possible hip problems

[zebanja]

hi my name is zeb im ebonys owner we recently visited a vet only to hear that she may have hip displasure she is only 10 weeks old and im not convinced that this is the problem because she is very young and she comes from very good lineage. the reason we were concerned is that she sometimes cries or yelps when picked up also the vet tested her hips and she yelpd however she runs jumps and plays without any discomfort. could this just be growing pains.

[Judi W]

I don't know about growing pains. Growing should not be painful. And yes, it could indeed be HD. Even at a very young age, if severe enough HD can cause great discomfort. It usually becomes most evident about 5 months of age, but I have seen signs as early as 10 or 12 weeks. Only an xray will tell. You might want to wait a few months to take them, but I would do so.

[cuppacoffee]

Hi Zeb,
HD can show itself at a very early age. And sadly, good lineage only reduces the risk of HD, it does not eliminate it. I'm sorry to hear that your vet thinks your pup may have it, and hope that the xrays come back clean!
Kate

[Sharon Marples]

You say she comes from good lineage, but did you actually see results of hip x-rays from both the sire and dam? Any breeder can say the puppies are from good lineage, but if health certifications are not done, they cannot guarantee it.

As the others have said, genetics can throw a HD puppy now and then from cleared parents. And yes, HD can show up very early, especially if it is a serious case.

I hope you can get your pup x-rayed in the next few months so you can have a positive diagnosis and not just be guessing.

[zebanja]

we thank you all for your advice, we'll be waiting until about five months before we get the xray and in the mean time we'll be trying calcium and kelp powder. we do have papers from the mothers parents and their is a hip score mother total is 9, fathers total is 4. does this bode well for ebony?

[Judi W]

Well, I'm going to back you up a bit here. It seems as if you are attempting to treat this pup with supplements and in a rather haphazard manner. Why not stop all of that and go ahead and get an xray taken now. I'd rather see you take an extra xray than run off attempting to treat something without a proper diagnosis and recommendations. If you purchased this puppy from a breeder, it would be wise to to get an xray, get a report from your vet and contact the breeder immediately.

[SonnyRott]

Put your money to better use and get an x-ray taken. The pup is in pain. I am not sure what a 9 or a 4 hip score means. Are you talking about a Penn Hip score of .9 and .4?

It is better to know for sure what is or is not going on with your pup and only an x-ray will provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision should it be HD.

Let us know what the results are. Don't wait.

[Judi W]

SR, the OP is in Australia and hip evaluations would not be Penn Hip or OFA but with the registry of that country.

[JD102175]

Originally Posted by zebanja

in the mean time we'll be trying calcium and kelp powder.

I thought that giving calcium as a supplement was a big no-no for a growing Rottie pup

Jaime

[zebanja]

thanks everyone for taking the time to respond its been really enlightening, esp. jamie's comment about calcium, we've been reading up and had no idea it was so detremental to ebony's health. we've decided that well go ahead with the xray next week when she has her second immunisation. the vet mentioned a process today where they fuse the hip bones together to keep them in place has anyone heard of this? we'll keep you posted about the xray results. thanks again, zeb and anja.

[debbiej]

there is an operation that can be done before certain changes occur. it involves repositioning the joint. good luck with the pup. my 2yr old girl has hd, and I wish I'd gotten her when she was young enough to do something about it. anyway, the sooner you know, the better choices you can make.

[Judi W]

As I said, however, if you purchased this pup from a breeder, you should immediately contact the breeder after xray diagnosis if it proves positive. The breeder has an obligation and you should have a sales contract of some kind that makes certain guarantees. That should be done first.

[JD102175]

Originally Posted by zebanja

mother total is 9, fathers total is 4. does this bode well for ebony?

From what I have found out from an AUS dog forum these are pretty good scores for hips. The fathers is the better of the two scores. But I have read, probably on this forum, that even dogs with good hips can throw a pup with bad ones.

Jaime

[lblax]

get the xray right away ... if she did come from a reputasble breeder with good hips throughout the lines there is a very good possibility that instead of dysplasia that the hip joint is not there at all ive seen this in 2 rotts in three years and all the others out of the litter were fine...even though pups can show signs this early it isnt that common at 10 weeks of age and if it is dysplasia and painful at 10 weeks then the hips are gonna be a wreck more than likely

[SonnyRott]

Originally Posted by Judi W

SR, the OP is in Australia and hip evaluations would not be Penn Hip or OFA but with the registry of that country.

Thanks Judi....that makes sense.

To original poster:

Here is a link with HD information. Good to hear you're having the x-ray.

http://www.workingdogs.com/doc0090.htm