Treatment Options For Hip Dysplasia

[FlippingKazza]

Hello,

I am starting this thread as a carry on from the thread in the breeders forum " Is the breeder responsible for this? My pup has HD".

I am hoping to discuss treatment options for my alaskan malamute who is now 13 months old with anyone who has been through this or knows anything about this topic.

My pup first showed signs on Sunday 3rd Oct last year after playing at the dog park with 2 smaller dogs, he was 9 months old. I thought it was just an injury and our vet reccomended 3 weeks rest. After talking to our breeder who said there is no way its HD they sent us to their chiropractor Peter Schofield who after examining him said he has severe HD in the left side only. He also had his back out and problems with the siatic nerves. We were told to wait until 12 mths to do x-rays. We got the xrays back last week ( scored by Bob Wyburn) and they were 3/21 totalling 24. Australian grade 5 or an International grade E.

We have spoken to 3 vets and they have all reccomended a different operation! There are 3 ops that can be done on dogs with HD. A Total Hip replacement, a femoral head resection or a triple pelvic osteotomy. From what I understand, a TPO can only be done on dogs under 12 months, a total hip replacement can be done at any stage and a fem head is a salvage operation.

Has anybody had any experience with these ops? What is the recovery like?

We would like to avoid operating if we can. The breeders basically said hes your dog but if he was mine I wouldnt put him through an operation.

I have ordered some liquid glucosamine and want to give that a try first, has anybody used it before? Is it as good as I've heard it is?

To put it simply, our pup is normal 95% of the time. The only time he is in pain is after exercise when he gets home and goes to rest then trys to get up off the floor. His leg gets stiff and he limps around until hes warmed up again. He always favours his good leg and keeps most of the weight off his bad leg. He walks normally when hes not stiff or sore ( after exercise) and runs kicking his back legs out. He often lays with his belly down and legs stretched out behind him.

I would appreciate any feedback on what we should do so we can know what to ask the specialist this Friday. Do you think we should let our pup grow up some more first and try some alternative options? Hes not in pain most of the time, hes just a normal dog. We dont want to rush into an op if its not the best thing.

Regards

[carebear]

my pup was diagnosed with severe HD at 13 months after dislocating her left hip.

i have decided to not go through wtih the operations as the one where they cut off the top of the ball of the leg and replace it with a plastic bit, will only take away pain, won't stop dislocation, and the total hip replacement the actual bit they replace only has a lifespan of 5 years, and as she needs both hips done, at $5000 a hip plus that i'd have to do each one again within 5 years after that (at least twice in her lifetime n e way) i thought it was best to not put her through the operation 4 times. (can only do 1 at a time)

i decided to go with injections that help with the pain and with help slow down the onset of arthritis. she's predicted to be crippled by about 4 and she's not quite 2 now. she also gets shark cartlidge at night with her meal

i haven't noticed whether the injections have helped or not as she never showed she was in pain before. she loves to run, loves to play fetch and is a VERY active dog. her hips are pretty good in the sense that, as she has virtuatlly no sockets, she can get away with doing a lot without it popping (twisting and turning etc). when her hip popped the first time it was an unfortunate accident. she ran up to the back stairs too quick, got to the 2nd step with her backlegs and slipped through. when she twisted to get out, that's when it popped out. damage was done before we could get to her. she must of learnt her lesson tho as she doesn't take a running start going up the stairs n e more.

btw i can't remember what the injections are called, but they are once a week for 4 weeks then once every 6 months, they are also only about $18 an injection.

eta, i didn't have her hips scored, but 2 different vets said the xrays were the worst they had seen. her hip "sockets" are virtually flat, almost no cup to them at all.

Edited February 20, 2005 by carebear

[Wundahoo]

Hi Flipping Kazza,

One of the less accepted but sometimes very effective treatments for some of the discomfort that HD can produce is Trigger Point therapy.

