my 7 mth old rotti has hip dysplacia, does anyone know any effective treaments besides having surgery?

Answer 1

I've lived thru this hell with one of my neo maastiffs. We tried everything-2 surgeries, plus she was on 2 medicines a day-everyday-You really need to watch the weight. Keep weight down to lowest possible safe weight. I gave supplemets -shark cartilidge and glucosimine. My dog lasted for 2 yrs., until it got so bad she could not move her hind end at all. Please don't wait that long. I did it cuz I thought I was doing her a favor. I wasn't. I was really doing it cuz I could not face putting her down. If there is quality of life-go ahead. But daily pain and suffering is wrong. Don't screw up like I did. Good Luck

Answer 2

Oh, I'm sorry. I had a rottweiler who got it and she passed away, had to be put to sleep because she was too old to operate on. She was about 12 when she got it and passed at 13. It was really hard. My vet told us that if we give our dogs a good kind of dog food made for big breeds, it will help prevent it. Like, we use Purina complete nutrition formula, and our dogs now are healthy as can be. The vet recommended Iams but it can be very expensive. We had 3 rottweilers at that time so we couldn't afford to be paying $20 a back every week. Here is some information for you....

Treatment is always directed at the stage of the disease. In the young suddenly showing discomfort, treatment is usually combined with rest. Bufferin combined with cage rest for five to seven days is usually adequate to "put out the fire" until the next flare-up. As the dog matures, surgery is the solution of outward signs of discomfort are consistent. Although a few patients can be maintained for long periods, even years, with pain medication and anti-inflammatory drugs, this is usually not the answer. There are three basic surgeries, all of which attempt to eliminate or reduce the pressure between the two arthritic surfaces.

The first surgery involves the cutting of the pectinious, which is one of the muscles that try to add stability to the joint by forcing the two bones back together. When it is cut or has a portion removed, the two bones move apart. We have had varied success with this procedure in our practice. It sometimes eliminates all pain and further surgery is not required.

The second type of surgery is the removal of the femoral head. No bony attachment between the leg and the rest of the body sounds radical, but the dog's body will compensate as the outer muscles in the area become stronger and hold the leg in place. This allows near-normal motion and use. Remember that the front leg of the dog is held to the body by muscles only; there is no bone-to-bone connection between the front legs and the rest of the skeleton. By removing the femoral head we eliminate the pain of the two bones coming in contact with each other. We have many active dogs in our practice that were able to continue their active lifestyles because of this surgery.

The final surgical technique available to a patient with dysplasia is total replacement with an artificial joint made of steel and high-impact plastic. This is very expensive and rarely necessary.

Throughout all of this, please remember that the individual dog affected with dysplasia can usually be helped to live a life that is generally free of pain. We would like to stress that fact. However, we cannot forget that some dogs do not respond well to medication or surgery.

Finally remember Hip Dysplasia is genetically spread from one generation of dog to the next. A veterinarian can certify that a dog is not dysplastic by having it x-rayed after 24 months of age. The x-rays are sent to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) for grading and certification. By breeding only those dogs certified as free of dysplasia, we continue our efforts to eliminate the disease. We want to point out that the system is working. It has been shown that in those breeds actively using OFA certification, the incidence of the disease is decreasing. If you are not x-raying your breeding animals, then you may contribute to the problem rather than the solution.

Much luck to you, it's really hard to see your dog like that, I know from experience... but your dog is young enough to recover, mine wasn't.

Answer 3

surgery is only way to correct the problem acording to my vet.{our lab had same isues} but if your baby is in pain or discomfort there are message therapies, and some meds to help. surgery is not always the answer if dog is doing ok. our lab liked to lay non heating pad.

Answer 4

One baby aspirin a day for to help with the pain.

Answer 5

No, excpet that Rimadyl is great for pain releif. Ask your vet

Answer 6

sorry the only one that know is surgery