Golden Retriever Hip Problems Treatment

How Is The Diagnosis Of Hip Dysplasia Made

Radiographs are necessary to confirm the diagnosis of Hip Dysplasia. Before acquiring radiographs, the patient history, physical examination, and orthopedic examination are completed to determine if other causes of hind limb lameness are present. Your dog will undergo a comprehensive examination process.

Symptoms Of Hip Dysplasia In Golden Retrievers

The symptoms of canine dysplasia depend on the laxity of the joint, the duration of the disease, and the degree of inflammation.

If the disease has an early onset, the signs are usually related to the looseness of the joint whereas the signs of late onset are usually related to joint degeneration and osteoarthritis.

Following are some of the common symptoms of canine dysplasia in Golden Retrievers:

• Anti-inflammatory medications

If your dog is a good candidate for surgery, there are a few options which include:

• Double or triple pelvic osteotomy

• Femoral head ostectomy

• Total hip replacement

Your vet will determine which course of treatment is the best suited for your furry friend.

Hip Dysplasia In Dogs: Questions Answered

Here, Physio-Vet specialists answer the questions:

• What are the signs of hip dysplasia in dogs?
• What causes hip dysplasia in dogs?
• Can hip dysplasia in dogs correct itself?
• What breeds are most at-risk for hip dysplasia?
• What are the best treatment options?
• How long can a dog live with hip dysplasia?
• How can I help my dog at home?

Hip dysplasia in dogs is quite common. Many dogs develop the condition in just one hip, but most affected animals experience it in both.

Many dogs that develop these joint problems show signs of discomfort. Diagnosing hip dysplasia can be done with diagnostic imaging such as x-rays.

At Physio-Vet, we work hard to ensure our patients can enjoy a superb quality of life. We also want to help pet owners fully understand their pets condition. Here, well answer your questions about hip dysplasia.

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A Dogs Life: Summer The Hip Dysplastic Golden Retriever

According to the American Kennel Club , Golden Retrievers were the third most popular breed in the United States in 2017 and have consistently been in the top 10 for the past decade. The total number of Goldens in households is difficult to assess, but approximately 50,000 are newly registered with the AKC each year. Based on their average lifespan of 10 years, the number of registered Goldens is 500,000. This number is estimated to represent less than 10 percent of the total breed population, as many are unregistered.

In addition to their friendly, energetic, and likable dispositions, Goldens also are known for something elsehip dysplasia. Less desirable than their personality attributes, hip dysplasia is a complex, multifactorial condition that involves multiple genetic and environmental factors. The best agreed upon preventatives are to screen breeding dogs via PennHip, a program that evaluates the quality of the hips in dogs, or the Orthopedic Foundation of America , and to uphold proper lean-body condition throughout the dogs life. This includes restricting juvenile animals from repetitive, high-impact activities.

Per the statistics collected by the OFA, 152,272 radiographs for hip dysplasia have been evaluated since 1974. Of those, the incidence of abnormal hip joints is approximately 20 percent. Again, this estimation is low, as many affected dogs do not have their radiographs submitted through the OFA.

Adequan Injections For Dogs With Hip Dysplasia

Im also a huge fan of Adequan injections for treating dogs with hip dysplasia. Adequan Canine is a prescription polysulfated glycosaminoglycan that works like oral joint supplements to keep the cartilage in your dogs joints healthy and intact. However, because it is injected into the dogs muscle , it penetrates much better than oral products. It doesnt work for every dog, but Ive seen some pretty dramatic results.

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How Can Hip Dysplasia In Dogs Be Prevented

One way to slow down the progression of the side effects of hip dysplasia is to keep your pet at a healthy weight, especially when hes young, Kirkwood says. You can also have your dog screened for the condition at a young age using hip x-rays. These radiographs can help you determine how likely it is your dog will have problems in the future and whether you want to consider early surgical intervention.

According to Kirkwood, hip dysplasia typically doesnt affect a dogs life expectancy, but it can. If a dog becomes so painful that no longer wants to get up and walk around, she explains, it can be very difficult to maintain a good quality of lifeespecially since most dogs who suffer from the condition are large breeds.

If you have a large breed dog of any age, dont hesitate to ask your veterinary team about the risks and signs of hip dysplasia. A veterinarian who knows your pet and can examine him in person is in the best position to offer information and advice.

Dog Hip Dysplasia Home Treatment

To help your dog live with hip dysplasia, there are several home treatments you can do. Talk to your veterinarian about the actions you can take at home. They might include:

• Applying a warm water bottle for 15 minutes twice a day.
• Massaging the muscles around the hip joints, gently rubbing in a circular motion with your fingertips for ten minutes at the most.
• Keeping your dog out of damp, chilly weather.
• Providing traction on slippery floors: Dogs with hip dysplasia often have a hard time on slippery floors, so lay some carpet down, and if they need to climb stairs or jump up into the car, a carpeted ramp will make it a lot easier on them.
• Providing a firm, orthopedic bed for your dog.

