Big Paws Only Dog Forums
BPO Medical Forum => Medical Conditions & Diseases => : shangrila November 04, 2006, 03:09:53 PM
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Since hip dysplasia (HD) is so prevelant in Big Dogs, I wanted to make a thread gathering info about prevention, treatment, and personal experiences to share with people new to HD.
I am going to be copying some old posts here that are relevant to HD, and please feel free to add anything from your experience with HD.
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posted by paharts (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,8425.msg105274.html#msg105274)
i think you need another opinion, preferably from a specialist that has LOTS of experience with giant breeds. here's my story:
many years ago, my mother and many other mastiff breeders [mainly in CA] voluntarily took their very young dogs to UC Davis to participate in a study on HD. after x-raying 1 of our 8 month old males, they said he had such SEVERE hd that he should be euthanized right away or, at the very least, absolutely never bred and they didn't think he'd continue walking for very long. luckily, mom listened to her gut and continued to show him while watching him closely for any problems. he won a LOT and finished to CH quickly. when this dog was older, they took him back to Davis for a follow-up and they determined that he had 'very good' hips. he went on to take many BOBs and sired many beautiful babies, and i don't think any were diagnosed with hd.
during this study, they determined that the manner in which giant dogs breeds grow can cause hd false positives.
I found some sites at mastiff.org that you might be interested in checking out.
Diagnosis
The Importance of Good Positioning on Canine Hip X-Rays (http://www.leerburg.com/hipart.htm)
Treatment and Care
Hip Dysplasia Treatment Options (http://www.offa.org/hdtreat.html)
Glucosamine and Chondroitin (http://www.peteducation.com/nutrition/glu_chond.htm)
Dr. Henry De Boer Jr. on Canine Hip Dysplasia (http://workingdogs.com/deboer_hipdysplasia.htm)
Hip Dysplasia & Spondylosis - Alternative Treatments (http://www.holisticvetconsult.com/dysplasia.htm)
Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine (http://www.altvetmed.com/)
The Senior Dogs Project (http://www.srdogs.com/)
Adequan Canine for Degenerative Joint Disease (http://www.luitpold.com/canine/index.html)
Ester-C: Miracle Cure for Hip Dysplasia??? (http://workingdogs.com/doc0039.htm)
i hope this information helps you in this very difficult situation.
best wishes, katy
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posted by newflvr (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,8425.msg105157.html#msg105157)
I had a Landseer who went through the total hip replacement at a year. Where are you located? Is an orthopedist going to do the surgery? I think it is absolutely essential that you have it done at either a major surgery center with an orthopedist who has done LOTS of these surgeries or at a VET training university...a gain by someone who has done many many of these procedures.
Otis had no hip socket on one side and very little on the other side. We did the worst one first and he spent the night in the hospital and I brought him home the next day. The recovery is really tough! He had a morphine patch for the first week which made him quite agitated. I slept next to him for three weeks so I could give him ice chips and take him out to go to the bathroom. At three weeks, he was fairly good and could walk on his own. By six weeks he was excellent and at 3 months he was running and playing and back to normal. We never did his second hip because he was functioning normally.Â
In conversation with the various vet techs who took care of him and in the follow-up visits, the consensus was that he was really lucky that it went so smoothly and that he had SUCH a good result. Otis was an exceptionally big newf (tall....about 35 inches at the shoulder) and there was some thought that could have been the reason for his bad hips. He also had a very bad spine...and that's a whole other story.
I'm happy to share the names of the Doctors who worked on him so maybe you could check with them for referals if you'd like...
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posted by Nicole (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,8425.msg105288.html#msg105288)
My SIL had her Yellow Lab's hips done at Purdue University. One of the best in the country. Here is a THR Fact sheet from their website. They do MANY MANY THR Surgeries. They are wonderful. My SIL and Vinny, her Yellow Lab, had a very good experience, and I'm sure that Purdue's Vets would be more than willing to answer questions for you.
http://www.vet.purdue.edu/hospital/faq_hip_replacement.pdf
Here is the evaluation form, so you can see what kinds of things they look at:
http://www.vet.purdue.edu/hospital/hip_owner_eval.pdf
And finally, the link to their homepage:
http://www.vet.purdue.edu/hospital/
Good luck! There are tons of knowledgeable people her at Big Paws Only and you should be able to find a wealth of information and support!
