I Need Advice On Hip Dysplasia (Multible Questions)?
He has been to the vet, just to be clear on that. I plan on asking her all of these questions are more with his follow-up, but I would like advice from owners with experience on hip dysplasia.
I just found out that my 14 month old beagle x basset mix has hip dysplasia. He doesn’t appear to be in much pain, but he favors the right hip more. He has also mastered the art of three legged running. I am well aware that this condition will deteriorate with age, though.
I need advice on what I can do to help him lead a normal pain free life, what type of exercise is best for him and what joint support could be right for him?
He and my other dog are currently on Drs. Foster and Smith joint care level 1 for support of healthy joints. I plan on leaving my other dog on level 1, but should I switch him up to level three? What other joint support options would be right for him?
Tarson:
I did not BUY my dog. He is a rescue. I would never in a million years think of returning him because something like this came up. I was will aware of the possibilty of bad joints and hips when I rescued him.
My boy is very fit. I made sure of keeping him that way since the day he came to us. He has a well balanced diet and gets plently of exercise. (He is running up and down the hallway and in and out of the door chasing ice cubes as I type this).
My vet is very experienced with bassets and dogs with long back/bad joints. She is also well educated in orthopedics, so I don’t really doubt her diagnoses. He will continue to go back once a month for x-rays and check ups.
It isn’t his right hip, it’s his left. lol. I meant to say his right is fine.
Anyway, it isn’t bad. The stiffness wears off after awhile and it doesn’t radiate and it wasn’t suddenly onset like it would be with panosteitis, which was also a possibility brought up by my vet. he is also never reluctant to run and play, I’m guessing that is the beagle in him.
Tagged with: Advice • dysplasia • Multible • need • Questions
Filed under: hip dysplasia in dogs treatment
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Keeping him very slim and exercised will be incredibly important. The less weight, the less pressure on the hips. The exercise helps to keep the joints lubricated and the muscles & tendons strong.
Hip Supplements are great. Choose the level based on the description. I personally use WellFlex for my pup and love them.
Speak with your vet about surgery options should it get worse later in life. Start saving for it if he thinks it may be an option.
Your vet can give you some medication that will help ease the pain. Never buy OTC meds without your vet’s okay.
If I were you, I’d have my vet refer me to a canine orthopedic, someone more qualified to treat this problem and answer your questions. Not a good idea to look for suggestions from a bunch of total strangers online. I know I certainly wouldn’t trust my dog’s health to people here.
When your gets to be two years old, you can have the hips OFA’d to find out the severity of the problem. After that, a reputable canine orthopedic vet can do a total hip replacement. Your dog will be good for life after that. I believe that it’s about $3000.00 per hip.
My regular vet told me that my dog’s hips were marginal, so I took the x-rays to TWO orthopedic vets and got a second opinion. Fortunately they are fine. So, please see a canine orthopedic vet.
I would get a second opinion. Preferably from an orthopedic vet familiar with bassets.
Although it IS possible that your dog has HD, it is also VERY common for vets to misdiagnose young male bassets as having the disease, when the problem is really something else, usually panosteitis. Vets unfamiliar with the normal construction and laxity of the hips of an immature basset often freak out when seeing such x-rays for the first time.
Otherwise, make sure to keep him fit and well-muscled. To much weight is hard on his hips, but good muscling will help to support them.
hip dysplasia in a very young dog like you have is not going to get any better. There is a very expensive operation that the vet will recommend and the dog will still have much pain and discomfort for the very short time you will force him to continue until you finally put him to sleep.
You should take him back to the place you bought him from and demand a refund.
Your doctor should be able to recommend a good condroiten-glucosamine supplement (either pills or in his food) and to prescribe a good pain killer. he’ll probably have to take the pain killer for the rest of his life and be followed closely by the vet for problems related to long-term pain killer use (like people – dog can get stomach ulcers, liver problems, etc…)
you should limit his running, and you can look into other options like physiotherapy, acupuncture (i know a lot of people don’t believe in that, but i’ve personally seen very good results with his dysplasia dogs and it means you can reduce pain meds and have fewer side effects!), and possible surgery.
you vet should be able to recommend specialists who can help you with all of those things if his clinic isnt.
best of luck to you and your dog!
Please ask your vet about Adequan injections. I have used them in a case of elbow dysplaysia with amazing results. It is similar to the oral medications but far more effective as they are injected. I agree with the first answerer as to keeping your pet fit and at a healthy weight. There is also pain medication available, such a Rimadyl, should he start experiencing discomfort. Good luck with your puppy and good for you for catching it early.
It is important to keep him at a healthy weight. The more overweight he gets the worse his hip will bother him. I think taking him swimming will help keep the muscles in the bad leg worked and keep them from atrophying. I would think this would be low impact enough to prevent any pain.
I don’t know what types of supplements are the best since they are not regulated by the FDA and do not have to show any of their research. I would go with what seems to help him the most – lessen his stiffness. I know cosequin is one brand that seems to be pretty good (my grandmothers dog is on it).
There are surgical options available such as a hip replacement or an FHO. I think there are more. Your vet can explain them to you. He/she may even do these surgeries or they can send you to someone who does them. Your vet would be the best one to talk to he/she can look at the radiographs and how the dog seems to be doing and get a feel for what would be the best course of action.
Thanks for adopting…
I found out that my lab had hip dysplasia at about that age. The only thing that really helped her was swimming. It’s zero-impact and strengthens the tendons and muscles around the hips.
Swimming is definitely the best exercise for hip dysplastic dogs, but some bassets can’t swim. There’s a water therapy of some sort that vets use (it’s basically a treadmill in a tub that is filled with water up to the dog’s chest). But I’d try swimming first, ’cause it’s free…
If you can find a nearby lake, creek, or beach around, and don’t live in an area with a lot of predators (like south FL where there are gators everywhere, or Montana where there are bears everywhere), try taking him out there with a ball and see what happens.
Otherwise, keeping him underweight helps. It’s perfectly healthy for a dog to be less than ideal weight, as long as he isn’t malnourished. The best way to keep your dog a bit underweight and still be healthy is with a really high quality kibble or feeding him straight-up meat (raw or cooked) and a bit of fruits or veggies.
Good luck!
First off are you considering surgical correction of the hips?? This is the best way to treat painful, chronic arthritis that is refractory to medical treatment. If so, they do have artificial hips for dogs. Surgical correction usually runs between 2-4000 dollars and might be the best long term option avalible to pet owners. There is another surgical procedure that is not as expensive, but depending on what you plan on using your dog for, is another option. It is femoral head ostectomy (700-1000 dollars) and is a procedure in which the head of the femur is surgically removed, there by getting rid of the source of pain. This procedure then relies on the muscles of the hip as well as scar tissue to form a false joint. It is a viable surgery in smaller dogs less than about 40-50 pounds.
If surgery is not an option, you are left with medical management which consists of non-steriodal antiinflammatories (Carprofen, meloxicam, ketofen to name a few) and light exercise. The best exercise for dogs with hip dysplasia are low impact activities the best of which is swimming. The current data on joint supplemention is inconclusive. There has not been concrete data to support that supplementation cures or is a great treatment for osteoarthritis. However, it won’t hurt, and is always advised in the hope that some pain relief is achieved. Condroiton sulfate and glucoaminoglycan supplements can also be found in many health food stores, you just need to consult with your veterinarian about an appropriate treatment plan for your dog and budget.