Because your dog will be using its muscles and tendons in a slightly different way than normal, either due to injury or now due to the onset of the disease process that is caused by HD, there can be some disruption to the normal way that muscles fatigue and recover.

Trigger point therapy can sort out those things, and can make your dog far more comfortable.

I dont know of a TP thereapist in your area, but it might be worth asking around.

It does sound to me as though some of your dog's discomfort is muscle-based.

As well as the TP therapy, there may be some basic physiotherapy that you can do help him warm up and cool down after exercise, just like an athlete with an injury. A doggy physio may be able to help there.

Try the glucosamine, heat packs before and after exercise, and swimming may all help.

Keep it up, and I'm sure that he will do well for you.

[FlippingKazza]

HI Carebear,

I didnt know that a total hip replacement only lasts 5 years, thats good to know. Luckily our pup only has one bad hip so he'd need 2 ops in his life if that was the choice.

Thats terrible she is predicted to be crippled at 4, has she gone downhill much in the past year? Where do you buy shark cartlidge from?

The injections will be worth checking out too, much cheaper than an op! But of course we will do what has the best prognosis.

Hi Wundahoo,

I havent heard of trigger point therapy, I will ask the specialist about that too. We have ordered glocosamine liquid from the states, hopefully that will help.

Thankyou both for your input.

[Leenie]

We have ordered glocosamine liquid from the states

Good sources of glucosamine are available here.

For hip dysplasia I highly recommend Vitamin C. There is a lot of evidence to support the use of this vitamin on animals with HD. One of my patients is a Rotti with HD in the left back hip joint and she is on a very natural diet, vitamin C supplementation, and TechnyFlex Canine - cold processed marine extract (green lipped mussel extract), which contains a number of omega-3 essential fatty acids and Glycosaminoglycans (chondroitin sulfates). Includes ETA's (polyunsaturated fatty acids). She is doing wonderfully and hardly limps! She also sees a veterinary chiropractor.

Hip Dysplasia and Vitamin C

Hip Dysplasia

Let me know if I can be of anymore help.

Edited February 21, 2005 by Leenie

[FlippingKazza]

Hi Leenie,

Where in OZ can I get liquid glucosamine? I ordered Flexicose on E-Bay, its $17.95 USD ( about $24 AUD).

I have heard Vitamin C is good, there is Vit C in the Flexicose so is that enough? None of the vets have mentioned that!

How old is the Roti you refer to? How severe is her HD?

Thanks

[Leenie]

Where in OZ can I get liquid glucosamine? I ordered Flexicose on E-Bay, its $17.95 USD ( about $24 AUD).

Flexicose is a good choice and $24 AUD is great! I've been trying to find an Australian distributor for a while but by ordering through the www.oznathealth.com site you can get free shipping to Australia. $29.95 USD.

Alternatively:

Glucosamine 50ml with chondroitin sulphate is $24 and is available from Richard Stenlake based in Bondi Junction NSW - 02 9387 3205 - [email protected]

I really like TechnyFlex (was Lyproflex) so that is usually what I recommend for dogs and cats. Powdered Glucosamine usually goes further for horses and livestock.

I have heard Vitamin C is good, there is Vit C in the Flexicose so is that enough? None of the vets have mentioned that!

I'm not sure of the content of vitamin C in Flexicose but if you find out please let me know so I can tell you if it is enough. There are a lot of articles and published "experiments" by vets in this area (using vit. C for CHD) so have a look around the world wide web. I know some vets that see HD and say "vitamin C!" and others that say "mumbo jumbo, jujitsu, hocus pocus". Each to their own but I think it works and it isn't like it will do any harm to try despite some drugs on the market.

How old is the Roti you refer to? How severe is her HD?

She is a three year old and I'm not sure of her grading (I can find out) but it was very noticable in her left leg and the owners had been told she would need an operation fairly soon if things continued the way they were. She has been on the treatments I mentioned for nearly a year and there has been no further degeneration. Her limp is hardly noticeable now and she runs around like a mad thing without concern.