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posted by MaggieB (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1509)
I have been thru this and my dog Cooper had triple pelvic osteotomy on both hips last summer. He was about 8 months old. My husband and I really struggled with the decision and heard the stories about dogs who "grew out of it" but the doctor didn't think he had a good chance b/c arthritis had already started in one hip. His surgery totaled about $6000 for both hips.
It is now about 9 months later and he is doing wonderfully. We just had some x-rays last week b/c his hips were making a clicking noise, but they looked great! No arthritis showing and full joint coverage. We don't regret it for a minute and feel fortunate that we had the resources to do it. It was a very hard recovery, though.
let me know if you want anymore info..
Good luck!
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posted by The Brindle Pack (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,3844.msg58012.html#msg58012)
I'm not sure where you are but the first thing I would do is get at least 1 or 2 second opinions from orthopedic surgeons. If you are in southern California I can give you a few names. I would NOT allow a regular vet perform this or any other hip surgery.
Our Tucker (dane/lab mix) was dx. with HD when he was about 7 months old and due to the advanced arthritic changes was not a candidate for the TPO. Other surgical options were either an FHO (Femoral Head Ostectomy) or THR (Total Hip Replacement). After a great deal of research and three consultations we were prepared to go with the THR. Unfortunately due to Tucker being a genetic mess (Epilepsy, HD, Allergies) surgery did not seem the best course of action for him. Currently we are treating with diet, limited exercise and Metacam.
There is a great deal of information regarding HD on the internet, even a Yahoo board with many people who have gone through this. Here is the link to those boards: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CanineHD/
Good luck and if there is anything I can do please feel free to drop me a note.
Cindy
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posted by shangrila (me) (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,3844.msg46873.html#msg46873)
When Zoey was 5 months old she was bunny hopping and we took her to a surgeon to have Xrayed. The Xrays came back saying hip dysplasia, and TPO was one of the options presented to us. However, the vet said that she was probably bunny hopping because she was growing through a growth spurt and having growing pains, and that she would be suprised to see a saint (or a newf) with perfectly normal hips. We chose not to do the surgery for three reasons: 1. The surgery is very intense and recovery is difficult. Most surgeons reccomend to do hips seperately and there is a long recovery. We didn't want to put zoey through 2 painful surgeries with 3 month recoveries from each. 2. The surgery is prohibitively expensive. If I had the money I wouldn't think for a second about whether or not I would spend it on zoey, but most of us just don't have a few grand to spend no matter how much we would want to. 3. The tpo has to be done at such a yound age that you don't really know if it is neccessary - some dogs have bad xrays but show no pain, while others have decent xrays and exhibit a ton of pain. You don't really know how severe it is until they are older which is one of the reasons many people dont xray until 2 years old. So the tpo may really help your dog, but your dog might have been fine without it.
We chose preventative maintenance as our treatment method. From day one we have monitored her food intake to make sure she is not overweight - the less weight that a dog has on their hips, the better. Also, the slower that an HD dog grows the better their ability to grow into their hips and the better their chances at a pain free life - for this reason, zoey has always been on adult food (puppy food encourages fast growth). You also need to make sure not to let your dog jump, so we use a ramp for the truck and keep her off the bed. Excersize is important to build up the muscles in the hips and legs, but you want to make it low-impact excersize; walking or swimming are best. Finally, jiont medication is really helpful for dogs with hip pain. We used to feed a liquid glucosamine/msm/chondroitin supplement, and have recently switched to cosequin because it is supposed to be the best. Zoey is 15 months now and even though she has a bad week here and there that terrifies me, she is in the most part a happy dog who show little or no pain most of the time.
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posted by lins saving grace (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,406.msg2641.html#msg2641)
The breeder who I got my Rott from gave me this bit of advise. Feeding your dog 1000mg of Vitamin C after the age of 6 months and 500mg (or a half a pill) of Vitamin C with meals helps in preventing Hip Dysplasia. I also mix their food with yogert (1 tablespoon under 6 months and 2 tablespoons over 6 months) which aids in digestion. Makes them have to out more often...but keeps them healthy! And that is the important part.
posted by doghealer (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,8880.msg110746.html#msg110746)
I give Nigel Ester-C every day. It is different from plain Vitamin C... somehow it is absorbed better. I found this article...
http://www.workingdogs.com/doc0039.htm
I'm not sure if this is what you read, but I followed the advice given. I also give him glucosamine. He hasn't shown any signs of hip pain but he has HD in his family so I do what I can to prevent problems.
