# Possible Hip Dysplasia



## amp9364 (Feb 19, 2007)

Anyone have any tips on dealing with early signs of this? My Bernese Mountain Dog is 7 months old and his back legs just don't look exactly right. His feet turn slightly outward. This is the only sign he is showing at this point but the vet says it is not normal. She recommends just starting him on a supplement for now as there really isn't anything else we can do at this point. Any experiences you could share would be helpful! Thanks. Ann


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## Patt (Feb 12, 2008)

I have no experience with HD. I would go with the supplements that your vet recommends though. 

I have two Dachshunds and the breed has the potential for IVD disease. I give them Vetri-Disc (supplement) in hopes that they will never have the problem. 

Good luck.


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## OtterNJ (Aug 15, 2008)

I took my dog Jovi in for xrays a few months ago, he is two, he started limping on his back left leg, it started a little limp then he was not even standing on it, so he goes in for Xrays & they had to put him to sleep to get these xrays & they showed nothing, the doctor gave him some anti-inflamitorys & that was it, he still limps on occasion, it seems he needs to take it easy on it or he will be limping, he can not run like he likes to in the back yard, he has to walk slowly up the stairs & I try to pick him up to put him on the bed, going for a swim too, he can not do it as much anymore couse he acts like a nut out there & I am afraid he will pull it again, I am assuming it is something in his muscle.


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## AmyS88 (Aug 8, 2008)

my 6 year old pit bull/lab mix has HD. she has been suffering from it since she was about 2. 

we took her to a local vet. and they told us that without a 4000 dollar surgery she would only have about 1 year to live...

well we definitely decided we needed another opinion..so we took her to a different one and they said that she didnt need surgery. they told us to get joint mobility by purina for her food and she also has some pain pills that we give her once a month, and then we have a diff. type for the really bad days and you can give those daily called Rumadyl (100 mg).

as i said they told us she had one year to live without surgery when she was 2 and now she is 6 and healthy and as playful as ever.

she does have her bad days...seems to be when the weather is muggy, rainy, or really humid. but the rumadyl does wonders.

hope this helps!! and good luck with your baby!


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

I don't know much about HD, but Frosty has a luxating patella and the main thing the vet wants me to do for now is keep his weight on the low side of normal. Other than that we just keep an eye on it, and if it starts to give him any trouble (it's not right now), I'll have it evaluated by an orthopedic specialist.


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

One of the diagnosis of HD is when the dog runs, he "bunny hops" behind. This means at a gallop the dog keeps both hind feet together and hops them forward instead of separating them in a stride. It takes a good bit of watching dogs to be able to see this, but it is easier to see in a large breed dog that is galloping slowly. 

HD is not always a death sentence. Fact is, my vet does an operation where they place the head of the femur (I believe) in a sling of muscle and you can have many pain free years with such a dog. 

Another thing to watch for in a large breed dog is osteochondrosis where the dog is fed too well... grows too fast and puts too much weight too fast on the growth plates. This causes inflammation of the bone behind the growth plate. The best way to help a dog with this condition is to back way off on the food and the exercise.. and use antinflammatory drugs as prescribed. 

Let us know how this works out.


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## RubesMom (May 1, 2007)

As Saints are known for having HD, I had Reuben x-rayed to see if he had it. I didn't necessarily see any symptoms, but I wanted to know so that I could do something ASAP if possible. It turned out that he DOES have HD in his right hip, and I was heartbroken at first, but after discussing it with specialists and doing research, I realized that just because he has it doesn't mean it will develop into arthritis. If it does, it may not happen until he's 7 or 8 or so. I immediately put him on Cosequin, which is a great supplement. I was told it was the best. Dasequin is supposedly even better, but I haven't found it. You can also give your dog a buffered aspirin or canine aspirin after he's had a really active day if you think he's in pain. I wouldn't give it daily though until the pain is daily. 
There are a few options: Triple Pelvic Osteotomy is typically done before the dog is one year old, but some specialists believe giant dogs can have it done up to 18 mos because it takes them longer to grow. Basically the pelvic bone is cut in three places and I think screwed back together so that the ball fits into the socket. Total Hip Replacement would be an option, but probably only if your dog is already experiencing significant pain or other symptoms. I was told that this doesn't always help anyway. Another option that I was told about is called denervation, which is basically disconnecting the nerves so that the dog doesn't feel the pain. I don't think this is very common yet. 
As far as having bad days when the weather is humid, rainy or muggy-- that's typical for anyone with arthritis. You can be extra cautious during days like this.


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## amp9364 (Feb 19, 2007)

Thanks! My vet also said to watch out for the bunny hopping up the stairs which he does not do. We have a lot of stairs and he does well with them. I will be starting the supplement and hope for the best!


