The Newest Research on Hip Dysplasia
It was discovered yesterday that Panda has moderate dysplasia. Although he is currently very active and appeared to be experiencing no discomfort. The reason I had asked the vet to check is, on two occasions Panda seemed to be limping after running really hard at the dog park with his canine buddies. Ironically this was the only two times he had run that fast as I attributed it to his days spent in cages before coming to my home. This may be the FIRST INDICATOR you notice...slight limp or gait after hard running. As he was being sedated anyway I decided to get everything checked that normally I would be unable to do ...so he had the works done. The vet rotated his hips and noticed the clicking sound - AN INDICATOR OF HIP PROBLEMS. She called and asked if they could further check through an x-ray. Viewing the X-ray and that of a dog with normal hips it became apparent that he has arthritis and hip dysplasia in both hips...meaning the ball and socket in the hip joint do not properly rotate due to lack of bone , have bone spurs or extra bone- which prevents the proper rotation. There is no cure for dysplasia which is why is so IMPORTANT for all breeding pairs to be checked before they have pups or this trait will be passed on to them. Reputable breeders have their dogs checked before they are allowed to mate. As Panda was a rescue , he had been neutered before he came into my home. Back to the research: Hip Dysplasia is uncurable and a genetic disorder but medical treatment is available in the form of medicines or surgery. Pups under 7 months have a type of surgery that involves cutting the bone...I'm not an expert and have read this info online. Panda is 4 and as his dysplasia was classified as "moderate"by the vet, ( they are rated mild, moderate or severe) As there is no cure but for surgery all worsen with age but can be kept under control. He shows no signs of discomfort at this time , he will worsen as he ages. While being able to control and boost his immune system though meds his only option will be the eventual surgery which is like a human having hip replacements. My mom has had this procedure and after 6wks of rehabilitation she was good as new. It's available and according to the online reports I've read very successful, providing the animal is basically in otherwise good health. VERY EXPENSIVE however, I remember a friend getting it for her dog and it was aprox 2,000 for one hip at that time. It is something I will consider and save up for in the next few years. Okay lenghty story but the vet told me to combat the effects and thus have more time until surgery is crutial in years down the line here's some stuff people can do. She told me there is a special food on the market which has just arrived and can only be purchased at the vets which research has found to be very effective _ sorry forgot the name of it..but it's costly 90 dollars per bag. The main ingredient is RED MUSSELS which researchers have found to be very effective with those suffering from arthritis and other ailments. Pain and assisting in movement can be controlled by meds. It used to be recommended to use Glucosamine (also a people drug for the same thing) and readily found in drugstores. However, the lastest research has found that Cosco carries a Kirkland brand which is relatively inexpensive which contains 500 Mg of Glucosamine, 400 mg of Chrondrortrin Sulfate, and 400 mg [b]MSN. This combination is found to be more effective. The bottle contains all three meds in one pill- recommened to take the pill twice a day. It takes 6 wks to see the effects.[/b] The vet highly recommended using this product to combat the effects of hip dsyplasia and arthritis. Medecam which is availabe by perscription would be the next med to use...but this is only if the dsyplasia or pain is severe and not to be used until that time. A combination of these and a good diet is claimed to be preventative measures and prolongs the the eventual need for surgery. Keeping your dogs on the lean side is highly recommended as well. Panda looks HUGE in his photos but was weighed in at 64 pounds. The vet asked that he lose two pounds as even that slight difference will have an effect as to the strain on his hips. I'm going to continue searching online and seeking advice from holistic practioneers for a diet that would assist my boy. I have done this in the past with my previous OES Shaggy when she had Immune Defecientcy Thrombocytopenia (dunno if I spelt that correctly) and the diet helped her enormously. If anyone is familiar with a diet they highly recommend I'm sure myself and others would be interested. Marianne |
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| So sad to hear about panda's hips. I have read that many dispalsia problems are also caused by to rapid of growth rates during puppy hood. To much protein, to large of a volume of food, the wrong nutrient amounts, a combination of many things. I for one will be thankful for the eventual research on growth rates, nutririon, an heredity. Tell Panda to take it easy, but not to slow down to much as that is not healthy either. |
| For those interested in more info on hip ratings, members can go to www.offa.org I found it interesting that breeders can advertise their dogs as OFA certified as long as the results are normal: meaning rated Excellent, good, or fair; and a dog rated fair is still considered a good breeding prospect if 75% of its brothers and sisters are rated normal. So for instancek, an OES with hips certified as normal may have fair hips and be part of a litter, 75% of which includes pups with fair hips, and 25% with varying degrees of dysplastic hips! |
| Marianne,
So sorry to hear that Panda has hip dysplasia. If you recall, we had Drez's right hip operated on last November, at the age of 11, due to severe dysplasia. We had the FHO done (femoral head ostectomy) rather than a total hip replacement, mainly due to the cost difference and her age. She's currently on Cosequin (contains chondroitin/glucosamine/MSN) and Metacam for pain. She's also on Robaxin, a muscle relaxer. She's doing pretty well, but she'll never be perfect again. As much a result of her age coupled with the debilitation. But she still smiles, still tries to play, still just loves us to death, as we do her. So whatever we have to do to keep her comfortable, we'll do. It's good that you're researching things now, since Panda is still young. It will definitely make a difference in how fast the condition progresses. I just with that my (then) vet would have suggested testing her for this when she was younger. Being naive in it, I didn't know to ask. I only wish this forum was around 5-6 years ago! Good luck, and keep us posted. Chris |
| Hi,
My Old English Sherwood is 12. He has started having problems with a shaky right leg. Difficulty getting up at times. Awkward walking, difficulty backing up. Pain sometimes when trying to lie down. He can still go for an hour walk and I don't mind helping him up when he seems weaker but I hate the pain he is in every now and then. Any idea as to what I should do for him? I have made sure there is carpet everywhere. Cheers, Rachel Vancouver, BC |
| Hi Rachel,
My Belle has the same shaky leg, same difficulty getting up, etc. It's arthritis in her case. Horrible arthritis. She's on Metacam and that helps some. Jil |
| I would search the forum for "pain meds" or "piroxicam".
Good luck! |
| Hi Rachel,
Welcome to you and Sherwood. You're in Vancouver!! I live in Surrey only 1/2 away from you. Is Sherwood on Glucosamine? It takes a few weeks for you to notice it but it's really good for dogs with arthritis. People with arthritis take it too and it can be found at any food or drug store. Medacam is the next effective medication I'd recommend, but it's only available by perscription by the vet. Please keep in touch. Marianne |
We've started Barney on Glucosamine (it is a liquid version in Wild Berry flavor  ) that he loves! It is from Costco. Since Barney is still so young (9 months) we've decided to start this preventative treatment, and see how it goes, although it is hard to tell if it is working since Barney is so crazy and full of energy anyway that you'd never know if he was able to move around better! 
But we figure we might as well and he thinks it is a great treat. |
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