Dog limping, losing hair...hip dysplasia?

Question

my golden retriever is almost 7 years, and in the past 2 months he limps (back legs, doesn't put pressue on left leg). he was on prednisone for over a year because of skin condition. took him off prednisone, and now scratching all the time, hair is thin, dry, brittle and losing hair. he use to have such a nice coat. my parents don't want to take him to the vet b/c of money issues. they are trying something with supplementation of vitamin C. could this be hip dysplasia? X ray only way to tell? any comments & concerns please and thanks

Answer 1

you CANNOT just stop steroids cold turkey,,, as for hair etc...... I am quite certain your poor old golden has THYROID issues,,, quite common in the breed...... he needs to be vetted for the limping

Answer 2

It's likely hip dysplasia as goldens are one of the top breeds for this disease. Yes, you can give vitamin C to help with hip dysplasia, but make sure they are using the ester C variety as it is both easier on their stomach and it works better! 2000 mg of ester C a day (1000 mg in the morning, 1000 mg in the evening) would be fine. If they want to go the supplement route (which is fine), give him 2-4 capsules of fish oil per day (it's less than $10 at Sam's Club for 400 capsules, so very cheap) and 1 400 IUE vitamin E capsule. The omega 3s in the fish oil help the coat and it also has been shown to help with arthritis. The vitamin E helps with the coat and it also helps replenish the vitamin E the body uses up to break down the salmon oil. What brand of food is he on? Bad coat is often caused by poor diet. Any grocery store brand like Pedigree, Purina, Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc are full of fillers and allergens. Try out a brand that doesn't have corn, wheat, soy, sorghum, etc in it. You'll also have to feed less food so a more expensive food is actually less expensive! Good foods to try is Chicken Soup large breed, Innova, Canidae, Merrick, Natural Balance, etc.

Answer 3

Yes, x-rays are the only way to tell that a dog has hip dysplasia except in very severe cases.

If he has skin issues it is most likely caused by the food he has been eating. My guess would be taht the food he has been getting contains corn, wheat or soy or possibly all 3. These grains are BIG allergens and aren't nutritionally sound foods for dogs either.

Answer 4

yes x ray is the only to tell that the dog has hip dysplasia. it could also a pinched nerve or a disk problem. so yes he need to go to the vet. check with them and see if they have a payment plan.

Answer 5

if he is in that much pain, you may have to consider putting him to sleep... it sucks, but you may have to face reality.