Harley (My German Shepherd) has hip dysplasia
Is there anything to prevent his being crippled? I know there is pain meds...but anything else? |
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| Is your sister in law is some kind of expert? My dad's GS had miserable looking weak hips but they never got worse and she never became disabled. . . I hope he is ok. |
| Hi Val,
She's been a breeder of champion Mini Schnauzers for 9 years and has been dealing with dogs most of her adult life. When Harley gets off the couch he drags his legs behind him so they slide over. He does not run very often. He walks with his back legs very close together. He has so many health problems from being starved as a puppy. Really bad skin problems....and ear problems...etc I use Authority Dog Food for Large Breeds because it contains Glucosamine & Chondrotin... So he gets that in his food. He is such a mess... Poor Harley |
| I am really sorry to hear about Harley, elissa. That news is sad.
A natural supplement you can give him to help with inflamation and helps the cartilage and connective tissues in wear and tear is a supplement containing Glucosamines and Chondroitins, they are a natural anti-inflammatory/analgesic. You have to give it too them everyday for the rest of their lives. Vets usually have these natural supplements in stock to buy. Also try feeding mineral rich anti-inflammatories like alfalfa and yucca. Add them in powdered form to food once a day. Cold pressed flaxseed Oil (1 tablespoon only) can also help reduce swelling and pain. Also raise your dogs food bowl off the floor at a comfortable height so he does not have to bend down to eat. Hope this helps a little, they are all natural things that help ease the pain with HD and hopefully help to assist in preventing further degeneration of the hip joint. Also good supplements for arthritic dogs too  |
| Elissa,
First I would take Harley to the vet and let them examine him to make an official diagnosis. When they take x-rays they can tell how advanced the dysplasia is and can give you a good guess on lameness timing. They may suggest surgery, too. Drez had her femoral head ostectomy last November on the right hip at 12 yrs old. Her right hip now is very weak but we couldn't do another surgery because of her age and because her right leg couldn't support her through recuperation. There are also total hip replacement surgeries, but they're pretty pricey. Mandy clued me in to a supplement called Flexicose (which makes two formulas, one for animals and one for humans), which is a glucosamine/chondroitin mixture with something else that I can't remember mixed in. It's in liquid form; you put it on their food. As crazy as this may sound, I really believe it's helped Drez a lot. She'll always have dysplasia, she'll always be limited in her mobility, but it doesn't seem to be bothering her as much any more. She tries to play more, tries to run more, almost like she forgets she can't do those things. Before Flexicose, when we just had her on human grade gluco/chon, she was really dragging. One bottle of Flexicose lasts Drez for 2 months, and it's cheaper than the pills we were buying. Check out their website: www.flexicose.com. Harley is so young to be bothered by this already. My heart goes out to the poor guy! Chris |
| Chris that supplement looks wonderful, absolutely everything in it. Must work out a lot cheaper to sup a dog with that then buying bits and pieces to add to food etc. Never heard of it, but am glad you posted it, will be looking into that as Kelsey is getting a bit arthritic with age so will be good for that too.
Thankyou  |
| Has he been xrayed to diagnose HD?
What did the vet say as far as the degree of it, or treatment suggestions? |
| I would reccommend getting your vet to give him a good going over. At least then you'd know exactly what you have to work with and can go from there.
Flexicose is a great supplement. It has done wonders for Norman as well. He moves better and has less trouble getting up. He also seems much more alert. Also, if you order 3 months at a time it's cheaper. Good luck and keep us updated. |
| Did you see that the flexicose website has a free bottle offer that is only good for existing customers? |
| STOP IT!!!!
I'll be right back........ |
| I emailed about the free bottle offer -- here's the reply:
Thank you for responding to our Free Flexicose offer. We have instituted a new program called the “Ambassador Program.” For existing customers, it is simple to receive your free bottle. Send us a picture of yourself or of your pet who has been using Flexicose along with a brief statement about how it has improved mobility, and recommend a non-franchise retailer in your area that you would like to see carry Flexicose, and we will send you a free bottle. For new customers, order your first bottle by calling 1-(866)-486-0421 Monday through Friday from 9 am until 5 pm at a discounted rate of $24.95, and then send us a statement about how Flexicose has improved your mobility along with a picture, and your second bottle will be Free! All conditions for the free bottle must be met in order to qualify, and this offer will expire soon. |
For $30, is it really worth it??  If I recommended my vet to carry it, the price would go up for me, so I'd sooner just order it online!
Chris |
| Poor Elissa!
If I were you, I'd go to the vet too. Maybe it isn't HD, but something else...Have you suspected HD before this? We just have Barney on a liquid glucosamine that we put in Barney's food every day...don't know if it helps or not... |
| Thanks for all the responses. We will be making an appt for Harley at the Vet right after we get back from NJ. Or if my SIL can take him to her Vet while we are gone we will have her do that. She pays a lot less because she's a breeder and has a deal with the Vet. I am sure it is HD. I had thought maybe it was just that he was getting older that he doesn't run around much. But he's only 4. Then when I thought about it. He never did run around much. We got him at 1 year and a half old. He kind of trotted. The past year he has gotten much much slower when getting up off the floor or getting off the couch. He don't really get up on the couch very much and stopped jumping on the bed altogether. The only time he trots now is when Pepsi is playing with him. Other than that he just walks everywhere.
