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Anyone had a young dog with hip dysplasia?
Posted on 5/1/23 at 9:17 pm
Posted on 5/1/23 at 9:17 pm
Dog got diagnosed last week with luxating patella. Not a huge deal the vet seemed to make of it. Maybe they’d need surgery if it kept happening but most dogs with this condition don’t need surgery.
Well a week later we were playing and my dog landed and screamed and was pretty timid and non mobile the rest of the night with some limping. About a day later she is mostly back to normal but her issue was with the same leg with the patella so we went back to the vet to make sure it was nothing more serious.
Well now they gave her X rays and not only are both her back knees worse than originally thought, she apparently also has hip dysplasia and is already arthritic. It’s a King Charles Cavalier and supposedly she had parents without any hip dysplasia.
We are going to get a second opinion since this basically came so out of the blue. We were told she cannot ever “play” again and that she shouldn’t use hardwood floors again either. Basically my 2 year old dog can’t do any of her favorite things and on top of that needs to lose 20% of her body weight even though the same vets office just the week before said she was at a perfectly healthy weight.
Not sure if the vets office is just crap because of the completely wildly different diagnoses only a week apart or just frustrated that our beautiful dog has potentially had so much enjoyment cut out of her life so early. Obviously we will do whatever we can to make her quality of life as good as possible. 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.
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. But an injection given to her every two weeks for the rest of her life just seems somewhat insane given her age.
We’re gonna see another vet/specialists back where my parents live a little East of us compared to the small town country vet we typically use where we live. Just looking to vent a little and if anyone has any experience info with this with their dog what to maybe expect. She is such a sweety and I am devastated I may never be able to sprint through the house with her or let her chase a squirrel through the back yard anymore which are her favorite things in the world. Not to mention she apparently needs a brutally strict diet now to lose 20% of her body weight.
Well a week later we were playing and my dog landed and screamed and was pretty timid and non mobile the rest of the night with some limping. About a day later she is mostly back to normal but her issue was with the same leg with the patella so we went back to the vet to make sure it was nothing more serious.
Well now they gave her X rays and not only are both her back knees worse than originally thought, she apparently also has hip dysplasia and is already arthritic. It’s a King Charles Cavalier and supposedly she had parents without any hip dysplasia.
We are going to get a second opinion since this basically came so out of the blue. We were told she cannot ever “play” again and that she shouldn’t use hardwood floors again either. Basically my 2 year old dog can’t do any of her favorite things and on top of that needs to lose 20% of her body weight even though the same vets office just the week before said she was at a perfectly healthy weight.
Not sure if the vets office is just crap because of the completely wildly different diagnoses only a week apart or just frustrated that our beautiful dog has potentially had so much enjoyment cut out of her life so early. Obviously we will do whatever we can to make her quality of life as good as possible. 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.
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. But an injection given to her every two weeks for the rest of her life just seems somewhat insane given her age.
We’re gonna see another vet/specialists back where my parents live a little East of us compared to the small town country vet we typically use where we live. Just looking to vent a little and if anyone has any experience info with this with their dog what to maybe expect. She is such a sweety and I am devastated I may never be able to sprint through the house with her or let her chase a squirrel through the back yard anymore which are her favorite things in the world. Not to mention she apparently needs a brutally strict diet now to lose 20% of her body weight.
This post was edited on 5/1/23 at 9:19 pm
23
Posted on 5/1/23 at 9:23 pm to jlovel7
Not reading that novel.
To answer your question.
Had a catahoula that did.
Surgery was not cheap.
To answer your question.
Had a catahoula that did.
Surgery was not cheap.
Posted on 5/1/23 at 9:25 pm to lsugorilla
quote:
Had a catahoula that did. Surgery was not cheap.
Thanks for the info. Fortunately cost is no object for us.
Posted on 5/1/23 at 9:26 pm to jlovel7
I give my older lab Antinol with a joint supplement of glucosamine.
Also, Galliprant for her pain bc she is 16. Good luck with your pup brah
Also, Galliprant for her pain bc she is 16. Good luck with your pup brah
Posted on 5/1/23 at 9:26 pm to jlovel7
I had a wife with it, never a dog.
Posted on 5/1/23 at 9:29 pm to jlovel7
The surgery helps but it’s expensive and it’s not a cure. Eventually the gains from the surgery will be overcome by the condition. Either way you have to Manage the pain the best you can until quality of life declines past the threshold you are comfortable with.
Posted on 5/1/23 at 9:30 pm to jlovel7
quote:
Thanks for the info. Fortunately cost is no object for us.
Believe me there’s a cost. It’s May be 10, 20 to 30k on a young dog but I’m not spending that on an older dog.
Posted on 5/1/23 at 9:39 pm to jlovel7
As someone mentioned, glucosamine is a good supplement for joints, but might not be enough. Get a second opinion for sure to figure out the best treatment is what I would do. Sucks all the way around, sorry to hear it….
Posted on 5/1/23 at 10:07 pm to jlovel7
Have an English bulldog that pretty much just has the suggestion of hips. The ol country vet was astounded she could walk at all. He showed us the X-ray and it’s basically the head of the femur floating in a socket that’s about 3x too big. She can only walk because bulldogs have so much a$$ muscle it just holds the femurs in place without sockets.
Posted on 5/1/23 at 10:12 pm to jlovel7
We had an Aussie that the vet said might have a bad hip. You could tell it bothered her on occasion. I gave her a spoonful of peanut butter and a glucosamine tablet each morning. She was very active for 14 years. She swore it was the peanut butter.
This post was edited on 5/1/23 at 10:13 pm
Posted on 5/1/23 at 10:20 pm to jpbTiger
quote:
do. Sucks all the way around, sorry to hear it….