Edited February 22, 2005 by Leenie

[Rebanne]

Acupuncture can be a good help too. My GSD had gold beads inserted into her acupuncture points which gave her constant pain relief. Zoe also had human joint food powder and for the last 3 years of her life 1 or 2 disprin a day. We practicually live at the chiropractor but it all helped her get to 11.

[FlippingKazza]

Hi Leenie,

I looked up all the ingredients for the Flexi-cose - The bottle is 240ml and it was $17.95USD + $5 USD for shipping on E-Bay.

These figures are based on a 7.5ml serve daily ( 1/2 tablespoon) 18 - 45 kg dog and lasts 32 days.

Vitamin A - 1250 IU

Vitamin C - 15 mg

Vitamin E - 7.5 IU

Manganese - 0.7 mg

Glucosamine HCI and Sulfate - 1500 mg

Chondroitin Sulfate - 120 mg

Flexibility complex: Aloe Vera gel, MSM, omega 3 fatty acid, niacinamide, yukka root, bromelain, boswellia serrata resin extract - 1600 mg

That doesnt seem like a lot of vitamin C, do you think it needs to be supplemented? Do you just use Vitamin C tablets for humans?

Thanks!

[Rebanne]

On the container of joint food powder that is my choice for dogs it clearly states that it can't be used in orange juice or other acid juices. I always fed the vit C at a different meal and just used human tablets broken up.

[Leenie]

That doesnt seem like a lot of vitamin C, do you think it needs to be supplemented? Do you just use Vitamin C tablets for humans?

Hello. Yes 15mg is too low of a dose, especially for a malamute. I would be adding another 1-2 tsp a day of C powder to meals. If the stools become loose, cut back the dose and then slowly increase until you find a rate that works well. Talk to your vet about dosage rates if you are worried. Excess levels of vitamin C can affect a dog's calcium balance but excessive levels of vitamin C would also cause diarrhoea and you would know about it! It is difficult to overdose on this vitamin.

Miracle Cure for Hip Dysplasia?

Dogs Don't Lie

[Rusky]

My old Golden was diagnosed with severe bilateral hip dysplasia at around 6 months of age.

I did use vitamin C, it is 12 years ago and no internet like now, little support so really my best chance of her leading a happy life was diet, and lots of swimming at her own pace.

We lived next to the ocean, was easy. Swimming may or may not be right these days depending on trends of treatment but she still swims, swims well and some days is really well.

She had lots of fresh vegetables in her diet as well as C supplement though I stopped that at around age 5. At age 5 I thought she was going to have a replacement but she seemed better than other dogs I knew who had the operation. I had put it off for a long time, she was originally going to have an op at age 2 years. I opted out at that time as she was quite free and well. She still has her fresh vegies.

Don't rush into surgery, one op will not be the finish, your dog will need 2 or 4 with bilateral.

Get your dog as well and fit as you can then look at surgery. Try the C, give everthing a go, even the swimming.

[Leenie]

Don't rush into surgery, one op will not be the finish, your dog will need 2 or 4 with bilateral. Get your dog as well and fit as you can then look at surgery. Try the C, give everthing a go, even the swimming.

Excellent advice!!

[bell]

my 5 year old boxer was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago with severe HD, she was becoming quite lame and stiff in the back end. We started with cartophen injections and within the first week she was running around and feeling great. we also have carpfrofen (like rimidyl) tablet we give her for pain, but have only given her a couple as she has not shown signs of pain. Our vet said that the femoral head resection was quite successful and he has done it on a afghan and after the op it went back into the show ring with no signs there was something wrong. We will not be looking at that option for awhile yet but am doing research just in case. We are also keeping her lean so that there is not any excess stress on her hips. I have tried sashas blend with no change but will try glucosamine.

[FlippingKazza]

Rusky.

