My dog has hip-displasia is there anything I can do?

Question

Shes a lab about 8 months old and Im almost possitive shes ahs it . I just want to know if theres anything I can do to prevent it from getting really bad and causing her alot if pain as she gets older.

Answer 1

The easiest thing you can do is supplement her diet. Glucosamine works wonders for some dogs. Vitamin C (especially ester C) and Vitamin E also do wonders for many dogs as they help with the inflammation and soft tissue damage caused by the disease. MSM (which can often be found in combination with glucosamine) acts as an anti-inflammatory and helps ease pain and lameness caused by joint disease.

Also, keep her very lean. Labs have are prone to obesity anyway and extra weight is the enemy when dealing with degenerative joint diseases like HD. She should have a tuck to her belly and a noticeable waistline when viewed from above. You should be able to feel her ribs easily through a *thin* layer of fat. Make sure that she gets regular low-impact exercise such as walking (swimming is ideal) to keep those muscles in good shape. Many dogs with hip pain will also develop muscle atrophy in the rear end which makes the condition even worse.

She is very young still, too young to say for sure that she has HD or not. Her bones and joints are still growing and forming. While her hips may look awful right now, a lot can change and her hips may not look so bad once she matures and stops growing. If she is still eating puppy food, switch to an adult or all life stages formula to help slow her growth or at least make sure that it maintains a steady pace (rapid growth will contribute to any joint problems she has).

Answer 2

First of all, you need to have your dog tested (x-rays) to confirm Hip Dysplacia. its called OFA. That is the only way you can find out for sure! I breed dogs and to keep my pups dysplacia free- all breeder dogs have an OFA done.

If your dog is diagnosed with HD (my shortened Hip Dyaplacia- haha!)
No one can predict when or even if a dysplastic dog will start showing clinical signs of lameness due to pain. There are multiple environmental factors such as caloric intake, level of exercise, and weather that can affect the severity of clinical signs and phenotypic expression (radiographic changes). There are a number of dysplastic dogs with severe arthritis that run, jump, and play as if nothing is wrong and some dogs with barely any arthritic radiographic changes that are severely lame.

The degrees of lameness vary.

I am a Vet Tech and have seen a couple cases where the dog's were diagnosed with a minor case and went on to live happy healthy lives... They were given steriods or pain pills daily. But their lives were not shortened by this disease.

You need to have a consultation with your vet and x-rays done to determine whether or not your pup has HD. If radiographs are positive. Your vet would be the one to discuss treatment options with. Maybe a diet change, certain/limited exercise routines, etc.


I found this on the internet and found that all your questions AND MORE! could be answered here. From what hip dysplacia is to treatment options!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_dysplasia

This one is the OFA's website. Alot of good info on here also!

http://www.offa.org/hipgeninfo.html

Good Luck!

Answer 3

I would feed a large breed adult food like Nutro Ultra. It contains natural sources of glucosamine and chondroiton which helps with joint maintenance and alleviates some of the pain associated with HD. It also contains 3 sources of protein with chicken being the first ingredient. This is ideal for a dog that could stand to lose a little weight because the protein needs are being satisfied through eating less food. The more digestible the protein, the more accessible it is to the dog and thus fewer empty calories are being consumed. 3 proteins is also handy for a finicky dog because it offers a different flavour profile than just a plain old single source protein ;) Hope that helps :) Olivia Pet Nutrition Specialist Nutro

Answer 4

There is NO way to know if a dog has hip dysplasia without having x-rays done..unless it is a very severe case a vet can't even tell with manual manipulation ..if you think your dog has a hip or leg problem you need to take it to a vet, get x-rays done and find out exactly what you are dealing with once you know your vet can advise as to what the proper course of treatment is.

Answer 5

Check with your vet to see how you should handle the situation, it may require x-rays to determine if she has hip dysplasia.

Your vet may recommend supplements and special food she needs to be on, as well as if surgery may be necessary.

Poor girl ... : (

Answer 6

The best thing you can do is talk to your vet. There are supplements that help and your vet will be able to advise you on how to deal with it.