re: Anyone had a young dog with hip dysplasia?

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Not sure if the vets office is just crap because of the completely wildly different diagnoses only a week apart

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It sounds like the first visit they diagnoses the patellar luxation by physical exam. That is fairly normal. they wouldnt be able to diagnose the hip dysplasia by that method alone nor did there seem to be an indication to. The difference in presentation in the second visit likely warranted the radiographs and hence the new diagnosis. it does not sound like they did anything wrong.

You are well within your rights and should get a second opinion if you want to be sure though.

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When I search for hip dysplasia in dogs all I get is generic information on it being potentially common/hereditary but I really want a plan of action to mitigate it if possible or an understanding of what the long term effects can be.

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Make a C shape with one hand and a ball/fist with other. put fist into the "C". that is what the hip joint looks like. in a normal hip the surface of the femoral head (fist) should be completely covered within the "C" of the hip. in dysplasia, for a number of difference possible reasons, that coverage is not correct. This leads to improper wear and tear and eventually arthritic changes. You can give supplements and pain meds to alleviate symptoms but surgery is the only true "corrective" action. I say "corrective" because you are alleviating pain and discomfort and increasing mobility for the animal. The joint will never be normal. The most common surgery for that is what called an FHO. I don't think that's necessarily the best surgical option, but it tends to be what fits most people budgets. A total hip replacement is possible but it comes with a very high cost. You will absolutely want to get a referral to an orthopedic specialist for this discussion. I am not saying there is anything wrong with and FHO procedure, but comparing it to a THR is like comparing a Mustang to a Ferrari. That being said, not every case is suitable for a THR.

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We were given a joint supplement by the vet tech to inject in her every two weeks. When I asked how long she needed it they said the rest of her life. I questioned if that was really necessary and the vet tech basically said she had no idea she’s never seen us give it to a dog this young before so it usually isn’t a long term issue

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i dont know what they recommended but considering this is a mechanical malformity of the hip joint(s), things will not get better on their own. if the supplement is helping then yes, it will need to be done for the life of the animal. The real questions is how long will that help for? thats impossible to say without a magic crystal ball.

Then we you need to consider the patellar luxation issue. This is also causing gait abnormalities that wont help with the hip dysplasia at all. I know you kind of shrugged off how serious that issue could be, but it definitely needs to be factored in. The grade of the luxation dictates the approach to manage it. If its a grade 1 or 2, then it might not need surgical intervention. A grade 3 would be on a case to case basis, a grade 4 would absolutely need surgery. It does not sound like from what you described the dog has a grade 4 luxation.

As far as quality of life. The best thing to do is make the animal as pain free as possible. If you can achieve that then quality of life is good. yes you might not be able to have an active lifestyle with the dog. However all the dog really cares about if it feels like its part of the pack/family and is loved.