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Pain Medications And Anti

Pain medications help ease the discomfort in dysplastic hip joints. Some dog owners, though, may be wary of the potential side effects of pain medications, and therefore choose to manage pain through water therapy sessions and other muscle-building exercises. Anti-inflammatory drugs help reduce the swelling in the hip joints. Talk to your vet if you have concerns about giving your dog anti-inflammatory drugs or pain medications for hip dysplasia.

Deramaxx

Deramaxx is a pain medication designed to control inflammation and pain associated with osteoarthritis and orthopedic surgery. This non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug comes in various strengths that will be prescribed by your vet according to your dogs weight.

Its crucial to stay in contact with your veterinarian while your dog is taking Deramaxx due to the possibility of side effects or interactions with other medications that your dog may be taking. The average cost of a bottle of 30 25mg Deramaxx pills is $90, and the dosage depends on your dogs weight and your veterinarians recommendation.

Rimadyl

Aspirin

Aspirin may be recommended to help to control pain and inflammation for dogs that have developed arthritis in their hips as a result of canine hip dysplasia. The dosage of aspirin varies based on your dogs weight and your vets recommendations, so purchasing a powdered form may make it easier to administer.

Vetprofen

Gabapentin

Tramadol

Exercise And Physical Therapy

Daily exercise is important to maintain a lean physique, but should be performed in moderation. This means that jumping, running, and agility courses can aggravate hip dysplasia. Physical therapy is another way to stay healthy because it improves limb usage through deep tissue massage, passive range of motion exercises, and other modalities. Physical therapy helps to maintain muscle strength in the hips, legs, and lower back. Cold laser therapy and acupuncture have also been shown to provide relief from hip pain and improved range of motion.

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What Causes Hip Dysplasia In Dogs

Hip dysplasia in dogs is a genetic condition. It is unclear why some individuals with the genes develop clinical symptoms and others dont, but it cannot be prevented. However, there are environmental and dietary factors that can make the condition worse. For example, a rapid increase in your dogs weight can make your pets hip dysplasia more painful.

The Genetic Makeup Of The Dog

Most cases of hip dysplasia are caused by genetic factors, with certain breeds being more likely to have the condition. Unfortunately, because the hip dysplasia involves multiple genes, it is difficult to identify which dogs have a higher risk of the disease. Even if a dogs parents are completely clear of the condition, they may still carry the genes that cause it and pass it on to their puppies.

The breeds that often carry the genetic defects causing hip dysplasia include German Shepherds, Labradors, Great Danes, Saint Bernards, Rottweilers, Neopolitan Mastiffs, and American Staffordshire Terriers. It tends to be more common in fast-growing breeds but can also effect some smaller breeds, including pugs and bulldogs. This form of the disease is usually referred to as early onset hip dysplasia and begins to occur in dogs as young as 4 months old.

Researchers are working to identify all of the genes that are responsible for hip dysplasia. Scientists from the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover recently identified some of the genes that are responsible for hip dysplasia in German Shepherds. There are also some services available to assess the risk of a dog having this condition, including the PeenHIP screening service. Using these services can help you identify if your puppy has a greater risk of having the condition and allows you to take action early on.

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Treatment Begins With Getting Your Dog Help For Hip Dysplasia

Finally, you know your dog better than anyone. If your dog with hip dysplasia is painful , talk with your veterinarian about options. Pain is the number one inhibitor to quality of life for my canine patients, and perhaps for your dog too. Improving a dogs physical and mental well-being through pain management brings my clients and patients relief and brings me great joy as a veterinarian.

Of this Im confident: when it comes to treating the pain in dogs associated with hip dysplasia, multimodal therapy is best. In other words, some combination of the 11 tips on this list will yield the greatest success. Dogs may respond differently to different products and therapies, expressing a type of individual variation, much like humans.

Taking Care Of Your Golden Retriever

Hip dysplasia may be a common health concern for the Golden Retriever.

Making sure that they have the proper nutrition and taking it easy whenever they have an injury that can affect their walking and running can be ideal.

If the dog has parents who have suffered from hip dysplasia in the past, then you may want to take some extra precautions to make sure that the dog is not going to get hurt in the process and that they can avoid the same fate.

Working with the vet will be one of the best ways to come up with a plan that will keep your dog safe and ensure that they are able to run and jump and have fun, even when they are older.

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Clinical And Pathological Effects

Hip dysplasia is a disease of the hip joints. Dysplasia means abnormal development. Both hips are usually affected . It is a complex disease that results from a combination of genes that predispose a dog to developing hip dysplasia interacting with environmental factors that lead to its full development and expression . It is characterized by hip joint instability which, if compounded by environmental factors, then results in secondary osteoarthritis and the clinical signs of hip dysplasia which include pain, lameness and disability .

