Young working lab newly diagnosed with HD & arthritis

[MalcolmTuckersSwearBox]

Morning.

As per the title, my lovely boy, almost 5, is newly diagnosed with hip dysplasia and associated arthritis. We think worse in his left but present in both. We are still going through the scanning process to understand the severity. He had CT yesterday and we are awaiting the reports.

I did everything 'right', chose parents with low hip scores and elbow scores, with full health tests. Did the all the background stuff, double checked the health tests, met with the breeders and their dogs first. Went with a reputable, ethical breeder who breeds for health and temperament. Gave him a safe developmental environment, no stairs, no balls, no jumping etc for the first year. He's been on working dog joint supplements since weaning and good quality food. Kept his weight/body condition in check always, never overweight.

Yet here we are. I realise all of those things are mitigation/risk reduction, rather than a guarantee of freedom from disease but I'm gutted all the same. My poor boy. At least now we can get him on a management plan. Thankfully, we have good insurance, as the diagnostics so far have come to over £3.5k [ouch].

With this new knowledge, I know we have to make changes to his exercise regime, little and often rather than long vigorous walks. He loves dummy retrieval, so that's going to have to stop too, because of the wear and tear on his joints. I've ordered orthopaedic beds (he's a floor or sofa sleeper at the moment, so we'll see how he gets on). Obviously we will follow any treatment and lifestyle advice from our vets. Hydrotherapy has been mentioned along with NSAID & monoclonal antibodies.

Anyone in a similar position got any advice or tips for how they've changed things for their dog?

Sorry for the huge OP and thanks for reading.

That’s a blow. I’m sorry. It happens.

I don’t have direct experience but do as a trainer. As he’s young and otherwise well bred I’d consider a hip replacement. They have a good rate of returning to normal function (within reason) with after care. A management situation means quite heavy restrictions.

Thanks for replying @Newpeep. I have read about THR in relation to HD but it seems it isn't always indicated. Would you recommend a specialist 'referral' type surgeon for this or is it something a normal vet would be competent at? Is there a difference in outcomes/success rates?

My gut feeling says use a referral centre as they are more likely to have more experience in this type of surgery and have better equipment but I don't know if I'm just being over-protective because I love him and want the best for him or whether I'd be wasting money using a referral centre for surgery my local vet could do competently with no difference in success/outcomes.

Sorry that second paragraph is just a stream of punctuation-free consciousness

We go mantrailing with a couple of working dogs who've had to find new hobbies after a hip display diagnosis (a lab and a golden retriever). Worth looking into if you think your dog still needs a working outlet.

Yes I’d ask for a referral even if it’s to get a second opinion. Our vet has a specialist ortho surgeon who visits so it depends on your vet set up.

It’s definitely something I’d explore even if it turns out not to be viable.

I’ve always said with a young working dog I’d throw everything at it before admitting management as it is so restrictive for dogs who thrive on activity.

Thank you for your thoughts @Newpeep. We'll definitely get a second opinion re surgical management.

Mantrailing courses are run locally, so I may well look into it, thanks @Labracdabra.

Mantrailing and scentwork would be excellent activities for him if he is going to be restricted.

He loves scentwork ("find it!" in our house), so that's good. As a working dog, he has a busy brain, so we keep that side of him stimulated too.

It’s devastating when you have done all the right things to reduce the risk. We are on our third working lab, although we don’t work her.
Her breeding hip and elbow risk was slightly above average but she wasn’t line bred and has about 25% show lab in her family history. As a result her breeding coefficient is around 2%.
My old vet was very cynical about the HD breeding programmes along with testing and scoring, mainly because it is subjective and despite 50 yrs of trying to eliminate the condition it is still a problem.
The fact that it still occurs in what appear to be healthy lines may suggest that it is down to a recessive gene. In which case the breeding coefficient may be a better market than testing . I think that the breed needs to report HD within a line rather than test for it. Patterns may emerge that can lead to genetic testing rather than anatomical scoring.
All that said it doesn’t help your lovely boy.