We had thousands of dollars of health tests on him when we got him. As for as kidneys, liver, thyroid, etc... No problems with any of that.... But we never had him checked for HD. I asked my BIL (he was the original owner, his ex-girlfriend was starving him to death after they broke up) about Harley's background and found out he was given the dog by friends whose dogs had an accidental litter. No AKC papers or health guarantee. As for as he knows the parents are healthy. I also found out that Harley as a very small puppy walked off a 10 foot retaining wall 
My poor guy. He's on prednisone right now because he had been chewing on his body and scratching his face raw. Benadryl is not working. He also just got off antibiotics for an ear infection which he almost always has ear problems. His health is probably worse off than it should be because he was starved as a puppy. I will keep you all updated. Thanks for all |
| Any number of things can cause his symptoms, infection, neurological, injury, nerve damage, a hip out of joint.. .who knows? I hope the vet can do something for him to make him comfortable and get the most out of life. |
| Hi-
Here are some things to discuss with your vet. Sorry about being long winded but it's sad to hear about a dog suffering... If this poor boy is scratching his face raw and chewing on his feet, the first thing I'd think is allergies. Darby did the same thing. If he's scratching his "armpits" that can also a sign. Have you tried Tavist (not Tavist D... just plain Tavist)? Benedryl did not work at all for Darby (she's allergic to dust mites and molds) and she actually drew blood on her head from scratching so intensely. We another med along with the Benedryl (hydroxyzine pamoate) but it still didn't help. A friend told me about Tavist so we asked our vet if we could try it. It greatly eased her suffering until we could determine the allergens causing the problem and begin allergy shots. She no longer takes any antihistamines. http://allergies.about.com/cs/canine/a/aa072699.htm "...Spots, acute moist dermatitis, ear infections and scratching may all seem to occur independently and it is only in retrospect that a consistent pattern of disease emerges..." Source: http://www.priory.com/vet/vetatop1.htm For his hips, ask about getting him on Cosequin DS which must be given daily in a tablet form... usually 3 tablets daily to start. It is supposedly one of the best forms of Glucosemine for dogs. "... Cosequin is the only joint health supplement brand shown effective, safe, and bioavailable in published, controlled U.S. studies. Cosequin is manufactured following standards simiar to those practiced by the pharmaceutical industry. ..." And if you keep a dog with HD on the lean side it will also help to take pressure off the joints. Ask about starting a pain med... sometimes they simply prescribe buffered aspirin but stronger meds are also available. Ask your vet to check for any possible spinal involvement or degenerative disease not just limited to HD. Mention that he walked off a 10' wall when he was a pup. Ask your vet about exercise (once the pain is managed) to help him build up his muscles. From what I've witnessed, one of the most important things for a dog with HD is to make sure they build up or maintain their muscle mass so they don't weaken further. Swimming is probably the best form of exercise for a dog with joint problems because it takes the pressure off the joints but allows the muscles to work. Here's our story again... sorry for all who have to endure the retelling. Panda is a one year old that arrived in September with very weak hips/hind legs because of severe HD. http://www.pomeroys.com/EmmaDarby/MadisonXray.jpg She would stand with her hind feet close together; she was unstable on her feet; it was painfully obvious to us that it was a struggle for her to get to her feet; she tired easily with exercise and had to sit down after only about 5-10 minutes of play; she sometimes fell. Since being with us for about 3 months now and having 5 sisters to play with daily, she has gained strength in her back half and can now run full speed which is actually scary sometimes . She stands with her feet farther apart and has much better balance. I just now heard my husband talking to her about going up and down the basement steps 3 times in a row and what a change it was. She even started doing a crazy dance for her food where she jumps and bounces and spins 360s. She stands on her hind legs while her front feet are on a Dutch door. She climbed over the lower gate the other day so I had to raise it.
This is what worked for US. Each dog is different and can react differently to HD and allergies. I hope you will soon find a solution for your special boy. Please keep us posted on how he does! |
Jaclin thanks for re-telling pandas story, I have not heard it before and am totally in awe of what you have done with and for panda. Amazing dog and wonderful owners. To see her x-ray and to see what she is like now you certainly have preformed a miracle with her, she is one special girl.  |
| Hello...I too have a German Shepherd with the same hip condition. It started when he was about 3 and has progressively gotten worse. He still gets around ok but has trouble sometimes with stairs and things. I did order the Flexicose but haven't received it yet. I was reading about your dog chewing on itself and scratching. My sister's Black Lab was doing the same thing to the piont where bare skin and bleeding started. We all thought the shampoo she used was at fault. After several test it turns out Riely is allergic to corn which is found in most dog foods. With the help of fish oils and dog food which contains no corn. Riely's condition vastly improved in short order. Maybe something to look at. As far as my Shepherd, he too was neglected at a pet store I found him in. Under fed and mange. I couldn't leave him there so I brought him home and he has been doing great ever since. I know how difficult it is getting your dog back to normal. But, in time he will be just fine. |
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