The thing about C vitamins is that if the body doesn't use them, they are eliminated. A lot of holistic and natural health promoters recommend Ester-C daily to enhance immunity, for people and dogs. It has other benefits besides just for joints.
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posted by sc.trojans (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,406.msg28500.html#msg28500)
good thing to have them on is Glucosamine - already mentioned by one poster (Cosequin). Every big dog can use the assistance of all natural glucosamine since they typically lack sufficient amounts of it already in their joints. As they age, it will only decline (just like us). The orthopedic surgeons I know argue that every big dog should be on glucosamine starting at 4-5 months and remain on it for life. My Berner has been on it and she is a year old now - she is the most athletic Berner I have ever seen and I hope it keeps her in top shape. My Golden, who is dysplastic in both elbows AND has two luxating patellas, has been on it since she was 9 months old. I know of her joint problems because I had her certified by the OFA at two years of age - this is my only indicator however as she has never limped a day in her life. Now the OFA can be wrong, and only time will tell - but with both elbows and knees certified as less than stellar, it is unlikely. In time, she will surely be arthritic but so far, at age 4, she is a highly active jumper and shows no signs.
So the other point here is that a dog can be dysplastic but also be asymptomatic, as in my Golden's case. If a dog is actually limping, it is a sign that it is severe - or else severe pano (growing pains) and pretty far along.
I would never give my dog Rimadyl...not for anything until they are on their death bed - that is a nasty drug and I have seen too many dogs die from it - be sure to always research the drugs you're given before giving them - as vets today do not provide you with side effects and cautionary sheets like we receive from pharmacists.
If anyone has a dog that is dysplastic or arthritic, I also highly recommend hyaluronic acid - I use Synthovial 7 since it is in liquid form and more readily assimilated - but it has worked wonders on my own stiff knees and I believe my Golden's mobility. It is naturally occuring in our bodies as well and diminishes as we age - it is attributed to arthritis setting in (as well as wrinkles and loss of vision). There are natural pain killers out there far safer, and more effective than an ugly drug like Rimadyl - always try them first before resorting to something like that.
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posted by shangrila (me) (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,7177.msg91850.html#msg91850)
I would suggest you not get xrays right now unless you are considering a TPO surgery. Saints are not full grown until they are 2 years old, and xrays taken now would be preliminary and are not neccessarily an accurate reflection of her full grow hips. But, if you are considering a TPO (should she turn out to be dysplastic), it is important you get the xrays NOW.
Let me step back for a second here: there are two options for treatment of HD: surgery, or prevention/maintenance. If you choose surgery, there are three surgeries: a TPO, which must be done during the main growth stages (under 10 months), a total hip replacement, and an FHO. The TPO can be extremely effective, so if you see yourself considering surgery (if she has dysplacia), then you need to get xrays immediately because a TPO is only a viable option for another month or so.
If you do not see yourself doing surgery, I would not get xrays now. I would deffinately start with a pevention/maintenance routine though regardless of what you choose. A few of the things that you can do to help:
- maintain a light weight through controlled portions of high quality food coupled with low-impact excersize.
- Prevent jumping
- provide comfortable cushioned bedding
- supplement with a glucosamine/chondrointin/msm supplement
My Saint has HD. She started displaying symptoms very early (4-5 months), and we chose to do xrays. However, we chose not to do surgery because we did not want to put hr through the pain and it was also prohibitively expensive. Because we did not do surgery and were already implementing prevention/maintenance techniques, our xrays turned out useless because we can't even use them to compare to later xrays once she finishes growing.
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posted by shangrila (me) (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,11488.msg143264.html#msg143264)
I have not gone through TPO recovery, but to my understanding you will have to crate him to restrict his movement, so you will want comfy bedding and chew toys and treats to keep him happy and comfortable in his crate. Your vet should also be able to give you specific directions for his recovery.
