Hip Problems

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Lobo

"Stubborn" dogs- don't need- corrections

Barked: Sat Jan 19, '13 12:38am PST


	This is going to turn into a little semi-rant, so apologies beforehand. Lately(as in, past three or four months) I've noticed some issues with Lobo's hips. He's always been a little slow to stand up from a laying position(but he also prefers to sleep on the hard wood floor), so I have actually had his hips looked at pretty much every year since we first got him. Nothing varied; I've always only ever asked about hip dysplasia. In the beginning year, we fed him Science Diet. He was quickly taken off of that, and we switched him to Blue Buffalo. After a couple years on that, he was switched to prey-model raw, and that seemed to help with his overall health(weight, fur, and it even seemed to help his autoimmune disorder). Well, anyway, the past several months, it seems to have been getting progressively worse. He has trouble jumping up on the couch or bed(he more or less puts his paws on the cushion and pulls himself up), and he has a LOT more trouble getting up from laying down. I've also noticed a disturbing increase in aggression whenever someone walks around him while he's laying, which leads me to believe that he's in pain. I actually had his hips checked for dysplasia in December, but the vet didn't see anything. I was talking online with someone who is a vet tech, and she suggested that arthritis could be an issue. I'm going to try to get an appointment for this month(although I may not get in until February; our vet is usually backed up for a month). I'd like some other suggestions to talk to my vet about. Also, Lobo is on Prednisone and an herb for Pemphigus foliaceus. I think he's overweight, and he has been gaining weight, but he has a tuck and hips, and the vet isn't concerned about his body weight, which leads me to believe that the weight is caused by the steroid and is muscle from us going out and running daily.

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Koby

I'm a big brat- and I don't care- :)

Barked: Sat Jan 19, '13 6:53am PST


	Koby has Hip Dysplasia. The way it was described to me is that some vets don't x-ray the hips properly and because of that can give an incorrect diagnosis of non existent Hip Dysplasia. They have to be a in a very specific position to be able to see it. Did your vet do a PennHip xray or OFA? Either one is good. I found a website that helped me understand exactly what the vet needs to look for when diagnosing this problem. It's "http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=1916". Hope that helps. I'm nat saying your vet isn't a good one. It's just some are not as experienced as others when giving the correct diagnosis for this, esp. when it comes to doing the x-rays on the hips for that specific diagnosis. With the symptoms you describe, it sounds like he has it to me, because it sounds just like Koby. Good Luck with him.

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Lobo

"Stubborn" dogs- don't need- corrections

Barked: Sun Jan 20, '13 1:18am PST


	Thank you, Koby. (: Actually, the first several years we had Lobo, he went to a traditional vet. They never actually did x-rays, simply felt his helps. The vet he uses now is a holistic vet, and she also didn't x-ray the first(and only) time I brought it up. I have an appointment for February 5th, and I specifically asked for an x-ray. Thanks for the help. (:

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Koby

I'm a big brat- and I don't care- :)

Barked: Sun Jan 20, '13 9:15am PST


	We control Koby's pain with meds. His is serious enough that we are saving to have surgery done on his right hip. It's not going to be fun, but I think it's something he's going to need or he'll be crippled when he's older. Kali also has Hip Dysplasia. Her's is really mild. She's 8 and is just now starting to show signs of discomfort now and then. Good Luck with Lobo and please keep us posted.

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Chandler

Code name:- Farmcollie

Barked: Sun Jan 20, '13 1:31pm PST


	I haven't had much luck with veterinarians simply feeling my dog and diagnosing problems. The most they could tell me was that a certain area was painful. To actually pinpoint which muscle group was the problem, I had to take Chandler to a canine physical therapist. I did this AFTER I knew Chandler had lax hips diagnosed by xray. (It turns out he's probably more prone to muscle strains because of his lax hips.) For the problems you are seeing, I think your first step should be an xray to see exactly what is going on with Lobo's hips.

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Zephyr

1213425

Barked: Sun Jan 20, '13 4:17pm PST


	Pred will cause weight gain because the dog acts like they're always starving (and they feel that way). I know my vet has had people flip out by suggesting their dogs were obese (Like actually start yelling and claim the vet is victimizing the dog. These are the stories of legend.) so barring the dog being morbidly obese and galumphing along the floor like an elephant seal he tends to nod off weight. A lower calorie diet would probably be a good start. Green beans are low calorie and a good filler for dogs who can't have their usual fatty goodies at least until you can confirm a bad hip diagnosis. Edited by author Sun Jan 20, '13 4:18pm PST

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Lilly CD CDX- JD JDX AD

1223913

Barked: Sun Jan 20, '13 11:25pm PST


	Chandler what is lax hips is that the same as hip dysplasia?

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Chandler

Code name:- Farmcollie

Barked: Mon Jan 21, '13 3:36am PST


	When I say they are lax, I mean that I know they are loose. However, there wasn't any sign of degenerative joint disease YET when the xrays were taken just before he was two years old. At the time he might have been considered to have very mild hip dysplasia. Because I had him checked, I've been able to spend the last five years doing everything I can to minimize the problems his loose hips might cause so he didn't develop a very obvious case of hip dysplasia. I had Chan checked using PennHIP, because I was interested in getting some exact numbers that could tell me something, rather than the snapshot description that OFA will get you. What is PennHIP? When I say loose hips, I'm specifically talking about PennHIP's distraction view, that is predictive of the development of osteoarthritis.

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Lobo

"Stubborn" dogs- don't need- corrections

Barked: Mon Jan 21, '13 3:52am PST


	Thank you for all the help, everyone. (: Zephyr, Lobo has been losing inches around his waist since the first day I brought him into the "new" vet. She told me then and there that he was overweight and needed to be worked on. The most recent time I brought him in, she was happy with his progress, despite the fact that he's GAINING weight. I talked with others who work out a lot, and I've been told that running(which is what Lobo does for primary exercise), builds muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. So I'm not worried that he necessarily WEIGHS more, as he is losing fat. However, I'm worried that the weight, even though it's muscle-weight, could also be hurting him. If that's the case, then it means no more running for Lobo. I also have more information on his hips, based on my own observations since I posted this thread: He actually seems to feel BETTER after running or after a very long walk/hike. Yesterday, however, he was very clearly tired, but he was not limping. (Yesterday, we walked for about two hours, and several hours later, we went to the park where he ran/jogged/trotted - never actually slowing to walk except to mark - for about an hour and a half. The day before, he had only had about two hours of exercise - running/jogging and walking.) He seems to be more sore after laying down for an extended period of time. When he gets up is when he limps, but typically only for a few steps before he begins to walk normally again. He doesn't seem to want to jump into the car, and seems to have trouble getting into the car. He is not hesitant to jump out of the car, and it does not seem to bother him to do so. Keep in mind, however, that Lobo can be fairly difficult to read. He's more stoic and his expressions are usually so fleeting that I can't see them. When I say it doesn't seem to hurt/bother him, I mean that he doesn't limp afterward, and is enthusiastic to continue walking.

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Koby

I'm a big brat- and I don't care- :)

Barked: Mon Jan 21, '13 4:20am PST


	If he feels better after exercise, then I would be inclined to think it's not Hip Dysplasia. Koby is in a lot of pain after all exercise. So, with that said, it might be something else like arthritis. Either way, low impact exercise helps build muscle, which make them stronger. I've noticed a huge difference in Koby since I've had him on an exercise schedule. He couldn't lift his leg before. He would fall down from the pain and weakness. But now, he can. He's still a puppy, so it's hard to keep him quiet. Sometimes he runs around with the puppy crazies, which he always pays for later. Please keep us posted on what you find out.

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