level 5 ml scoop (One's you get with horse supplements) about 6 twists of freshly ground Black Pepper and a teaspoon full of Extra Virginal oil. I add this to a cupful of milk and he loves it. As the winter is here I have given the same amount in his food at night (He has the Royal Canin Mobility Food).

My lad is 13 yrs old and has just had his yearly vaccinations and health check and the vet is amazed how well he is. As well as Arthritis he has Chronic Bronchitis and an under active thyroid (Both of which he has medication for) The meds for the Arthritis and the Bronchitis have been able to be reduced and we have just done a blood test to see what his Thyroid is doing.

Do get onto the Turmeric Users Group and see what results people are having.
 
I had a working type cocker with these symptoms in her front leg. She would be stiff and a good 8 tenths lame for a few steps and then it would ease off and go very quickly. It onmy occurred on getting up after rest/sleep. It wasn't dysplasia it was cruciate ligament issues ( I think, it was a while ago) she had injections into the shoulder. And then very strict rest and build up with lead walks. She had 6 months clear and then the other leg went. We were repeating the process but unfortunately lost her to an unrelated incident.
 
We have one lab that was showing signs of it. We found that keeping him out of water made a huge difference, particularly in winter. He hasn't been lame at all for a year now, whereas before that he was stiff for a lot of winter. So if you're going down the swimming route be aware that the cold may have an adverse effect.
 
I had a GSD aged 5 with hip dysplasia. He was on joint supplements, pain relief when required ( not often) and I took him to hydrotherapy once a week. He did better on the treadmill than in the pool. He lived until he was 10.
My 7 year old GSD has hip dysplasia too. Somebody may like to tell her! It was diagnosed as a puppy. I took her to specialist and had her x rayed. He told me to go away and enjoy her and deal with it when she showed symptoms. She hasn't to date.
 
I've had very good result by using acupuncture on 2 dogs and 1 cat with joint problems, so that is usually what I recommend the most.

Otherwise I can only ditto some previous suggestions, about trying supplements with Green-lipped mussel and/or Glucosamine, plus swimming (indoors in winter/outdoors in summer) and trying to keep them well muscled.
 
If you dog does have hip dysplasia then it will probably be a case of managing your dog to try and slow down the onset of further problems, which will more then likely include arthritis in the joint if it is not already there. See what your vet says first.

Key to it is keeping your dog at optimum weight, ensuring adequate exercise to encourage muscle tone. This will help to stabilise the hip joint. Depending on the severity of the dysplasia, the dog will probably load the other limbs more to favour the bad limb. however this will put extra strain on the other muscles and cause problems as well. Hydro therapy by a qualified centre is good as it is a non weight bearing exercise. Regular massage and physical therapy, such as McTimoney, will also help with the pain. Muscles get tight around the joint, causing discomfort, which also means the muscle cannot work properly to support the joint. If dog is weighting the other limbs more, these will also get tight and cause further problems. Tight muscles and compensatory movements can also lead to sore backs and spinal misalignments.
 
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