Hip dysplasia :(

[lisad123]

Took our boy to the vet this morning as worried about bunny hop when running. Vet seems to agree its hip dysplasia and also said he appears to have a possible knee problem too :(
Have booked him in for X-rays under GA next week and under promise of short lead walks only :(
Nice huge bill but lucky we had him insured as soon as we got him, but never used it.
What will happen

Hit send too soon.
What will happen next after dx?

I think it depends on the dogs age and how Severe it is.

My lab has hs and was diagnosed really young. His bones were still forming so the vet didn't want to do anything straight away. He was on restricted exercise and I gave him supplements too.

At his last x-ray he actually seemed to have improved and as he is generally in no pain the vet has said they will just leave him and treat with painkillers when necessary.

If he was still bad they were talking about shaving away part of the hip joint so the ball slotted in better or if need be giving him a whole new hip!

Please try not to panic, our vet was adamant she could fix our boy regardless of how bad our second x-rays were.

Thank goodness for insurance :)

Thank you for your message, I am on a bit of a panic. His only two

Lisad I'm so sorry you've had this news . As a new dog owner myself I worry so much about my pup and I can imagine how upsetting this is for you. Are you going to let the breeder know (not sure if your doodle is from hip tested stock). And, yes, thank goodness for insurance

Have let breeder know, not that she can do much now.

I'm sorry to hear this, lisad. What a good job you've got insurance. I guess you'll know more after the x-rays. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

Xrays show a slightly flat surface on top of thigh bone but they dont think its too serious and has been caught early. They also think he has soft tissue damage.
Now recommended Joint suplutments and hydro therapy.
I know the hydrop therapy is covered on my insurance, not sure on meds.
very happy its not too serious but wondering how my doddle will do with no walks for 2 weeks!

It's good it's not too serious, you must be relieved. Glad your insurance covers the hydrotherapy, and hope it will cover the meds too. Two weeks with no walks doesn't sound like fun!

Hi Lisa,

My Doodle is 2.5 and was diagnosed at 9 months - she initially had the special food but I really didnt like it. We have since given her supplements every morning and she hasnt had any problems since initial diagnosis.

If we take her on a very long walk she might be stiff the next day, but apart from that she is fine (although she was diagnosed with Addisons disease a few weeks ago but thats another story!)

On initial diagnosis my vet said that she may be fine for years, may need a hip replacement or may need nothing, we will just have to wait and see. Her quality of life is normal and she runs around like the loony doodle she is :)

Only seeing this now, and the update, delightGlad ed it's not too serious. I have a friend who has her cocker on supplements and he is doing pretty well. Although she does restrict exercise especially off lead hoolies as the dog has so much fun he doesn't realise he's hurting until the next day. She has painkillers for such episodes. Good luck :)

I used joint aid for my boy - it was much cheaper on the internet.

If you can be bothered searching there is a thread somewhere about which supplements folk had thought were good.

I'm glad its not too bad - if you could see my boy you wouldn't even know anything was wrong!

Our beautiful 5 yr old Chesapeake Bay Retriever hs dev. A hip problem. Lifts left hind leg up when standing but walks on all for with limp. X-ray shows some arthritis etc. 18 months ago had cruciate op. on other hind leg. Now on Rimadyl and injections and Synaquin supplement. Hope to start hydrotherapy again soon. Dog is happy and rolls on back with legs in air. But only short walks. Hip replacement tentativey suggested. Visiting breeder next wk to see what she thinks. Wld appreciate views if other dog lovers.

I had a Portuguese Water Dog who was on Rimadyl from 2 yrs, he had a hip replacement at 3 1/4 years & lived to be 15 1/2. It was done in Columbus Ohio (we lived abroad then) and we were very happy with the results.

Interesting about the Portuguese Water Dog . Similar type of breed. Toby seems easier now and does not seem to be in pain. He wld like to do a longer walk when we r out but I am controlling that. I hv a bad knee from too much exercise in pool on holiday forgetting I am 67 so less walking at present is helping us both!

Discussed with dog's breeder who inspected him and thinks the problem is a ligament in the hip area. Suggests a proper scan. On Internet I hv found a useful site saying don't go for surgery as with careful amounts of activity it will heal. Says that vets. Go for quick expensive solutions which can resolve themselves.

Wrigglyman it is all about assessing the individual some dogs with HD have hips that dislocate on a daily basis so dogs have hips that never dislocate. Yes rest, NSAIDs and hydrotherapy can really help with HD sometimes they are not sufficient and surgery is necessary. We always mention the possibility that surgery maybe necessary at diagnosis as if we don't and then later it becomes clear that conservative management is not going to work we get letters of complaint that we never mentioned surgery originally.

Yes I can understand that. I do trust our vet however. They really are first class.

Saw vet again today for cartrophan jab. He is not pushing for scans or any other treatment other than giving the knee time. Toby
is walking on the leg an standing on it now for a few seconds at a time. No five mile walks or gallops though. He rolls on his back a lot on grass and in front of fire. I am disappointed though that he shld develop a problem at five years old. Oh we'll we do our best for our dogs. Got a dog over a severe adder bite some years ago, took over six months and a skin graft at Bristol but we got there in the end.

Hi sadly my 6 1/2 yr old boxer Paxton has to have hip replacement. His hips never formed properly at birth +he hasn't had much luck with his health.just wondered if anyone has had their dog done and could reassure my worrying mind.he is such a character and loved by all who meet him and well known in social club and comes to my football matches and on holiday with football girls and the thought of him not being able to go and socialise breaks my heart.Any feedback would be really really appreciated I stopped insurance after they put it up double after 1st year and decided to dd £100 every month to his own account at vets which given his history was a good thing to do seeing as insurance companies don't pay for same illnesses injuries blah blah anyway so I have been debiting for 5 yrs and only have £81 in his account that itself speaks for his visits. Cancer lumps removed 3 times two toes amputated and many more and my vet is very very reasonable and has even opened up on a Sunday for only £30 extra so I can't ask for better care.ive dribbled on a bit I know but it's to get across why I'm not insured now as understandably people maybe saying what I should of done however for us financially up to now has worked for the better.my vet will give me a bit of time to pay as I have been £950 in credit once upon a time lol.im also going to get sponsors and shave my entire head of long hair to raise funds.arghhhhh.wish me luck on that one.lookforward to hearing your stories thank you for taking time to read