TigerJack Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Sas there are now carts available for 'quad' affected dogs. The dog is supported front and back and they can still propel themselves around to some degree but without putting weight on the joints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malleerr Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Is there something preventative I can do to stave of HD? Or is it something that no matter what is done, they will get it HD is pretty much genetic, but there can be environmental factors as well, such as too mcuh exercise, jumping, over feeding etc etc that can also add to a dog developing HD. Thats just my understanding of it all. Even though a doggy cart is great idea, these poor kids elbows aren't great either. Gee, your guys have also been hit with a double whammy. Mallee also had ED - she had that first - well it was diagonised first, but we tend to think now that she develop ED from taking so mcuh weight and pressure off her back legs. She had bilateral ulna osteotomies when she was 4 months old with fantastic results - no confinement just limited exercise for around 2 months, unfortunately once she got the all clear to return to normal life at the end of the two months the HD reared it ugly ugly head. Both Mallee's surgeons highly recommended swimming over walking to build up muscle tone firstly. 10 minutes of swimming is pretty much equal to an hours walking. I have heard of a surgery for HD where they somehow fuse / burn one of the nerve endings in the dogs either legs or back region to stop it from sending pain messages to the dogs brain, not fixing the problem as such but elevates the pain for the dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 HD can also be a product of over-excising a young dog or by a young dog being overweight etc etc. HD can be exacerbated by these things, but IMO the dog has to have a genetic predisposition in the first place. Incorrect feeding and too much exercise may certainly make things worse, but they won't cause HD in a healthy dog with normal hips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topaz522 Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 My dear Lab was diagnosed at 10 months with severe hip dysplasia (CHD). When x-rays were examined by a specialist at Murdoch University Hospital report read that even though x-rays weren't taken properly the right hip was so bad that the poor x-rays didn't matter!! Anyway my lab is doing extremely well and this is what I do: With each meal I mix into her food - Nutra-Life "MSM Glucosamine Chondroitin Joint Food" (from health food store) - Ester C powder - Melrose "OmegaPet" (a pet omega oil mix from healthfood store) I feed her a raw diet of kangaroo, mutton and vegies. With a higher quantity of vegies to meat because of the CHD. If you are interested I can give you the exact measurements of what I feed my lab. And can tell you what my info recommends for the weight of your dog. One thing I do know, MSM is a vital component of the supplements because it is a real PAIN inhibitor. You can actually buy MSM powder on it's own. It seems very expensive when you see the price but you use such a small amount it's not as expensive as it seems. You can give high doses of it according to a booklet I read on it from the pharmacy. So more than anything right now I would look into using MSM for Kaeleigh to manage the pain. When my dog has had a bad hip day or is about to go swimming (she won't use the worst hip when swimming) my vet has given me a bottle of Metacam to get through the bad days. She picks up and is herself again. In conjunction with everything else some people don't believe she has such bad hips. [/u] A good friend of mine has a german shepherd with hip dysplasia in BOTH HIPS and elbow dysplasia in BOTH ELBOWS. Not the most pleasant situation but we both are following a similar routine and having fantaxtic results. Please let me know if I can help in any other way. Good luck :rolleyes: :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 Thanks heaps for the info Topa! Can you explain why further why you're feeding a higher meat ratio....are you referring to possible weight gain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlyking Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 I know people - albeit in Denmark that had used acupunture with some success in treating HD but then had gold bead implants inserted. Apparently the result has been wonderful. I know also that there is or at least was a Vet in Victoria that does the gold bead implants - somewhere on the Mornington Pennsular I believe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 Interesting....anyone know of any vets in Sydney that do it? Just read about it, sounds interesting, not invasive and not dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topaz522 Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 Thanks heaps for the info Topa! Can you explain why further why you're feeding a higher meat ratio....are you referring to possible weight gain? Dear SAS, I am actually feeding my dear lab Topaz more vegies than meat. Research suggests that protein is associated with skeletal disease. So the lower meat content isn't about weight gain, just joint problems. If you would like, do a search on the internet and there is heaps of info on it. Hence, Topaz is on about 1/3 to 1/2 her meal is meat and the rest is vegies. To get calcium, plain yoghurt and goat's milk are options as are raw meaty bones such as chicken necks, wings or carcasses. The bones help with cleaning their teeth too. Everything I have added (supplements) to Topaz's meals I have added gradually as the levels she requires are higher due to her hip dysplasia eg OmegaPet is approximately 60-80ml. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topaz522 Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 Thanks heaps for the info Topa! Can you explain why further why you're feeding a higher meat ratio....are you referring to possible weight gain? PS. Sas I forgot to mention that my lab goes to the chiropractor with me. I have a wonderful chiro qualified in animal treatment and Topaz loves going. The adjustments are not manual with the dog but with a little instrument called an activator ( it looks like a tiny pogo stick remember those?) anyway just another suggestion that might help if you have a chiro qualified in your area. From what I can gather animal qualified chiros are trained in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catzatsea Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 Interesting....anyone know of any vets in Sydney that do it? Just read about it, sounds interesting, not invasive and not dangerous. Have a look here Sas I am pretty certain Barbara can help you with what your looking for. http://www.naturalvet.com.au/ourpractice.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tramissa Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 I didn't get a chance to ask you about this the other day - bloody work. I didn't realise it was so bad Pix Give K a big kiss and hug from me. Hope you find something that will help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamuzz Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 How is your girl doing now? Have you found anything that helps her? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Piximatosis Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 She's going really well now!! :D She is on Sasha's Blend and fish oil/vitamin E capsules, and I changed her Nutro from the normal L&R to Large Breed L&R. She goes swimming a couple of times a week (when the weather is warm enough) and that improves her general mobility tenfold. When I first found out how bad her hips and elbows were I stopped walking her altogether, being afraid that it would make her worse, but all that happened was she went almost mental with all that pent-up energy! So she's back to being walked 2 - 3 times a week for 20 minutes or so... we don't walk at any great speed as she has to walk next to me and thanks to MY joints I practically crawl What also may have contributed to her improvement is that her growth has slowed down now... she's not having the huge SPURTS that she used to. She's now taller than Holly and is maintaining a good weight. I'll stop rambling, but in short, she is brilliant She is even back to jumping on and off the bed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KitKat Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 Glad to hear things are looking better Pix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malleerr Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 Gald to hear that things are going well for you both, you must be so happy with her progress its excellent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybeece Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 Does anyone know if there is a certain age that HD is likely to occur by? My boy is a possible candidate, but he's 20 months old and all of his joints seem absolutely fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InspectorRex Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 jaybeece- the only way HD can be diagnosed is by your dog having it's hips x-rayed. There is no age as to when onset will happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybeece Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 jaybeece- the only way HD can be diagnosed is by your dog having it's hips x-rayed.There is no age as to when onset will happen. That's what I pretty much figured, thanks I am intending to have his hips x-rayed eventually, just haven't had the money lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InspectorRex Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 jaybeece; if you are concerned see if your Vet will let you have your dog x-rayed and pay off the account by instalments, most Vets will accommodate your circumstances if you are up front with them. The sooner you know one way or another the sooner you can decide what is best for your furkid. Prayers that it is not HD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybeece Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 (edited) Thanks InspectorRex, I'll chat to the vet next time I'm up there. Right now he seems absolutely fine and I'm careful about exercise/jumping, but it would be nice to know for sure. Edited October 9, 2006 by jaybeece Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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