Hip dysplasia is described as a biomechanical disease. The hips appear normal at birth. However, in affected individuals, the hips develop abnormally due, at first, to joint instability . This means that the developing femoral head and acetabulum are not held constantly, closely together, and can move into abnormal positions relative to one another. This puts abnormal stresses and strains on the joint. Riser states this is due to the soft tissues, such as ligaments and muscle, not being strong enough to maintain congruity between the articular surfaces of the femoral head and the acetabulum ie the constant contact between the surfaces of the bones is not maintained.

Joint laxity can lead on to joint subluxation that in turn causes flattening of the acetabular cup and femoral head . The pathological changes seen due to the joint instability are progressive inflammation and degeneration of the tissues that together form the joint.

Acupuncture And Laser Therapy

Acupuncture and cold laser therapy are alternative treatments that have shown a great deal of anecdotal success. They can certainly be used individually , but I find that they have a synergistic effect when used together to treat dogs with painful hips.

I have acupunctured hundreds of hip dysplasia patients over the past two decades, often using electroacupuncture to potentiate the effect, with very positive results. Acupuncture causes endorphin release into the bloodstream to ease pain and relax the dog. It also helps relax the muscles of the lower back and hind end, which are under abnormal stresses from the dogs chronic compensation. I tell new clients that we should be able to determine within three visits if acupuncture will be a worthwhile part of the dogs treatment plan, and typically we see improvement after the first visit.

Laser therapy was used in people for decades before making the jump into veterinary medicine. Lasers, which not every veterinary practice has because of their expense, emit light which penetrates into the tissues. The light increases blood flow to that part of the body, facilitating healing. Because todays lasers are so powerful, treatment lasts for mere minutes. Dogs tend to tolerate it very well.

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What Else Can I Do To Reduce The Risk Of Hip Dysplasia

Large breed or at-risk puppies should eat a special large-breed growth diet during their first year of life.

Calcium levels are extremely important, and puppies that are on a commercial diet should NEVER receive additional calcium supplementation.

Calcium levels are extremely important, and puppies that are on a commercial diet should NEVER receive additional calcium supplementation. At-risk puppies should be given controlled exercise and should not be encouraged to play high-impact games such as frisbee while they are growing rapidly. Your veterinarian will give you specific feeding and exercise guidelines to ensure that you are providing the best care for your dog.

The Symptoms And Treatment Of Labrador Hip Dysplasia

The condition Labrador Hip dysplasia is a generic disease and one that frightens most Lab owners to death. In its most severe form it can cause crippling lameness and lead to severe arthritic pain in the joints.

The disease has been exhaustively studied by vets and scientists but to date it has been impossible to eradicate the problem in Labradors.

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Surgical Treatment Options For A Dog With Hip Dysplasia

Surgery may be presented by your veterinarian as the optimal course of action for hip dysplasia. For example, surgery is typically recommended for young dogs without evidence of arthritis. The most commonly performed procedures are juvenile pelvic symphysiodesis , triple pelvic ostectomy , total hip replacement , or femoral head/neck ostectomy . You can find excellent and concise information about each surgical procedure on the American College of Veterinary Surgeons website.

But surgical treatment can be costly with significant recovery periods, and Im well aware that surgery is simply not an option for everyone. As first-line treatment, veterinarians typically talk with clients about medicine for hip dysplasia in dogs.

What Exactly Is Hip Dysplasia

To understand hip dysplasia we need to first understand the anatomy and inner workings of the hip joint. The hip joint is basically composed of two parts, one is a ball and the other is a socket.

When the ball and socket are growing and developing normally, they will slide smoothly during the dogs motion. On the other hand, if they didnt develop properly, the ball and the socket wont fit. This leads to them rubbing and grinding each other instead of sliding smoothly. Of course, this further leads to abnormal stress, inflammation, and degeneration of the tissue, causing pain and disability for your Golden.

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Golden Retriever Skin Issues Made Easy

So there you have it! Now that you know these common golden retriever skin issues, you know what to look out for.

Thick undercoats make golden retrievers very vulnerable to skin issues. Especially if they remain wet. Trapped moisture and a natural disposition for skin issues can be a disaster. The key is to be vigilant and make sure youre checking your dog on a regular basis.

Golden Retriever Limping Front Leg What Is Wrong

Tom Thorpe Blog

Did you let out your dog to play only for it to go home with a limping front leg? A Golden Retriever limping front leg indicates a potential injury, health problem, and even congenital defects. Its important to get your Goldie examined at the vets clinic, especially if the limp is getting worse.

Golden Retrievers are very energetic canines. Paired that with their large size and its a recipe for joint problems. Below, I discussed the possible reasons for the limping and what you should do.

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What Is Dog Hip Dysplasia

Dog hip dysplasia is a malformation of the hip joint. When pieces of the joint do not fit together normally, the bones painfully rub together and the hip joint becomes unstable. Over time there is a loss of cartilage and the condition can result in chronic pain or lameness and cause long-term degenerative joint disease .

Susceptible Breeds

Large dogs are particularly susceptible to hip dysplasia, although it does occur among smaller breeds. Dog breeds that are genetically predisposed to CHD include:

• Boxers
• Australian shepherds