Here is a link to a journal about one dog's TPO recovery: http://www.wunderland.com/WTS/Ginohn/cetera/TPO.html
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posted by saint and mal mom (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,11766.msg147644.html#msg147644)
We had to put my dog Ben down partly because he was in such pain from his hip dysplasia. We gave him glucosamine tablets and aspirin to help with the pain every day. Problem with the aspirin was that after too much use, it can cause the stomach to bleed or other bowel problems. So we quit using it, then the pain came back. Ultimately, nothing helped him because I think the hip dysplasia was so far advanced when we tried to treat it. That's why I started both my dogs now on Glucosamine pills every night since they've been about 7 months old. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If his hd isn't too far advanced, I'd definitely start him on Glucosamine tablets. Ask your vet about the right dosage for him.
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posted by good hope (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,10670.msg132379.html#msg132379)
What were the two surgeries that you and the vet discussed? Was one the triple pelvic osteotomy? That is the only surgery that I know of that cannot wait past 12 months; others you could do later. On the other hand, this surgery isn't something you would want to do unless there is moderate to severe hip dysplasia. If it is just mild, you cannot be 100% certain that the dog isn't in an awkward stage of growth. I would definitely get a second opinion.
Also, there are at least three different surgeries that can be done for hip dysplasia: the triple pelvic osteotomy, total replacement of the joint (don't know the technical term), and femoral head excision arthroplasty. There may be others that I don't know about. Maybe your vet didn't mention one of them because your dog, for whatever reason, is not a good candidate, but it still might be good for you to learn about the different surgeries. We have a four-year-old American Eskimo rescue with moderate to severe hip dysplasia. Since she doesn't have any problems other than occasional soreness from cold weather or rough play with the big paws, we aren't doing anything special for her. We did decide to do the femoral head excision arthroplasty if she ever gets to the point that symptoms indicate that surgery is needed.
There is a wonderful Yahoo group called Orthodogs that deals with all kinds of orthopedic problems, including hip dysplasia. Many people are on the board to help and have come up with some really creative solutions in regard to different conservative management techniques and physical therapy. They may also be able to recommend a veterinarian in your area who specializes in orthopedics, if you are interested. The people in that group can definitely steer you in the right direction in regards to anti-inflammatories, supplements, and nutrition.
Have you considered feeding raw? There are several members of this board that feed raw (besides ourselves), and some on Orthodogs do too. I know that there have been threads here about it.
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posted by krismark (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,10670.msg133947.html#msg133947)
My dog has HD, and when we got him at about a year old he couldn't walk up the two stairs in my house without assistance. He was in a lot of pain. My vet told me about the surgical options, as well as chiropractic adjustments and accupunture.
I chose the chiro and accupuncture. He had sessions in close proximity at first, then they spread apart. Maybe about ten sessions in all over a period of 6 months. It probably cost me about $500 total.
That was 6 years ago. He is still benefiting from those treatments today. He walks normally and can run and go up stairs without signs of pain. I fully expect him to live a normal life, relatively pain free. Maybe when he is older he will have som problems, but he is already over 6 years old and doing well.
If your dog evver starts showing discomfort in the hips, I would suggest looking fo a holistic vet that does accupuncture and adjustments. Supposedly it has greater benefit and longer lasting results if done early on.
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posted by melissakins (http://)
Something I'd also do is LIGHT exercise, preferably on grass or dirt or sand, not on pavement. Let him swim if he'll swim and let him swim a LOT - the swimming will help him develop muscles in an environment that is not stressful to his developing joints. I'd keep him on a LOW protein diet, give him a nice soft bed to sleep on and take it easy on the playing. Newfs don't finish growing til they're two and have very delicate joints/bones while they're growing. Glucosamine supplements can't hurt either. Human grade is what most of us use who have large breed dogs. Also I'd make sure the vet who sees him knows large breed dogs and can assess joints/hips. His hips will be loose til he's older.
Hip dyplasia is not the end of the world for your pup, fortunately . It can be taken care of with diet/exercise via swimming and supplements and if it's extreme, can be taken care of with surgery. I'd wait til I had a second opinion before I'd do a surgery and see if rest helped. Your vet might also recommend rimadyl for a short period of time to manage pain. Don't use it over long periods of time as it can be damaging though.
Take heart, we've all known someone or are going thru joint issues ourselves with our pups and you'll find a LOT of good advice and find out what's worked for us.