My beautiful girl, a very fit and lively 8 yr old recently suffered an ANNPE injury to the spine, the jelly part of the disc is compress ans expelled injuring the spinal cord. She was referred to a great neuro specialist who correctly diagnosed her and is recovering well. She advised early hydro therapy which has been a life saver. The therapist is amazed at her progress, all too often owners are cautious about therapy and wait. The neurologist is using videos of my dog to demonstrate the benefits of early hydro as a result.

The therapist sees a great many labs mainly with joint problems. She is book up for weeks in advance so we generally take cancellations. But it obviously benefits the dogs.

I would strongly recommend a specialist centre for orthopaedic consult and have a search for a hydro therapist. We are lucky that we have two with a few miles of us.

My lab absolutely loves hydro, she gets so excited when she knows we are heading there. As soon as we go in she heads straight for the hydro treadmill.
The photo shows her last week. She’s looking at me because I’m in charge of the biscuits.

PS they also have a doggy swimming pool they use for dogs with HD. Mine isn’t allowed in because she is still very weak in her back legs so likely to struggle swimming at the moment.

Exactly the same scenario with my GSD. I already had had one with HD and was determined never to lose another so young. Bitter irony- at 15 months she was diagnosed. The insurance didn't cover any treatment either time as it was deemed an hereditary condition so if your Insurers are paying it's brilliant news. However I lost them both at 7 years, the second to arthritis and HD. A friend of mine nursed her Shepherd until the age of 10, spending horrendous amounts of her own money on water therapy and similar. To be honest I think she continued too long as he was clearly in some distress for a couple of years.
Not what you want to hear I guess but it's one of the sad realities of HD. I'm very sorry.

Further to Angrymum’s post, as well as ortho referral, request a full referral to a properly qualified physio. The Ortho vet probably has one on speed dial.

My elderly boy, diagnosed with arthritis at 10, is still doing well at 13+ after following a maintenance programme which includes physio/ treadmill/ swimming.

So whether you choose surgery or maintenance, structured physio can help.

I had a dog who was diagnosed at around 5 or 6 with horrible HD, long story short, 1st vet wanted to PTS on the spot, 2nd vet refered us to 3rd vet who operated on him, and that darling dog lived a long, pain free and reasonably active life

Its a devastating diagnosis but there are also a lot of options, so I'd go for second and even third opinion.

What’s his work? (pure nosiness 😁)

My old vet was very cynical about the HD breeding programmes along with testing and scoring, mainly because it is subjective and despite 50 yrs of trying to eliminate the condition it is still a problem.

I am surprised to hear a vet say this really. HD and ED are multi-factorial. Sensible breeding will limit your risk factors as a starting point, but so much else can affect the outcome for the adult dog - exercise (too much/wrong kind), food, surfaces while they're growing, etc.

Thank you so much for your posts @Angrymum22, @Dearg and @neilyoungismyhero.

@Angrymum, we have several hydro pools locally and his insurance covers a good amount of therapy costs, so we shouldn't struggle too much with accessing that side of things, all being well. Your girl is gorgeous. I'm glad to hear she's recovering well from her injury, that sounded horrendous.

Interesting what you say re the usefulness of testing and whether it is testing the right thing. COI for his litter was 5.8% vs 6.4% average (calculated through KC calculator).

I've taken on board what you said re physio, @Dearg, thank you. Good to read that you've seen progress in an elderly dog. I hope he continues to do well.

@neilyoungismyhero, I'm medically trained in humans so I'm not unrealistic about the situation. Your comment hasn't freaked me out or upset me. I'm so sorry to see you lost your beloved dogs so early. It's heartbreaking.

It just means he 'works' in the gun dog sense. I work him to exercise his natural drives. He's not an assistance dog or anything like that .

Bloody hell @fastfood, that must have absolutely sideswiped you. Happy to hear you had a good outcome in the end but what a terrible shock.

KC seems to like EBV now vs the old scoring system @Angrymum22. These are his EBV (estimated breeding values) from the KC site.

Confidence ratings are a bit low (just shy of the recommended 60%), so lacking data. Elbows are good. Hips are average. Sire had hip score of 2 (1+1), 0 elbows. Dam hips were 7 (3+4). Good & low on the old system, 0 elbows.

We are just bloody unlucky.

