18 Months - Mild Hip Dysplasia

[mikewebthree]

Hi all,

I am the proud owner of an 18 month old castrated male rottie, Boss.
He's a lovely well behaved boy.

A few weeks back I thought he looked a little stiff getting up, he has never shown any signs before, so off to the vets we went for an X-Ray.
My paranoia was confirmed.

He has mild dysplasia in his right hip.

The X-Ray was also sent to an orthopedic specialist, his recommendation at this stage was that surgery is not necessary. The ball and socket are well formed but the ball does not sit closely in the socket.

Boss is now having "caprophen/cartrophen" injections over the next 4 weeks.

Apart from limiting his exercise & diet what else would you recommend?

Many Thanks, Mike.

[moondog]

I would look into Adequan injections, which really help by helping to replace and maintain the integrity of the synovial fluid in the joints - do a search here and you will find quite a bit of info on it. This is not a drug, but a nutraceutical - a pharmaceutical nutritional treatment, and very effective for joint problems.

As for exercise, you want to develop an exercise routine that helps build the muscle in his hind end. That goes a LONG way for dogs with hip dysplasia, because where the joint is weak the muscle can make up for by helping to stabilize it. Getting him swimming is probably the number one best thing you can do for your dog, and regular moderate exercise (walking, especially using slight inclines, is good).

My daughter has an 8 year old dog with a completely flat socket in one hip. You'd think by this age he'd be completely crippled, but he's not. He has been given daily moderate exercise plus swimming when available his entire life and it's paying off big time now that he's older. His walks are now shorter, but he has no problem getting up and down, needs no pain medications, and is living a very happy life still.

[Cash]

Originally Posted by moondog

I would look into Adequan injections, which really help by helping to replace and maintain the integrity of the synovial fluid in the joints - do a search here and you will find quite a bit of info on it. This is not a drug, but a nutraceutical - a pharmaceutical nutritional treatment, and very effective for joint problems.

As for exercise, you want to develop an exercise routine that helps build the muscle in his hind end. That goes a LONG way for dogs with hip dysplasia, because where the joint is weak the muscle can make up for by helping to stabilize it. Getting him swimming is probably the number one best thing you can do for your dog, and regular moderate exercise (walking, especially using slight inclines, is good).

You can start at the very least with adding supplements if you are not at the Adequan injections. I have a dog with HD and we are very active. He swims, A LOT, which I feel is his saving grace. But talk to your Ortho about their suggestions for not only management, but pain relief. These dogs are amazingly stoic, to a fault, so do what you can to aid his pain and benefit the issue/

[bessy-senior]

Hello,

I am so sorry about the news about Boss. My girl Bessy's left hip was also confirmed as mild hip dyspalsia (she was only 6 1/1 months then).

Thanks to some sound advice I got from some owners here, I started my girl on Cosequin, Ester-C and salmon oil.

I personally think the salmon oil helps A LOT (anti-inflammatory properties). It took me awhile to adjust the amount of Ester-C (too much resulted in mushy poop), but this has been great too.

It has just been 3 weeks since the diagnosis. But Bessy seems a lot better - she used to be rather sluggish, walked with an on off limp, and seemed reluctant to get up.

Good luck with Boss!