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posted by vdoglover (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,12437.msg156087.html#msg156087)
In its mild form it is a HD livable condition. Biggest thing to remember is what she does now will effect her more in the long run then a dog without HD. So be sure to keep her active (swimming is a great way) and her weight low.
I have a way of picking dysplastic dogs~ have owned 3 so far~ I'm sure there will be more down the road.
Bear (now passed) was my first dysplastic dog ~ Found by x-ray at 6 months old. We followed the vets advice to make him less active etc... By age 6 he was on pain killers and by 9 he drug his back leg.
Lucci now 10yo was found to be dysplastic at 2yo~ flattened cup, bone spurs, and femoral arthritis.
With her I went against the vets advice and did not decrease her activity.....
I decided making her stop all dog sports in the hopes of getting a few added elderly years was not the route Lucci would want and continued with her. Now at age 10 she limps (doesn't stop her from jumping the darn baby gates though) and is slow to rise...but is not in "pain" where I feel its time for drugs to be added. However I put her on Glucosamine/MSM when she was 3yo.
May now 4yo was just found to be dysplastic. Less then 50% of the femoral ball in socket-no arthritis (yahhhh). She currently is not showing many signs other then the occasional bunny hop.
I have both the girls on Pet Naturals hip and joint formulas with Lucci now getting the extra strength with MSM and chondroitin. I feel the adding of these supplements and keeping the muscles up with activities are why she has not progressed to the pain levels Bear had.
Good luck and if you have not done so you may want to send the x-rays to OFA so that there will be a record of her lines passing HD.
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posted by vdoglover (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,12437.msg156101.html#msg156101)
I was first recommended to try MSM on Lucci years ago by a Human PT RN following a soft tissue injury that did not improve after 6 weeks of cage rest. I found when researching it had been in use on horses for many years. I kept her on it from the age of 3-5 until she retired from flyball. At the time I was not aware that it also had shown to help reduce inflammation and increase circulation at arthritic sites.
Almost immediately following going off MSM Lucci started showing the wear on her bad hip. She was then put back on that along with the glucosimine which was enough until this year when I had to add Chondroitin and vit C (forgot about that one).
I will just copy and paste...
What is MSM?
MSM is a natural sulfur-containing compound found in many foods. MSM is normally present in the body of people and animals, but is also available in supplementary form. Sulfur is stored in almost every cell in the body. The highest concentrations are found in joints, hair, skin, and nails. MSM contains sulfur in a form the body can readily use and that is needed for many body functions.
Sulfur is necessary for the production of collagen, glucosamine, and chondroitin, which are the building blocks of cartilage. MSM is reported to enhance the structural integrity of connective tissue, and help reduce scar tissue by altering components that contribute to scar formation. MSM has been promoted as having powerful anti-inflammatory and pain reducing properties, and is thought to work by blocking the pain perception in certain nerve fibers before the pain impulse reaches the brain.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?dept_id=0&siteid=12&acatid=361&aid=1200
Long version:
MSM makes cell walls permeable, allowing water and nutrients to freely flow into cells and allowing wastes and toxins to properly flow out. The body uses MSM along with Vitamin C to create new, healthy cells, and MSM provides the flexible bond between the cells.
Approximately half of the total body sulfur is concentrated in the muscles, skin and bones. One of the most significant uses of MSM as a supplement is its demonstrated ability to relieve pain and inflammation. When rigid fibrous tissue cells swell and become inflamed, pressure and pain result. Since MSM can restore flexibility and permeability to cell walls, fluids can pass through the tissues more easily. This helps equalize pressure and reduce or eliminate the cause of pain. Harmful substances such as lactic acid and toxins are allowed to flow out, while nutrients are permitted to flow in. This prevents the pressure buildup in cells that causes inflammation. (1)
MSM has shown a remarkable ability to reduce or eliminate muscle soreness and cramps both in geriatric patients and in athletes. It's even given to race horses before a race to prevent muscle soreness, and afterward to reduce the risk of cramping. People with arthritis report substantial and long-lasting relief with MSM supplements. Taken along with glucosamine, a key substance in the process of rebuilding cartilage, MSM can relieve pain and help repair worn or damaged cartilage in joints, ligaments and tendons with healthy, flexible new cells.