Even today the vet wasn’t really that concerned with it. Didn’t even really talk about her long term quality of life.
Just told me don’t play with her anymore and buy a lot of carpets so she doesn’t slip. Didn’t really actually tell me her quality of life will definitely go down. So if it will that’s even more devastating.
Posted on 5/1/23 at 10:26 pm to jlovel7
Yes. Had an English Bulldog born with it. She romped and played as a puppy. She then couldn't move her legs. As she aged and her muscles grew, she didn't seem bothered as much. She lived until she was 13. No surgery. The vet had a Weimaraner with the same. He said, they adjust as they age. Mine did. Your dog should be fine.
Posted on 5/1/23 at 10:36 pm to jlovel7
Not reading all that but had a shepherd mix who dislocated her hip while about 9 months old while I was in college.
Vet said put her down or get the hip fixed. Had the surgery and spent 4-6 wks in the kennel. Was completely broke in college, so we had a keg party to raise money and roommates and friends pooled money to get the surgery done. Had to carry her down the stairs at Brightside to piss and shite. Was rough for a few wks but went on to live a great life for 13 years.
Ended up being the best dog I have ever had. On some level, the dog understood how we took care of it and was the best pet I’ve ever been around.
Vet said put her down or get the hip fixed. Had the surgery and spent 4-6 wks in the kennel. Was completely broke in college, so we had a keg party to raise money and roommates and friends pooled money to get the surgery done. Had to carry her down the stairs at Brightside to piss and shite. Was rough for a few wks but went on to live a great life for 13 years.
Ended up being the best dog I have ever had. On some level, the dog understood how we took care of it and was the best pet I’ve ever been around.
Posted on 5/1/23 at 10:41 pm to jlovel7
Had a lab get it after a year… breeder offered exchange but that’s was not the point.. we were best friends by then..
I looked at surgery at a center in Houston.. they would put in Steele joints like for humans… was out of my price range
My vet did “ catastrophic “ surgery.. they trim things at the joint and let cartilage grow around it….. she lived for 16 years .. was fine.. enjoyed her life .. ran .. chased ducks.. swam in ponds.. was a family pet and not hunting dog so was a great life for all of us.
I looked at surgery at a center in Houston.. they would put in Steele joints like for humans… was out of my price range
My vet did “ catastrophic “ surgery.. they trim things at the joint and let cartilage grow around it….. she lived for 16 years .. was fine.. enjoyed her life .. ran .. chased ducks.. swam in ponds.. was a family pet and not hunting dog so was a great life for all of us.
Posted on 5/1/23 at 10:42 pm to jlovel7
quote:
Fortunately cost is no object for us.
Posted on 5/2/23 at 12:53 am to jlovel7
quote:
Not sure if the vets office is just crap because of the completely wildly different diagnoses only a week apart
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.
quote:
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.
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.
quote:
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
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.
Posted on 5/2/23 at 1:08 am to jlovel7
Had an elderly lap/terrier mix that was diagnosed with hip dysplasia one December and had to be put down two months later. The dog went from ambulatory to being unable to walk without hind support in a month. The deterioration was very fast. Still bums me out because she was the sweetest dog.
Posted on 5/2/23 at 1:12 am to jlovel7
We have had four St Bernards over the years, and three of them had hip dysplasia. All were diagnosed by the age of one because they were symptomatic. THR wasn’t available for the first two, but it was for the one we have now. It’s the best money we ever spent on vet care. Jakey had his THR at 18 months, and will turn 9 later this month. We’ve been able to control the pain in his other hip with gabapentin/NSAIDs. LSU wasn’t performing THR when Jakey needed his, as all of the ortho staff had moved to A&M. Our vet referred us to them, and they were wonderful. They took great care of him and I wouldn’t hesitate to take this path in the future should another dog have hip dysplasia.
Posted on 5/2/23 at 1:14 am to caro81
quote:
vet tech basically
Vet techs haven't been to vet school. They say what they're told to say. I have known at least one for 15 years, and she admits she's not good for a whole hell of a lot other than administering injections and following vet instructions. No offense to vet techs, but but it's like saying "we both carry hammers to work, so we know wood and nails, right?"
Not to dispute anything at all Caro81 said (clearly, clearly, more schooled and experienced than the rest of us), but my general experience is that vets that treat large animals are much more straight forward in their assessments than vets that have a 90% population of Labradoodles, Frenchies, and Bulldogs (ie, animals that are bred to be f@*@ up.)
If it makes you feel any better at all (and this depresses me), I had a friend who had a black lab blow a (PCL or ACL) at about four, and just simply ran with three legs and sort of limped for the rest of his life for another 7+ years.
Dogs just want you. Whether they stumble getting to you or not, they just want the feelz. It's your job not to try to take them on mile long walks, or try to get them to chase a ball for hours on end with disabilities. Your dog is now just a version of NFL players that have a knee injury every 18 months. Still good, but not doing a whole lot of running.
quote:
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.
Where did all that dust come from all of a sudden?
Posted on 5/2/23 at 1:19 am to jlovel7
I’ve dealt with too many pets that have had dysplasia.
Our vet said it’s a shitty double sided coin with dogs: big dogs keep their personalities and want to be healthy but their legs give out and they slowly go downhill in front of you … on the flip side smaller dogs tend to die of diseases/cancers, show/behave like they’re sick, and go a quicker.
quote:
dog can’t do any of her favorite things
Our vet said it’s a shitty double sided coin with dogs: big dogs keep their personalities and want to be healthy but their legs give out and they slowly go downhill in front of you … on the flip side smaller dogs tend to die of diseases/cancers, show/behave like they’re sick, and go a quicker.
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