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## tirluc (Aug 29, 2006)

signs to watch for for HD....they sit on one hip or the other, they don't sit square (this is not 100%, my girl sits/lays square, but is a general rule), they "bunny hop", as Elana mentioned (w/ this my girl keeps her back legs close together, but my male always ran w/ his both out to the sides, so when his rear legs went forward they went to the outside of the "track" not the inside like Lacey does), when they lay on their back, they tuck the legs up toward the body instead of an "upside down frog dog", when they go up stairs the cannot go up one rear leg at a time, they have to hop w/ the rear legs....i will get you pics/video of the last 2 examples tonight so you can see what i mean....

what you need to do is put your dog on glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate/MSM combo....i found that the 3 together works the best but you need to have at least the gluco/chondroitin together....the gluco alone just isn't enuff....also, keep the muscle tone up....this means daily walks/light jogs to help keep it maintained w/out stressing the joints.....swimming is great if you can find a place w/ tepid water (too cold will just stiffen the joints too much).....if you can afford it and the joint(s) are bad enuff now you can do a TPO b/4 he turns a yr old.....here is what it consists of....

Triple pelvic osteotomy surgery

The triple pelvic osteotomy involves making three separate surgical incisions to cut the pelvis in three places. One incision is in the groin, the second is on the rump, and the third is over the side of the hip region. The last incision is the largest of the three. 
The pelvis is cut in three places and then rotated to the desired amount. 
A plate and screws are used to secure the pelvis in the rotated position. The rotation of the pelvis captures the head of the femur, thus prevent the joint from popping in and out.
Some arthritis may develope in the joint, but it usually does not progress to the degree of an unoperated hip. 

or, there are other, less expensive surgeries that can be done later if necessary.....have the hips xrayed now and see what the degree is now and then talk w/ your vet or an ortho vet....

good luck, i've lived w/ this w/ 2 of my BC now for 11 yrs (11 w/ Tipper [RIP] and going on 10 w/ Lacey)

sites to view...

http://vetsurgerycentral.com/tpo.htm (where i got the above TPO from)

http://www.mypoordog.com/


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

Why not go ahead and do the x-rays? Find out who people use for OFA x-rays locally and get it done there (with a person who specializes in it.). It was about $115 to get Mal's hips prelim'd last fall. 

I've had a dog who toed out in the rear (Bou) but he had no hip problems at all - just not great conformation.


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## FilleBelle (Aug 1, 2007)

I agree with Dogstar. Don't start worrying about HD until you know the dog has HD!

Having said that, if you're doing the supplement, make sure you're giving a human dosage. The canine dosage they put on most of the supplement packages is too low to make a difference. This information comes from both my vet and the good people on the Yahoo group Orthodogs.


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

Oh, one other hting - the bunny hop and not sitting square can also just be plain old conformation issue- I've known LOTS of corgis who don't ever sit square (just tend to spill over to one side or the other- not surprising, with as long as the standard calls for!) and I know more than one dog that bunnyhops for OTHER soundness issues.


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## Patt (Feb 12, 2008)

Dogstar said:


> Why not go ahead and do the x-rays? Find out who people use for OFA x-rays locally and get it done there (with a person who specializes in it.). It was about $115 to get Mal's hips prelim'd last fall.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the dog has to be older than 7 months to get an accurate reading on OFA x-rays. 

Did the breeder do OFA x-rays on the parents of your pup?

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/hip-dysplasia-and-ofa/page1.aspx


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

You can't get a permanent OFA rating, but you can at least confirm or rule out- to some extent- any major problems.


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## Patt (Feb 12, 2008)

Dogstar said:


> You can't get a permanent OFA rating, but you can at least confirm or rule out- to some extent- any major problems.


Thank you.


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## tirluc (Aug 29, 2006)

at seven mo you can get an accurate reading for what the hips are like at that age....but it is a possibility that the hips can change w/ growth and that's whay OFA won't certify till 2 yrs old.....most generally they stay relatively the same, but there are things to take into consideration as the pup grows, 1 being stress on the joints or an injury that "displaces" the hip.....when discussing HD w/ my vet, if one hip is affected it's generally (not always, folks) due to the stressed joint.....HD most generally (again, not always, folks) affects both joints.....but when dealing w/ a hip problem, even 1 bad one is to be concerned about for breeding purposes (not that i'm implying that the OP was intending for breeding, just stating this for anyone else concerned)


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## melgrj7 (Sep 21, 2007)

Julie's sister has a dog (Maggie) who has horrible, horrible hips. They walk her 2 hours a day (1 in the am and 1 in the pm) to keep her muscles in good shape and give her a glucosamine supplement (I forgot which one) and she does great. After a lot of running or an extra long walk you can tell as her legs swing in as she walks, nearly hitting the other leg or she will start bunny hopping. But most of the time she does really well. The vets had told them when she was young (around a year) that she would need a full hip replacement within a few years. She is now 5 or 6 years old and the vets are saying she is doing fine and doesn't need any kind of surgery. They also keep her pretty thin (vets recommendation).