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posted by gypsy (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,12800.msg159443.html#msg159443)
The recent NIH (National Institutes of Health) GAIT study appears to the authoritative source on glucosamine & chondroitin use vis-a-vis osteoarthritis to date:
http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/gait/qa.htm
Please note the following:
1. G&C is NOT used for bone strength. It (supposedly) affects cartilage degeneration in joints.
2. They provided statistically significant pain relief to participants with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritic joint pain but NOT to those with only mild pain
3. Neither glucosamine nor chondroitin provided statistically significant pain relief when used alone (i.e., not in combination with each other)
4. There is insufficient evident to support using G&C for prophylactic use (i.e., to prevent cartilage regeneration)
5. G&C should not be used by those with shellfish allergies, as they are shellfish derivatives
6. These supplements are regulated as food, not as drugs. (You can find an evaluation of the actual amount of the ingredients in various brands at ConsumerReport s .com.)
KEY TAKE-AWAY: In all but severe cases specifically of osteoarthritis, it is probably not helpful to give your pet glucosamine and chondroitin. I am not aware of EVIDENCE-BASED scientifically-conducted studies proving any efficacy in pets. Better to save your money or buy a more comfortable bed.
posted by newflvr (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,12800.msg159334.html#msg159334)
I sort of heard this through Cowboy's breeder...that's why we use Cetyl M....I have no idea how good it is except he was limping (arthritis in both front elbows) when we got him and he hasn't limped at all since he's been on Cetyl M.
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posted by moonlitcroatia (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,1746.msg17507.html#msg17507)
This article is from a British Site. It explains a situation in which a purchaser obtains a pup with hip dysplasia and the legal situation which ensued.
Source: http://www.gsdhelpline.com/legal.htm
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posted by shangrila (me) (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,8179.msg102431.html#msg102431)
Hip Dysplacia
The leading organization dealing with HD is the OFA (orthopedic foundation for animals). According to them, St. Bernards have the 6th highest incidence of HD. They deal primarily with testing hips, but you can also read a short but informative sumary of HD from them here: http://www.offa.org/hipgeninfo.html and a brief overview of treatment options here: http://www.offa.org/hiptreat.html
Two longer but easier to read article can be found here: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1569&articleid=444 and here: http://www.canismajor.com/dog/dys01.html You can also visit this site: http://www.workingdogs.com/doc0090.htm for a variety of other HD resources.
I will give you a quick overview of what I, as an owner of a saint with HD, believe are the most important points you need to know right now:
Prevention
HD is deffinately related to genetics, but how much it affects a dog has a lot to do with how the pup is raised. If you begin a prevention when the pup is a baby, you will help minimize the impact of the HD in the long run. Some simple things that you can do to prevent HD are:
- Let the pup grow slowly. The dog will ultimately reach the same full-grown size, but the longer it takes them to get to that size, the better. By letting a pup grow slowly, you are letting their hips have more time to grow into themselves. This is where the adult food comes into play. Puppy food is high in protein and is made to make a pup grow quickly; since this is what you want to avoid, you should put your dog on a regular adult or large breed adult food from the start. If the pup is having trouble eating it because it is hard, soak it in warm water to make it puppy-teeth friendly
- Maintain a light weight through controlled portions of high quality food. You want to keep your saint on the slim side to reduce the impact on their hips. You do not want a ridiculously skinny dog because that would not be healthy, but you do want them on the slim side, because saints tend to be overweight, but the thinner the dog is, the greater the benefit to the hips. The way my vet explained it to me is that because of Newton's Second Law of Motion (Force=Mass X Acceleration), loosing 10% of body mass will reduce the impact on the hips by 30%.
- Use moderate to low-impact excersize. This will not only help maintain weight, but will also help build muscles. Strong leg muscles will also help reduce the impact on the hips. Saints do better with several short walks than with one long walk. They also do better when going at a slow pace. When you want them to run around with their dog friends, make sure it is on a soft suface (grass) rather than a hard one (pavement). If you live near a lake, swimming is also a wonderful low-impact excersize.
- Prevent jumping. Train your dog not to jump on people or furniture. For situations where getting up is neccessary (ie, to get into a car), you can buy a ramp. You should also learn how to safetly (for you and them) lift your dog for situations where they can't jump and a ramp is not available.
- Provide comfortable cushioned bedding. This includes inside their crate as well as having cushy beds to lie on in the living room, bedroom, or wherever else they hang out.
