Author Topic: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia  (Read 33360 times)

Offline shangrila

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Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia
« Reply #15 on: November 04, 2006, 04:21:02 pm »
posted by vdoglover

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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.
RIP former BPO

Offline shangrila

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Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia
« Reply #16 on: November 04, 2006, 04:23:55 pm »
posted by vdoglover

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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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Offline shangrila

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Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia
« Reply #17 on: November 04, 2006, 04:33:04 pm »
posted by gypsy

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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

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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.


« Last Edit: November 04, 2006, 04:34:46 pm by shangrila »
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Offline shangrila

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Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia
« Reply #18 on: November 04, 2006, 04:37:59 pm »
posted by moonlitcroatia

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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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Offline shangrila

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Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia
« Reply #19 on: November 04, 2006, 04:40:23 pm »
posted by shangrila (me)

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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.

RIP former BPO

Offline shangrila

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Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia
« Reply #20 on: November 04, 2006, 04:49:31 pm »
posted by brandon

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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. 


RIP former BPO

Offline shangrila

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Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia
« Reply #21 on: November 04, 2006, 05:06:45 pm »
posted by brandon

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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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Offline shangrila

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Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia
« Reply #22 on: November 04, 2006, 05:16:06 pm »
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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Offline shangrila

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Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia
« Reply #23 on: November 04, 2006, 05:20:03 pm »
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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Offline shangrila

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Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia
« Reply #24 on: November 04, 2006, 05:41:17 pm »
posted by tanimara

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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.

RIP former BPO

Offline shangrila

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Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia
« Reply #25 on: November 04, 2006, 05:45:13 pm »
posted by Hugo monster

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"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."

RIP former BPO

Offline shangrila

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Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia
« Reply #26 on: November 04, 2006, 05:53:36 pm »
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.
RIP former BPO

Offline schelmischekitty

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Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia
« Reply #27 on: November 20, 2006, 06:01:30 am »
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! 
steffanie in atlanta

aiden (4), tristan (2), & maya (born sept. 17th)
axle-140ish-lb akita (4)
peanut-5lb, 11 months chihuahua
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Offline Pyr1

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Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia
« Reply #28 on: March 12, 2008, 09:37:28 pm »
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.
 ???
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
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Offline Guardian Angel's White lightning

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Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about Hip Dysplasia
« Reply #29 on: March 13, 2008, 08:59:38 am »
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