Hip Dysplasia?

Question

My new 3 month old puppy (siberian husky mix) that I adopted from the shelter had his first exam yesterday and the vet believes that he has the early signs of hip dysplasia.

Anyway, we noticed that he was very skittish and when my husband would try to play with him, he would accidently startle him and he would pee all over himself. We (the vet, myself, and my husband) came to the conclusion that his previous owners had beat him because he did his puppy thing and peed in their house and chewed their things.

We're going back in three weeks to finish up his series of shots and to get an x-ray on his hind leg to make sure that it is hip dysplasia and not a deep bone bruise.

Now, what I want to know is if any one's dog has this and what you did to correct it? Which surgery did your dog get?How successful was it? Is there anything else I should look for besides the way he sits, walks, runs, plays?

ANY stories, personal experiences would help.

Thank you guys very much!

I would really especially appreciate experiences with large breeds, please!

One more thing, the vet said that it's better to have surgery before he's six months especially since he's going to be big. Symptons- well the vet stretched his right leg and he yelped, he walks rather funny, and sits with his right leg out instead of tucked underneath him, he has trouble jumping up to the couch and bed.

This vet has been working on my husband's parent's dogs for over 20 years. I would say he's very reputable and again, he's not sure yet, that's why we're waiting three weeks to take some x-rays of the area.

Answer 1

I don't know about the hip surgery, but I do feed my lab glycoflex which helps prevent hip problems, and can even repair some damage I think. You may need hip surgery for the one hip, but it may be something to think about for the other hip? Just to make sure your pup stays healthy after surgery? I just thought it might be something to ask the vet about.

Submissive urination: is totally fixable. My lab had it. You need to socialize your pup to all kinds of different situations and people, and give treats, and reward brave behavior. When you meet someone, if he is too scared to take a treat, back away until you are far enough away that he will take a treat. Then reward him as he approaches. You don't need to baby him, just be happy and that will show him he doesn't need to be afraid.

You're lucky because your dog is still in the prime socialization window (before 4 months). So take your dog to new places every day, and totally ignore the peeing, give treats, and he will start to do it less and less. My lab is now the most confident dog you've ever seen (sometimes I think we did TOO good of a job socializing). And whatever you do, DO NOT scold your pup for peeing when he meets people. Just ignore. Scolding makes the problem worse.

And some positive training will help your pup too. As he learns to earn rewards and is reassured that he is doing the right thing, he will gain confidence.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Unless your puppy has severe hip dysplasia there is no way of knowing for sure he is dysplastic without x-rays and without him being at least 18 months - 24 months of age (PennHip testing can be done sooner).
Hip dysplasia can NOT be diagnosed in a 3 month old puppy unless it is very severe. This is why in order to be certified through OFA a dog MUST be 2 years old.
I would NEVER consider surgery for hips in a puppy..it is very inappropriate before they are grown.
Except in severe cases surgery is rarely done even in adult dogs.
Also the submissive behavior you mentioned has nothing ot do with the puppy being abused...it is normal behavior often exhibited by a submissive puppy. Most will out grow it as the age and become better socialized although some don't.

Answer 3

I breed Labradors and have no personal experience of this, partly due to luck and largely due to a very careful breeding programme. However I do know 2 people who have bought Labs elsewhere and both have ended up with hip dysplacia. In both cases the hip joints were replaced, very succesfully, but very expensively. Hopefully your pup does not have this, active pups get into all sorts of mischief and can injure joints and ligaments which with care and rest will mend in time. You are looking for general hindleg lameness and a constant desire to sit down, basically taking the strain off the hips. Only xrays can give a real diagnosis and in the meantime I would avoid any jumping, running up and down stairs and definitely don't allow him to pull on the end of a lead. I hope this works out well for you and a puppy who must be grateful for a caring new home.

Answer 4

There are a couple types of surgery that can be done once your pup is a bit closer to his adult size. You should see a veterinary orthopedist after you get the x-ray if he is diagnosed.

It is imperative if he does have hip dysplasia that you keep him as lean as possible and make sure he gets adequate exercise.

Submissive peeing is more a temperament issue than a sign the dog has been abused. Start working with him now on coping behaviors so that he will grow out of it... you want to teach him and ask him to do things he can succeed at as this will increase his confidence. Do NOT baby him as it reinforces the submissive behavior.

Answer 5

I wouldn't jump to conclusions yet, without the xrays especially. There are many conditions in a young dog that can cause pain and/or stiffness in one or all of the legs. Here are some examples, and hopefully it will turn out just to be "growing pains"

Full agreement that the submissive urination behavior does not indicate abuse.

I rescued a boxer pup years ago that had hip problems, but luckily it just turned out to be Panosteitis (link below) and he grew out of it completely.

http://www.vetinfo.com/dencyclopedia/depano.html

Conditions which can mimic or replicate the symptoms of hip dysplasia
According to petsurgery.com, a veterinary practice in California, the following conditions can give symptoms very similar to hip dysplasia, and should be ruled out during diagnosis:
Cauda equina syndrome (i.e. lower back problems)
Cranial (anterior) cruciate ligament tears
Other rear limb arthritic conditions
They add that:
"Traditionally, the signs of hip dysplasia are rarely extreme. Usually, only mild to moderate lameness is noted which may suddenly worsen. Dogs with a cranial (anterior) cruciate ligament tear typically hold the affected leg up (which is unusual with hip dysplasia). Patients with back (spinal) problems often scuff their toenails when walking, have an uncoordinated gait, and are weak in the rear limbs. They may be very painful if they have a disc rupture (sciatica) or show no spinal pain in certain degenerative spinal cord conditions (German Shepherd myelopathy)."

Answer 6

that could be ligament damage , i thought my st bernard had hip/dys but it turned out to be a ligament, you cant tell if a puppy that young has or is going to have it. do some more reading up and get a couple of other vets opinions before your vet does something drastic for a quick buck. a vet told a friend of mine that his st bernard needed an operation because the skin around the pups eyes was to loose the pup was eight weeks old, st bernards can get this thing called entropion which is were the eyelashes turn inwards and irritate the eye but this pup didnt have any signs of irritation or conjunctivitus , i couldnt believe the vet wanted to put a staple in the sides of the pups eyelids, i advised him to get more oppinions.

Answer 7

Submissive urination is just the sign of a submissive dog. It has nothing to do with abuse.

To "fix" hip dysplasia the vets usually cut a deeper groove in the bone for the ball to ride in. If the dog was neutered before you got him, you can assume that early neutering caused the problem. I would keep him on a lower protein diet, using adult food rather than puppy food. Also try to keep extra fat off of him, and don't over exercise at all.

Answer 8

I am dealing with moderate hip dysplasia now only in a toy dog. But this is what I am trying with her. I am giving her glucosamine and condrotin with msm. Hoping that it will help her joint to stay healthy as long as possible. Also the vet told me not to let her get heavy so I watch how much she eats. I hope all is well with your wee one. I know how hard it is to take hearing bad news

Answer 9

With my experience with German shepherds you really cant tell if they have Hip Dysplasia until they are 1 year old the earliest i would get a second opinion sounds like he has something else wrong with him. Good luck.

Answer 10

What symptoms is he having of hip dysplacia?