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

When I was researching this as I was purchasing my current dog (and you want to research it if getting a GSD for sure!) I found that research indicated that HD and ED was becoming so prevalent that it was a problem in the world of mixed breed dogs. Some breeds have very little HD (like huskies). 

Meanwhile, give the dog the supplement if you think it will do any good. I would want to see a double blind study on it and repeatability b4 spending money on supplements but that is MY OPINION ONLY. Wait and look for signs of discomfort and go on with your life. The X ray machines are going no where and as time goes by, surgical interventions may improve if you end up with a lame dog. Meanwhile, at this age, no one is going to intervene.. the dog needs to grow. Save your money up "in case" and no harm done if the dog is fine.. all it means is you will have some money in savings.

You HAVE the dog, right? If he is diagnosed with HD, what are you going to do? PTS? Return him to the breeder? Both those are unlikely scenarios so set the whole thing to one side. If he toes out badly behind don't use him for breeding and enjoy him (and some toe out is necessary so the rear stifles can work correctly.. the hind leg of a dog is really a spiral construction if you want to get into the physics). 

My gosh.. one of the most poorly conformed horses in the world was a horse called Exterminator who raced for 9 years and won the Kentucky derby. Another horse, called John Henry, was pretty crooked too.. and most pepople still recall his records! Many dogs have less than perfect structure and never take a lame step in their lives. Some compete in dog sports. 

You can worry if you want, but it won't solve anything and will only make you feel bad!


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## amp9364 (Feb 19, 2007)

Thanks for all the great info! I'm not worrying about it too much as he doesn't seem to be uncomfortable or have trouble getting around at all, hopefully he just has funny feet! We are not planning on breeding at all so that is not an issue. 

As far as the x-rays go, our vet says you can't rule out until 2 yrs old so it would be kind of pointless to do them now. I am just going to start the supplements and he gets as least 1 or 2 walks per day so he gets enough exercise. 

Thanks, Ann


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## Jaylie (Mar 5, 2007)

Elana55 said:


> One of the diagnosis of HD is when the dog runs, he "bunny hops" behind. This means at a gallop the dog keeps both hind feet together and hops them forward instead of separating them in a stride. It takes a good bit of watching dogs to be able to see this, but it is easier to see in a large breed dog that is galloping slowly.


Uh oh...That's not a good sign for me. I think Blitz did this...But it's not like I can watch him run now, knowing this, to make sure. Oh well...He's made it through the first week, and they do the medical checks in the first 2 weeks. So...I will know whether he has HD or not in the next week I guess.  I'm so scared!!


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## alphadoginthehouse (Jun 7, 2008)

sheltiemom said:


> I don't know much about HD, but Frosty has a luxating patella and the main thing the vet wants me to do for now is keep his weight on the low side of normal. Other than that we just keep an eye on it, and if it starts to give him any trouble (it's not right now), I'll have it evaluated by an orthopedic specialist.


Butch has the same thing. I'm trying to trim his weight down and keep him from jumping (which is like asking him not to breathe, he's chi/jrt mix). I had an AC mix who had HD. I gave her Rymadyl and it worked really well for her. Her weight was a bit of a problem to keep down but I was fairly successful.

Good luck with your baby.


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## Jaylie (Mar 5, 2007)

tirluc said:


> signs to watch for for HD....they sit on one hip or the other, they don't sit square (this is not 100%, my girl sits/lays square, but is a general rule), they "bunny hop", as Elana mentioned (w/ this my girl keeps her back legs close together, but my male always ran w/ his both out to the sides, so when his rear legs went forward they went to the outside of the "track" not the inside like Lacey does), when they lay on their back, they tuck the legs up toward the body instead of an "upside down frog dog", *when they go up stairs the cannot go up one rear leg at a time, they have to hop w/ the rear legs*....i will get you pics/video of the last 2 examples tonight so you can see what i mean....


Is that always the case? Because Blitz did everything but that. Is it possible that he has very slight hip dysplasia?? Which he would still be dropped for. Oh well...What am a worrying for, anyway? It's not like I can do anything.

Lol, of course I could be mistaking the "bunny hops" for the "labrador shuffle."


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## melgrj7 (Sep 21, 2007)

I know several mixed breeds that have HD. Julie's sister's dog I was speaking of before is a mutt. She is a golden retriever mixed with something. Our vet thinks Lloyd may have slight HD, we need to have his hips x-rayed, just can't do it at the moment.



Elana55 said:


> When I was researching this as I was purchasing my current dog (and you want to research it if getting a GSD for sure!) I found that research indicated that HD and ED was becoming so prevalent that it was a problem in the world of mixed breed dogs. Some breeds have very little HD (like huskies).


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