Hip Dysplasia

[Charli]

Hi

My 7 month old Mal x husky was diagnosed with hip dysplasia in both hips yesterday (confirmed by X-ray) :p , we have been given a few treatment options, i.e. hip replacement, food additives.

Has anyone experienced HD in a dog this young? Any advice? I've been reading a few posts and it seems Joint Guard is a popular additive, has anyone heard of or used Cortaflex?

Thanks in advance

[Miranda]

I'm sorry to hear that your dog has HD, did the vet say how bad it was or do you have a score?

[Charli]

Thanks Miranda

The vet said his hips weren't terrible, the right side is worse than the left. They haven't been scored but he has sent the x-rays to a specialist and we will hear back in a week or so. It's not the news i wanted to hear but at least now we know and can try and ease his discomfort.

[laffi]

:p

Did you suspect anything? Where there any symptoms like was he a little stiff?

Thanks Miranda

The vet said his hips weren't terrible, the right side is worse than the left. They haven't been scored but he has sent the x-rays to a specialist and we will hear back in a week or so. It's not the news i wanted to hear but at least now we know and can try and ease his discomfort.

[Miranda]

Joint Guard is good and I have also heard good reports about Cosequin, I haven't heard of Cortaflex. Apparently chondroitin sulphate is better absorbed so you should check that the sulphate is the form of chondroitin used in whatever supplement you choose. Some people swear by Sasha's Blend, but it has quite a strong smell and taste and some dogs refuse it.

Cartrophen injections and acupuncture are another two treatments that you can look into. I certainly wouldn't be rushing into a hip replacement, quite ofter HD can be successfully managed by non-surgical means and there is no reason why your dog cannot live a long and relatively pain free life. Your dog will of course develop arthritis as he grows older, but this can be treated with medication.

There are many people on DOL who have dogs with this condition and I'm sure that you'll get lots of help and many suggestions to help your dog cope with this disease.

Try not to worry too much :p

[Charli]

We have only had him for one month, friends gave him to us as they couldn't look after him anymore. I noticed on the night that we got him that he looked a bit funny in the hindquarters but we took him to the vet and he said he looked fine but it was hard to tell cause he was a bit excited. I took him back to get microchipped and the vet had another look and said that there was a bit of pain when extended and best get x-rays done. He is limps slightly when he walks and he is quite stiff after lying down at the moment ! He is very happy in himself though, still plays with our other dog and is quite the smoocher.

[MTD]

Firstly I'd like to say How sorry I am for you and your dog I know exactly what you are going through.

Maggie was diagnosed with HD at 7 months. I would suggest if you can to maybe see the specialist and they can advise on certain options.

The specialist I saw explained everything really well comforted me because yes it is a very upsetting time and gave me confidence that yes she has HD but it is managable.

I use Joint Guard and find it very good. Maggie also has hydrotherapy and special exercises to try and strengthen the muscles.

I feel that Maggie manages her HD very well. She knows how far and what she can do. She has got around things by putting her body in a certain way so that her hips do not take any force. It's hard to explain but dogs do cope very well and learn what hurts and what doesn't.

[Charli]

Thanks again Miranda

I'm really hoping that we won't have to operate as my other dog had 2 operations on her knee (luxating patella?) when she was young and i know how hard it can be on a dog. Especially one so big.

[Charli]

thanks magthedog,

It's good to know that it can be managed without an operation as, as i've said i really don't want to go down that path!

How old is Maggie now?

[Miranda]

I should also mention that I once had a dog diagnosed with HD at 5 months of age and he lived to be 13 1/2 and this was in 1979 when veterinary science was absolutely nothing to what it is now.

So all is not lost :p

Edited April 17, 2007 by Miranda

[MTD]

Maggie is now 18 months. She walks with a slight limp, doesn't do a lot of running around. She did jump on my lap this morning for the firts time ever so I'm figuring the hydrotherapy may be doing some good.

We had a choice of surgery but the specialist really thought that she was too old for the one they can do on very young pups.

He suggested we try the non surgical approach as he has found many dogs can cope and learn to adjust and then maybe down the tract an athroplasty ( I think) where they take the joint out . He tended to say that they get just as good results in this type of op as do the hip replacement.

Treatment is very much an individual thing. Maggie is only a medium dog 14 kg so she hasn't got the weight of say a german shepherd or in your case a husky /Mal to carry around.

[curlyking]

An option may be Gold Bead Therapy. There was posts on this forum not too long ago and someone had their dog treated in Bathurst if I remember correctly. Well worth looking at and no where as costly or invasive as surgery.

[espinay2]

I have an 8 year old bitch who has severe HD (official score is huge). We started her at an early age on cartrophen injections and glucosamine. We keep her lean and made sure that she maintains muscle tone through exercise and swimming (though she does have more muscling in the front now than the rear - but that is natural).

For quite a few years she didnt need any more than this. We took a graduated approach of not putting her on anything until she needed it so we always have a 'stronger' option to use when she really needs it instead of playing all our cards straight up. When it began to be obvious she needed something more than the cartrophen, we added a daily dose of (buffered) asprin to her treatment. She went for a couple more years just needing that. When she started to need a bit more, she was put on a daily dose of Cu-Algesic instead of the asprin. This is where she is at now and is doing very well. She has still been getting cartrophen injections every six months (though we are just now changing that to every 4 months).

She still loves a daily walk around the sports oval, though it is more of a 'stroll' than a walk as such. She finds it a bit of an effort getting up and down on occasion but she is otherwise fit, healthy and happy. Naturally you will need to discuss any treatment options with your vet as not all cases are the same. Severed HD CAN be managed without an operation in some situations however, and a dog can go on to live happily and healthily in relative comfort.

[Charli]

Thank you all for your responses, I realise this topic has been done alot. After reading your posts I feel alot more positive. Hopefully we will be able to manage him without putting him through an operation. I will look into gold bead therapy as what i have read so far looks quite good.

Unfortuantley swimming is out of the question during winter as his coat will take too long to dry but definatley something we will persue in the summer!

Is there any benefit in feeding cod liver oil and if so can you feed it with Joint Guard?

[CavsRcute]

My Cavalier also has HD and she is nearly 4. She has acupuncture every month, trigger point therapy every 3 months, and sees a chiro when necessary.

I also give her Flexicose every day and Traumeel, which is a homeopathic anti inflammatory. She also has a bit of arthritis and I will give her the 4 week series of Cartrophen injections before winter sets in. She doesn't limp or find it hard to get up but she tires more easily. We take it as we find it. Most days she goes for 2 walks and often chases the possums.

When I first found out that she had it, I was devestated but there is life after HD

[espinay2]

Rather than cod liver oil I would feed fish (eg salmon) oil which is available either in liquid or (more commonly) in capsule form. My dogs eat the capsules like treats. Fish oil is higher in omega 3 essential fatty acids than cod liver oil which also contains vitamins A and D. It is the omega 3 that you need as it has anti-inflammatory properties. Cod liver oil is good in small amounts occasionally, but you cant really give it in big enough amounts to get the real omega 3 benefit due to the fact that you shouldn't overdo the Vit A and D.