- Supplement with a glucosamine/chondrointin/msm supplement. This has been proven to help reduce the pain and inflamation associated with the arthritis that HD causes. The one caution is that you need to make sure you are using a reliable brand because these supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so you need to make sure that your brand of choice is trustworthy.
- If you have wood, tile, or laminate floors, get large area rugs to cover them where possible, and use a rubber carpet liner underneath to hold it in place. HD dogs tend to slip and slide on smooth floors, which will only complicate their injuries.
- Keep the fur under their paws trimmed. This will help prevent slipping and sliding.
Signs to look for
These are some of the signs to watch out for. If you see them, you should speak with your doctor about them. If HD presents itself severly before your pup is 10 months old, you might consider getting a TPO surgery. Otherwise, it is suggested that you wait until a dog is two years old before X-raying hips because they will not have reached full growth until then. Also, it is important to know that the X-ray does not neccessarily reflect the amount of pain the dog feels; some dogs have terrible Xrays and few symptoms, while others might have decent xrays but debilitating pain.
The symptoms of HD tend to be worst in the morning when the pet first gets up and then improve throughout the day. Symptoms tend to be worse after heavy exercise, usually the next day. Also, some days are better than others, with cold and wet days often being worse. Symptoms include:
- limping
- "bunny hopping", which means that when running the dog will use both hind legs tegether like a bunny would.
- short-strided steps in the rear legs
- slow to get rear-end up off the floor
- slow to sit or lie down
- difficulty climbing stairs or jumping
- morning stiffness
- reluctance to exercise or play.
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posted by brandon (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,5991.msg76618.html#msg76618)
There is a lot of good information on things you can do to help make your dog more pain-free and live a more normal life.
Two lists that I am on that has a LOT of information on them:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orthodogs/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ConservativeManagement/
Also check into Adequan, there's a lot of dogs that wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for that miracle drug. I like Jacksmom's suggestion and have read a lot of positive things about the gold beads therapy.
Newf.net in the Maladies/Disease section has a lot of good information also, with specific exercises, supliments, etc that can help.
A total hip replacement is a salvage operation and can be done at any time, so there is no rush, try some alternative (less-invasive) things to try and help him.
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posted by brandon (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,8746.msg108967.html#msg108967)
May be able to find a vet that does accupuncture and/or gold beads close to you with one of these searches.
Search for Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
http://www.ivas.org/member_search.cfm
Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine
http://www.chi-institute.com/
American Veterinary Chiropractic Association Doctors
http://www.avcadoctors.com/avcadus.htm
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Dysplastic dogs can lead long and happy lives, but there will eventually come a time when you need to face the hardest decision of all and weigh their good days with their bad. One article that has been posted before to help you with that decision is: Defining "Quality of Life"
by Moira Anderson Allen, M.Ed. http://www.pet-loss.net/quality.html
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If you want to see what HD looks like on an Xray or during surgery, one can be found on this link: http://www.lbah.com/canine/hip_dysplasia.htm
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posted by tanimara (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,6402.msg82466.html#msg82466)
I think most of us are aware of what foods are not good for our dogs such as chicken long bones and pork bones. Keeping those things in mind (foods that are not good for them), I dont feel feeding our dogs from the table is necessarily bad. Over feeding them is. Take hip dysplasia for instance. I've felt for 20 years that overweight is the main instigator of hip dysplasia and not just genetics. A recent study of hip dysplasia where they deliberately bred two dogs with hip dysplasia shows that the puppies seperated into 2 groups, one group kept thinner, the other big fat puppies.. all of the overweight group, all of them, developed hip displasia. The thinner group had 80% hip displasia free, with identical genetics. This research has been done in several studies, with nearly identical results. I dont like to quote a study like this without a reference link but the sad thing is I dont have one (lost it). My point here is, keep her on the slim side. It's vital to her health. So go ahead and feed her from the table if you like, but cut back somewhere and increase her exercise and you should be ok.
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posted by Hugo monster (http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,5379.msg68603.html#msg68603)
"Keep your dog light and lean. Excess weight can put even more strain on the already sore joints. Keep your dog a bit lighter than maybe what you think he/she should weigh.
Ample exercise. Walks and swimming are 2 great exercises for dogs with hip problems. Catching Frisbees and tearing around retrieving are NOT good ideas.