I agree re multi factorial but in working lines there is often a high breed coefficient ( dogs parents are closely related) in genetic terms this allows recessive traits to emerge. Breeding based on anatomical score is not as beneficial as gene based breeding. The genetic screening for other conditions in labradors has been far more successful than hip and elbow scoring.
The anatomical scores are affected by exercise and diet, which in turn makes people overconfident in scores. A dog carrying the genes for joint problems may score low due to non genetic factors but produce offspring who go on to develop HD because they are not brought up in the same way ( early exercise, diet etc).
I am surprised that gene testing has not been developed for HD. I suspect that breeders are entrenched in the ideals of line breeding. Multiple champions in a line command higher prices. It’s sad that we don’t breed purely for health. It is always the breeders who blame owners for joint problems when breed coefficients are very high in their lines.

Oh, OP. This could happen to any dog where the breed has a tendency towards arthritis. Yes, EBV and inbreeding coefficient are important but they do not guarantee a dog will be healthy - they are a good indicator - but there are no guarantees with genetics. As you said, you've just been unlucky.

It's a hard mindset to get into, but you need to think of what the dog can do and not what he can't do. As you said, little walks but often. Take him out to coffee shops and to have a poke around new towns and villages nearby - even just sitting outside and watching the world go by can be really stimulating for dogs. Scent work inside and in the garden. Even routine things like changing his food bowl (slow feeders or puzzle feeders etc) or grooming can actually be good ways to tire a dog out.

But dogs with dysplasia and arthritis can live amazing lives. My best friends childhood lab growing up was diagnosed with dysplasia and arthritis aged 8. He lived until he was 15 and had a full and happy life - and he was only put down when he was because they worried that he wasn't living his best life anymore (they PTS sooner than I think many others would tbh).

All my labs have had COI of less than 3. My vet was very impressed. When my friend was researching local working breeders most were 15-20%. I had to talk her through the reasons for avoiding these lines, they looked impressive but essentially the Dam was being mated with the genetic equivalent of her grandfather.
You EBV estimates are average but they are only estimates. My dog had less favourable EBVs but that is due to the show lines she is decended from. She is genetically much more like her father who has the impressive working pedigree.
She is distantly related to our last lab who had zero joint problems. Our current lab is now 8 and before her accident had no joint trouble. Now she waddles along like an arthritic 13 yr old. Hopefully she will improve further. She has stopped bunny hopping but we have a long way to go.
Unfortunately because it is nerve damage and she has no pain she is not as cautious as she should be. In some respects if she had some pain she may not be as bouncy.
Most people assume she is 2-3 because of her fitness. We are now building up her exercise because she has lost muscle mass.

My Lab has to have multiple surgeries on his elbow before his first birthday. He's 5 now and has significant arthritis in the joint as a result. I would thoroughly recommend Mark Owen orthopaedic surgeon in Somerset if you are anywhere near, he is truly one of the best you will find. CBD oil as a natural pain relief has helped hugely for my boy.

I had a border collie that was diagnosed at around 9 months. I would say mild to moderate.

I opted for long term pain management over surgery, mainly as he was diagnosed at the rescue centre so couldn’t be insured. I’ve seen some really positive post surgery cases so I wouldn’t rule it out.

Over the years I had success with acupuncture and hydro, little and often exersise. No ball throwing or high impact sport but I replaced it with lower impact stuff, hoopers was a firm favourite as was scent work (also mantrailing is low impact but I didn’t try it?) We also tried a bit of fun obedience work etc. There’s so much out there to keep them busy.

He was on NSAIDs from diagnosis. I think it’s so important to manage pain properly, I would have rather a shorter pain managed life than a longer one where the dog is in pain at every step. Saying that, he lived until 14 before it finally caught up with him!

Somerset is doable for me, so I'll look into him. Thank you.

@GSD20, thanks for your reply. We've had the CT results which suggest moderate but we are awaiting a consultation with the vet for interpretation and management plan discussion. We'll also be getting a second opinion re surgical route. He was initially prescribed Onsior (NSAIDs) but they want to move him onto something else, I guess it's not recommended for use in the long term. We'll find out when we have the consultation.