# Could this be early signs of Hip Dysplasia Australian Shepherd



## danielhouse2010 (Mar 2, 2012)

Hello there this is my first post sorry if there is another post out there with the same question.

Jumping right into this we have a 5 month old Australian Shepherd male named Dexter, ever since we picked him up from a breeder or ever since I could remember he has did the following "Sloppy Puppy - While sitting both legs are to one side" and "Bunny Hoop - Certain times he will look like a bunny going around the yard" "Puppy Sway - while walking a slow pace he as a sway to him"

Well the past 2 days he's kinda been acting weird he really can't sit/lay still he will lay down then not even minute later he's up trying to find another spot to lay goes through this motion about 5/10 min then he will finally stay put. There is also more moans coming from him "Like someone just ran 10 miles and is beat"

About a month or so back we went to the vet for the regular shots I told my concerns to them and they said this is just normal puppy stuff, I also said he seems to "Bite/Chew" his leg and they said that is normal growing pains..

Can someone please shine some light on this my wife and I are very nervous this could be something much more worse and want to get it fixed before it get's out of control.

I have attached the following pictures

1. Dexter laying as he normally does "PICTURE"
2. Dexter "Sloppy" as he normally does "PICTURE
3. Dexter playing out side watch for "Bunny Hop" "MOVIE"


Other info 
1. Feeding him Blue Buffalo "No issues"
2. No human food "Just a single Carrot here and there"
3. Daily walks around 1-2miles once a day
4. Walks down and up the stairs with no issues
5. Likes to jump ALL the time "Working on that issue"
6. No other dogs/babies in the house
7. Inside dog
8. "Happy U" When he is happy he curls him self in a U shape when he meets someone.















[video]http://s1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff409/danielhouse2010/Dexter/?action=view&current=DSCN0531.mp4[/video]


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

He is holding up that one foot in the video. 

I don't in know in puppies, to be honest. Kabota has one leg a little smaller than the other, and he sits "sloppy" and he bunny hopped all the time before we built up the muscle in his back end and forced him to use the lame leg. Now he never does it. And the sitting like that, I've seen dogs do that who don't have any hip problems at all.

I would visit another vet for a second opinion. Keep in mind, HD is not a death sentence in this day and age. There are things you can do. I work with a guy who has a GSD with severe HD. He had surgery done on her and now you can't tell her from his other GSD. They both run and jump and act like the crazy young GSDs they are.


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## danielhouse2010 (Mar 2, 2012)

Never noticed him holding up a foot I will pay attention to that next time I see him walk, yea my wife and I were talking about going to another Vet to see what they say.

It's great that science and technology has come so far in the Vet world the price is high I heard if you wait to get it done the surgery that is, if you catch it early enough the price will go down and the recovery is quicker so I have heard.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

That's what the bunny hop is, is the dog holding up the one leg slightly and only using the other. Kabota was doing it because he had no strength in that leg at all.

The surgery is pricey, but it works so well. Have you looked into pet insurance? That might help. Especially since your dog is not diagnosed with HD yet. In fact, you've been told he definitely does not have it. I'd look into pet insurance before you get a diagnosis.


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## danielhouse2010 (Mar 2, 2012)

Oh ok got ya on the bunny hop.

I looked in to VPI I think it was around $22 a month for "Emergency" my company actually offers it to employees so I might talk to my wife and think of putting him on it, I guess you look at it like car insurance you never use but when you need it you will use it.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

And trust me, even if you only get emergencies covered, you're guaranteed to have one or two in the lifetime of a dog. $22 per month is nothing compared to the cost of an after hours ER vet or an emergency surgery to remove something stupid from your dog's digestive tract.


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## ofthelogos (Mar 1, 2012)

Luxating Patella also comes to mind, you could have the vet check his knees too.


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## Gally (Jan 11, 2012)

Could be Panosteitis aka growing pains. In corgis I've heard of it causing similar symptoms to what you're describing.

http://www.petwave.com/Dogs/Dog-Hea...scle-Disorders/Growing-Pains_Panosteitis.aspx


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## Pawzk9 (Jan 3, 2011)

Amaryllis said:


> That's what the bunny hop is, is the dog holding up the one leg slightly and only using the other. Kabota was doing it because he had no strength in that leg at all.
> 
> The surgery is pricey, but it works so well. Have you looked into pet insurance? That might help. Especially since your dog is not diagnosed with HD yet. In fact, you've been told he definitely does not have it. I'd look into pet insurance before you get a diagnosis.


Actually, I had a student dog with Legg Perthese. The insurance refused to pay for the surgery, even though the dog had not been previously DX, they refused to pay because they said it was a hereditary problem.