Massages seem to help lots too, as well as improving blood flow to the area and helping sore muscles. Try this essential oil rub with the massage. Try to rub down to the skin, and if the dog licks it off later that is ok too:) Take 2 drops of lavender oil, 3 drops ginger oil, 4 drops rosemary oil and dilute in 30 ml vegetable oil. This rub can be used on any affected joints. Caution - rosemary oil can induce seizures in seizure-prone animals. And you always want to get the highest quality oils - ones without synthetic ingredients. Never use essential oils on cats or around birds.
Supplements. Below are a list of supplements that have either proven to help dysplasia or haven't been proven to help but may (anecdotal) -
Cosequin*
Adequan*
Yucca*
Glycoflex
MSM
S.O.D.
shark cartilage
glucosamine
Chondriotin sulfates
Manganese Ascorbate
Acupuncture/Acupressure
Chiropractic
Gelatin*
Vitamin C*
Flaxseed*
DMSO
gold bead insertion
Bromelaine
Evening Primrose oil
Vitamin E*
Vitamins A and D - such as in cod liver oil*
Hokamix
Cetyl Myristoleate
Golden Treat (brand)
Magnetic therapy
Fish oil (different than cod liver oil)*
The flower essence Ocotillo, available at http://www.medicinegarden.com
Joint Rescue, a supplement from the vitamin shoppe http://www.vitaminshoppe.com
A nice warm and padded area to lie in is important also in pain management.
Some pain relievers, such as aspirin, Rimadyl, etc. have been used in the past for treating pain due to dysplasia. I do not recommend any allopathic pain relievers, because of the negative side effects. There are specific homeopathic pain relievers that your homeopathic veterinarian can recommend, as well as specific Chinese herbs. It really depends on the individual animal.
As you may or may not know, I advocate a natural diet for cats and dogs. I believe that this can help with preventing dysplasia as well as keeping the animal healthier so that dysplasia doesn't hinder the dog's movements. The biggest single improvement on Tabasco's hip dysplasia was definitely the switch to a natural way of feeding. If you are interested in learning more about feeding naturally, please let me know and I will send to you my INTRO to BARF (Bones And Raw Food).
Avoiding all members of the nightshade family - potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant - can really help too, as sometimes they aggravate arthritic conditions."
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Dyplastic dogs struggle on slippery floors. If you have smooth floors (wood, tile, or linoleum) you can really help your dog walk around easier by putting down either area rugs to cover the floors or foam floors (you can find ones that look like puzzle pieces, like the ones I posted about in this thread: http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,13723.msg169222.html#msg169222)
You can also help increase their traction by keeping nails trimmed and the fur under their paws trimmed.
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thanks so much for getting all this together! axle was diagnosed with HD when he was 6 months old, and got a lot better for a while, but unfortunately it's starting to show it's face again recently. like the one article said, it helped a lot when we moved from an all hardwood floor house to a carpeted house. steps still bother him a lot, and so does getting in and out the truck. we're debating on getting the little ramp, because axle is usually really nervous on any kind of ramps, so we've just been lifting him as often as we can, but that causes problems with our backs hurting! he's already on a special diet, and medicine for it, so if anyone comes across an alternative to the ramps, please post!
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Kaya my 10 1/2 yo great pyr has been having trouble walking and sitting. He has been on Synovi 3G for 2.5 years. Rimiydal does not seem to work. He walks better in the morning.
My regular Vet says if the Rimydal does not help I should try acupuncture.
I went for a second opinion and a vet recommended by a Pyr breeder says the Arthritis does not feel that bad and it may be neurological.
Current meds
7:30AM 1 Tramadol with Large SynoviG3 Tablet
11:30AM 1 Bufferin with Large Synovi G3 Tablet
6:00PM 1 Tramadol with Large SynoviG3 Tablet
11:30PM 1 Bufferin with Large Synovi G3 Tablet
Any suggestions?
Is Dog Gone Pain DGP worth any good.
Is Joint Max any better then Joint Max.
???
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DGP is awesome... it works wonders when they hurt themselves. I have heard wonderful things from dgp, plus when my guys hurt themselves i give that to them and it is wonderful. May i also suggest a holistic chiropractor for her? I know she is a senior, but it worked wonders for my dogs. Accupuncture will also help greatly...even though it may sound odd.. IT WORKS!!!! and it isn't that expencive either