how to prevent hip dysplacia in large breeds like golden retrievers?

Question

i ahve a 4 month old pup and i want to make sure she does nto get it.i feed her canidae.

no,none of her family backround mentioned hip dysplasia and many of tem are ofa good.i was just worreied because im not feeding a food specifiaclly designed for large breeds.canidae does not have that.

Answer 1

You do NOT need to feed a large breed food, you do NOT need to give a puppy glucosamine supplements. Just because you own a large/giant breed of dog does NOT mean they will get hip dysplasia. Hip dysplasia is most often genetic although not always. In order to reduce the risk of a dog getting dysplasia you need to get a puppy from a breeder who does OFA/PennHip on all dogs before breeding. You need to see what is in the pedigree, you need to research. While it doesn't guarantee a dog won't get dysplasia it dramaticly reduces the risk.
Also make sure not to have your dog overweight.
Also hip dysplasia isn't the only thing people who buy Labs & Goldens need to be concerned about..elbow dysplasia and eye problems are just as common in these breeds. If buying one of these breeds not only do the breeders need OFA/PennHip on hips they need it on elbows too and they need CERF/PRA on eyes as well.

Spaying should be done BEFORE a heat cycle as well. There is NO benefit to waiting until after a dog has had a heat. Despite claims ot the contrary a dog wil lbe as big as it will be..genetics play a much bigger role then spay/neuter. Also in 35 years and many, many, many spays in dogs of all breeds I ahven't seen any effects from spaying 6 mnoths or older.. I have however seen many dogs that weren't spayed have pyometria, mammary cancer, vaginitis, UTI, etc and no they weren't all old dogs many were under 3 years of age.

Spay/Neuter is NOT a major contributor to orthopedic issues in large/giant breed dogs..I have yet to see/hear (or even owned one) of one single large/giant dog in 35 years in the vet field that had orthopedic issues because of spay/neuter.

Answer 2

Hip dyspacia has been found to not be totally genetic.

It can be caused by too much stress on the joints of larger breeds before they are fully grown.

Don't allow your dog to run up and down stairs and don't over exersise. As a rule of thumb walk your dogs for ten minutes for each month of its life until fully grown, so your dog should be walked for no more than 40 minutes per day at the moment, split into two or three walks. Of course your dog will be getting exersised running around the garden as well as its walks and that is fine.

Feeding your dog on a good puppy food that is high in protein will also help.

Hip dyspacia has been found in dogs whose parents and granparents have excellent hip scores. This is what has led to the belief that HD can be caused by over exersise at too young an age.

Answer 3

The first step is to NOT breed any dog without OFA certification of the hips. Did you check papers for parents BEFORE you purchased the dog?
If not, go back to breeder immediately and check.
Consult your vet on timeline to get your dog the needed xrays.

Keep the weight within normal ranges, just like humans, the heavier the burden, the more stress on the joints. A healthy diet is a must. A bit thin is healthiest situation.
Adequate exercise, preferably on soft surfaces---low impact workout.
If kenneled, a kennel mat should be used, not concrete to stand, play and lay on.
There are some foods available with additives that are of questionable value.

Answer 4

I don't think you can really "prevent" hip dysplasia as the tendency is already there with large breeds -- but you can certainly do things that can't hurt and might help.

Ask the breeder of your Golden if the sire and dam were x-rayed to rule out dysplasia.

Ask the breeder or your vet when your dog will be old enough to x-ray.

Ask your vet when you can put your dog on glucosamine chondroitin and fish oil supplements.

Keep him lean and at a good weight. Be sure your dog gets lots of regular exercise throughout its life. Exercise builds muscles and muscles support joints.

Good luck!

Answer 5

1. Genetics is the first place to start... were her parents OFA'd?

2. Diet .. do NOT let her become overweight. Do NOT encourage rapid growth spurts.

3. Environment.. keep her off slick surfaces... linoleum, hardwood floors, tile floors... all can be hard on her developing joints.

4. Exercise.. keep her in good shape by playing ball with her, letting her run loose in the yard, swimming etc... this develops joint supporting muscles. Do NOT do formal jogging or running until she is 18 mos or so.

You can have her evaluated for hip dysplasia at any age if it is a concern. She must be 2 years of age to be certified free of it.

Edit: iluv2rofl is right... #5. Do not alter before a dog is fully grown... altering at a young age means the long bones continue to grow for a greater length of time than they should because the hormones aren't there to stop it.

Edit 2: Canidae is fine.. just don't let her become overweight.

Answer 6

It's a genetic problem, so you can't really make sure she doesn't get it if it's in her DNA. If her parents are OFA good or excellent, she has a good chance of having good hips though. That's why the health clearances are so imporant.

You can supplement her diet to support her hips though. I give my lab missing link and glycoflex as a preventative measure. Anything with glucosamine will help prevent your dog from showing symptoms of hip dysplasia.

Answer 7

No such thing, to guarantee your dog will not get hip arthritis or any other problems, best bet, if you really love that dog bring it to the vet on a regular basis. Some animals are more prone to get it like the larger breed.

Answer 8

You can't prevent it, it's genetic, they are born with it. You should check the parents of the puppy out to see if they have it. Good breeders can tell you the history of their dogs. You can keep it some what under control by watching their weight. I had a weimeriner that had it, and that is what our vet said we could do. You can also give them a vitamin for joints.

Answer 9

Keeping her weight down is the most important thing you can do. You are feeding a good food and that will help too, but don't give extra vitamins or additives because they can cause growth spurts which is bad. It may also help to wait until after her first heat cycle to spay her, but keeping her slender is what's most important.

Answer 10

You cant prevent it because it is genetic. The best way is to pick a dog with a pedigree and check and see if it runs in the bloodline. You can do things to make it less likely or not as severe but, only threw proper breeding can you lessen the chances. Supplements and some foods play a part in it but, not the only reasons dogs get it. Its Genetic in most cases.