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## danielhouse2010 (Mar 2, 2012)

Gally, just went into the Vet's this morning I couldn't take it no more. The vet "found" two things 1. She thinks the biting of his legs and the movement around the room is from "Growing Pains" or Panosteitis. 2. When she was feeling his back she there was a tender spot on his vertebra when she touched it he got a little upset.

So what was they gave us muscle relaxor's and some pain pills to take for a few days if he seems that he is still having issues we will do x-rays to see what is going on.

I really don't understand how his back got hurt I mean yea he is a young pup and he does jump ALL the time so maybe he came down weird or flipped some where, but as of right now there is no signs of being paralyzed he is not working weird or anything THANK GOD.


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## Canaqua (Sep 27, 2011)

Our elderly ACD mix "bunny hops" sometimes. She's 14 and has known arthritis in her lumbar spine, the stenosis affects the nerve conduction to, and strength of, her back legs. Since your dog is so young, hopefully the back issue is some temporary infllamation...crossing my fingers that it's nothing major.


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## danielhouse2010 (Mar 2, 2012)

Canaqua, sorry to hear the arthritis issue.

Talking to my vet once again today about the HD issues that I feel she moved his legs to almost a point going backwards he didn't flinch or yelp at all, she said this is one way to tell if possible on slot of HD. When telling her about the bunny hop, lazy sit and swaying of hips she really didn't seem concerned about it. Talked to a Vet Tech she said her 4 year dog does the bunny hop and lazy sit and has no issues.

The only time he really bunny hops is if he goes from a walk to a trot running seems to be normal it's just the speed in-between and once again has no issues of going up and down the stairs zips up and down.

I pray to god this little guy will have no issues with HD and can live to a good age of 12-14 years old.. I'm really thinking of looking into the following Pet Insurance "PurinaCare" has anyone heard any bad news or is using this company?


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## Nil (Oct 25, 2007)

Did the breeder OFA the sire and dam and clear them of HD before breeding them? If both the sire and dam (and each of their sires and dams) are cleared for HD then I think there is a low chance of it being HD. Could still happen, but I think the risk goes way down (considering HD is in some part genetic).


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## danielhouse2010 (Mar 2, 2012)

No there was no talk of that, this was their first litter they ever had... Took their word for that, if I was interested in breeding him I would have asked but seeing this is just a house/family pet I wasn't to interested in that and I heard from a few people that the Aussies are 50/50 in getting HD because they are not large/big dogs there med...

Correct me if I'm wrong.


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## Nil (Oct 25, 2007)

danielhouse2010 said:


> I heard from a few people that the Aussies are 50/50 in getting HD because they are not large/big dogs there med...
> 
> Correct me if I'm wrong.


I'm not sure what you are saying. Any dog of any breed can get hip dysplasia. It is more common in larger breeds but there are Aussies with it too. No one knows for sure the exact causes of HD but through the years they have attributed it to a culmination of reasons: genetics, environment, and nutrition. If you got an Aussie from unknown stock (with possible HD there), overexercised him/her, and fed them a food that promotes fast growth, you would have a higher chance of having an Aussie with HD than someone who didn't do those things...if that makes sense. 

He is young but, someone correct me if I'm wrong, you could get x-rays and have them evaluated by the vet or other governing bodies (PennHip/Orthopedic Foundation for Animals). I think you said this was the next step if the pain pills don't work? 

Sucks no knowing what is wrong. Wishing you the best though.


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## danielhouse2010 (Mar 2, 2012)

Yea I totally understand HD can be in any dog I was just repeating what I heard from a person that has had them for a few years that is all.

I have yet to do any "Agility" exercises the only thing I do is throw the ball for him he loves that most at that would be 30-45 min when it was decent out seeing it's cold/snowy that has stopped and the toss of some Frisbees get's old fast seeing he wont bring them back last a few mintues he does jump for them or try most of them just hits him "inside laugh ". We go on walks roughly 1-2miles maybe less a day I think he could keep going but by the end of that I'm beat and I feed him Blue Buffalo normal puppy no large puppy food seeing he will be medium size no need to have a 100 pound Aussie.

Talked to the Vet about the Hip x-rays she said we could take them but it wont show anything if anything it will look good because he's still growing she said wait till he's like 1-2 years old, I think when he turns 1 year I will get them I want to catch something before it gets bad.... My parents had a Golden Ret and they ran countless amounts of test and spent hundreds of dollars trying to figure something out, well they never did and the dog stopped eating and well they had to put her down.. 

The x-rays I was going to take is of his spine seeing she pointed out there was a little "tenderness/softness" in a part, she recommend the meds first if that doesn't help out then we will take the next step.

Looks like the meds are helping out so far I gave him pain meds around 10:30am this morning and at noon muscle relaxers he seems to be laying around in the same place not as much moaning/whimpering, so we shall see how the rest of the few days play out.

Thanks for the wishes Nil


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