re: When is it time to put a dog down with hip dysplasia?

No sweat, after the first vet trip and doing some e research afterwards hip displaysia is generally considered a hereditary trait and is noticeable in the first 18 months of age. For some damn reason the hip bone and socket just don't grow right. Most common in larger dogs.

quote:

---

When is it time to put a dog down with hip dysplasia?

---

For me, yesterday.

quote:

---

He is still getting around ok, but spending much more time laying down. About once a month he will fall and can't seem to get up but has other days where he will run around the park like a puppy.

Instead of squatting to go #2, he will half squat and walk around. I assume he is in too much pain to squat all the way down.

---

Sounds mostly like mine. But I woke up for work yesterday morning and she was laying down covered in her own poop and pee. Not only did her legs finally give out but apparently she lost control of her bodily functions. So yea, it was time unfortunately.

From the sounds of your story, I don't think it's time yet, he still has a bit left in the tank.

quote:

---

About once a month he will fall and can't seem to get up

---

That makes me sad but at the same time it would be hard for me to put my little buddy down.

Before deciding to put him down, ask your vet to put him on prednisone. It's harmful to dogs' organs long-term, but if he really only has months to live, it will increase his quality of life beyond belief and buy him extra time with you.

I have a (98 lb) 7 month old akbash/lab pup who was recently diagnosed by 2 diff vets as having hip dysplasia. I always thought that was an older dog type of thing. Didnt know puppies could also get it. :( She isnt on any meds as of yet. She goes back to the vet on monday to have x-rays done to see how bad it is.
The plan originally was to breed her with my sons husky/wolf ..but with this diagnosis, im finding that dogs that have hip dysplasia should not be bred because chances are the puppies wil have it also.
Ive looked online to get an estimate on how much surgery would cost, and it is not cheap at all. I love my pup, and I dont want to see her in pain. Early in the morning, upon waking, its painful for me to watch her try to stand. But once she is up, she seems ok for the most part.
I have 6 dogs (all diff breeds; 2 english bull terriers, 2 labs, 1 chihuaha, and 1 akbash/lab) and i make sure they all go to the vet when needed, and are all up to date on their shots. I make sure they are happy and healthy, yet, with Khloe (akbash), i just dont know if we should do the surgery or not. Boyfriend tells me "well, i guess in a year we will be putting a dog down". WHAT!? wtf. I dont even want to think about that. Not now anyways.
Has anyone gone the surgery route? How expensive was it? Did it help? Does the dysplasia come back later on?
Medications vs surgery...which is better for the dog?

My lab got the surgery when she was about 2, she’s 10 now. I think my vet charged $500-600? She’s 10 years old now and going strong. Once they get the surgery they can’t get hip dysplasia again because of how the joint is reshaped during the surgery. It’s a remarkable surgery and the end result is incredible. To see my dog go from hobbling around to running a couple of miles with me has been a thing of beauty.

The best advice I can give is this: when it's time, you'll know. Your dog will let you know.

quote:

---

put a dog down

---

Make fun of the way he walks. It’s a cheap shot but the most obvious putdown.

I've seen this product work more than once, to give them some quality of life again. Worth a try...

Missing Link

Are y'alls dogs overweight? I had heard the dogs either have hip dysplasia or they don't. That is usually don't pixie until they're older. And if you can keep them skinny, even if they have it, you may never know it's there.

My dogs breed is one that can have it. So I mostly only feed her dog food, so she has very little body fat.