Thanks for the great advice, we dont want to rush into an op either. I'm so happy that your GR is now 12 and still having good days! We can take our pup to my in-laws pool twice a week but cant anymore than that. Hes been showing improvement latley just on Cod Liver every day. He hasn't cried out while trying to get up after exercising since Sunday ( 5 days ago) so thats great for him. What sort of vegies to we feed him and how much? Do you buy frozen or fresh? Do you decrease his other food?

Bell,

I'm so sorry to hear about your boxer, we looked into the Femoral Head Op but we were advised that a total hip replacement is a much better op and the FHR is done as a cheaper alternative. Also its a salvage operation. Definatley do your research and see a specialist too. I ordered liqid glucosamine from e-bay, I'll report back in a week or two and let you know what difference it makes.

We are seeing the specialist tonight so I will let you know how it goes.

Thanks Again!

[FlippingKazza]

We have just returned from the specialist.

He said we could go for the Triple Pelvic Osteotomy but it would have to be done ASAP as pups getting older (13 mths), then they wouldnt even know until hes on the operating table if he is a candidate. There is a 50/50 chance hes even suitable.

Or we could manage him with injections, pain relief, glucosamine, controled exercise and controlled diet.

He also said its most likely our pup will be back in the future for surgery but he didnt know how long, could be months or years.

We decidedf not to operate until pup shows that he really cant manage. Hes been really good latley, I even err or saying hes improved with regular exercise and cod liver oil.

He said he would always have back problems because he twists his back to take pressure off his hip. Over time that causes the joints to become out of shape.

I still feel like I dont have a;ll the answers but I guess nobody can tell us how our pups hip will progress.

Its reassuring to know that down the track he can still have a total hip replacement anytime, but hopefully we may never need that option.......Hopefully!

I'd still like to hear everybodys opinions on the matter, your thoughts have been most useful to me.

Thanks!

[abbeyandsandy]

Abbey was found to have HD at 6 months. Her Vet Xrayed her at his first suspicion. Since then she has done the rounds of specialists and trialled all the medications and injections. The cartrophen series of injections was really good when she was younger. We also made sure her diet was very strict and that she was kept at a lower weight to reduce pressure on the joints. She has done water exercise, which was excellent. I had her on carrots to snack on from an early age and she will choose them over a McDonalds chip (only just though ). She will eat just about everything, so I'm lucky that she will eat fruit and vegetables (with the exception of any that are not recommended for dogs). I remember how bad her Xrays were and the advice of the specialist to put her through surgery. I remember her Vet saying to me very gently, when she was younger, that he didn't think that she would make 'old bones'. Now at 7 years old, she continues to amaze her Vet (the same Vet she has had since I got her). She is happy, she is medication and injection free and she is healthy. She has limited and controlled exercise and supervised interaction with other dogs. She has Fish Oil (or Cod Liver oil) added to her meal at night to reduce inflamation, arthritis and pain. She also has Glucosamine for good bone health etc. The Vet is still shaking his head at her great progress. Who can put a finger on what or which thing in particular has worked for her? Probably just a combination of it all. All in all she is a happy, loopy, mad Labrador, who just happens to have HD. Teamed up with an owner who has been through double knee surgery, I'd say we make a good pair.

Edited March 1, 2005 by abbeyandsandy

[FlippingKazza]

I'm so glad to hear Abbey is 7 and doing well.

We have started our pup on glucosamine and he been having cod liver oil for a while now (2 months). We are going to start the cartophren injections in a few weeks. Hopefully they will make him more comfortable. He is only ever really bad after too much exercise, the more he does the worse he is.

I will keep this post informed of his progress.

[abbeyandsandy]

Sending everyones information to the top of the board - re - their dogs and what treatment options they have used for HD.

[zayda_asher]

As a person that has trigger point therapy I can vouch for its effacacy in dealing with my poor muscles!!! It really does help loosen and ease the pain.

I understand from the research I have done that the Vit C works to help the glucosamine and chondroiton be absorbed fully and do their job.... this is why it is included in a lot of joint suppliments..... ??

Good luck

Dan