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Hip Problems

This forum is for dog lovers seeking everyday advice and suggestions on health-related issues. Remember, however, that advice on a public forum simply can't be a substitute for proper medical attention. Only your vet can say assuredly what is best for your dog.

  
(Page 2 of 3: Viewing entries 11 to 20)  
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Lobo

"Stubborn" dogs- don't need- corrections		 
 
Barked: Mon Jan 21, '13 4:40am PST 
Koby,
Yeah, the vet tech I talked to seems pretty positive that it's arthritis. But we'll see in February.

I also want to add that his 'aggression' toward people walking/stepping over him decreased majorly yesterday, which makes me think that the aggressive response is related to a) Pain(which would again support my observations that exercise seems to decrease the pain), or b) Being high-strung. Both of which are possible. However, that's obviously an entirely different discussion, I just wanted to add that after moving around for several hours throughout the day, he does seem happier than when I was only getting him out for an hour or two a day.
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Jackson Tan

Lad about town		 
 
Barked: Mon Jan 21, '13 4:51am PST 
I found that when JT gained thigh muscle (through raw diet) his limp from his old break did improve, of course it's fairly lean muscle, not big tanky muscle, but I should think it's an improvement even if it is heavier. The most important thing is to get the belly weight off in cases of weak legs/hips. Free running is best for that I agree, swimming also.

Filling the gaps in the diet with green beans is a good idea also for a dog on steroids. Grated carrot can be good too.

ETA: oh, forgot to say, I have a funny hip and it tends to displace if I lay down too long without shifting (and getting up is horrendous) but running presents no issue at all. And if it was arthritis, the grinding from the running would likely make it worse. So it might just be a lax hip.

Edited by author Mon Jan 21, '13 4:57am PST

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Maya - In Loving- Memory

BSL: Educate,- don't- discriminate.		 
 
Barked: Mon Jan 21, '13 8:12am PST 
Maya had severe arthritis when she came to me. I tend to rescue kenneled-constantly dogs, for some reason. Maya, after I moved out of the home of family members, was no longer looked after properly. They didn't walk the dogs(I did every morning and evening), fed them LITERALLY the cheapest crap they could buy, and never bothered with veterinary care and to ice that cake off, they kenneled them CONSTANTLY if they weren't left in the backyard.

I ended up taking her home with me one day after pointing out to them how sick they were making her. Her arthritis got so bad, she was having troubles MOVING without pain, she was sore all the time, acted like she was 25 instead of 7 when I took her..

I got her on a grain-free diet(She went from Ol' Roy, and various other similar foods to Acana/raw), added Salmon oil to her food, along with a pinch of cinnamon(natural anti-inflammatory), and raw egg(usually with the shell ground up into a fine powder). I usually added some water to her food too to help a little with hydration. I also began supplementing with Glucosamine/Chondroitine pills(found out that now they have it available in liquid form! Boy that would have been handy at the time!). There's even treats out there now with Glucosamine in them, how handy is that!?! Zuke's has a Hip Action treat formula now and A LOT of people with pets who have sore arthritic hips, or hip dysplasia come in and grab those treats and tell us that even just the added benefit of the Glucosamine in the treats makes a world of difference.

Maya went from lagging behind on walks, and yelping if you would so much as walk past her because of the vibrations in the floor, to running across fields and playing like a puppy again. She still didn't like other dogs jumping on her back or hips, and she was forevermore impatient with children, but she was HEALTHY.

I did end up having to let her go much later due to pain that regressed and Canine Cognitive Dysfunction - it wasn't fair to keep her going for my sake, and she was ready to go, but I gave her two more years of being healthy and happy.

I'll note too, Maya also felt better after exercise, and preferred the hard floor to softer surfaces to lay on. I always found it a little odd(the floor vs furniture that is).

That said, I'd definitely get the x-rays done anyway, just to be sure. But it does sound overall, more like arthritis and if that's the case, there are supplements that can help with pain and easing inflammation. smile
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Sabi

When the night- closes in I will- be there		 
 
Barked: Mon Jan 21, '13 8:33am PST 
I agree, it sounds like arthiritis. Any doctor or vet will tell you that exercise will help arthiritis pain and except in severe cases it is easily managed with nsaids. That said get the xrays done to rule out more problematic issues and I would do some research into joint supplements and natural pain relif. Good Luck
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Monnie

Spreading Smiles- As A Tribute For- Lexi
 
 
Barked: Mon Jan 21, '13 1:31pm PST 
Without an actual X-Ray it's hard to pin point the exact problem and treat it properly. Monnie has hip dysplasia as well as arthritis so we have her on Chrondroition and Glucosmine which has helped her hips from not quivering when she has to go potty. She used to lean her back hip on her front legs and no longer does that. She takes Metacam for the inflamation and I am doing my best to take some weight off her so add a lot of fresh veggies and fruit to her Wellness Core Grain Free Ocean Formula Kibble. She loves to run but I only walk her now and occasionally will let her romp in a small fenced yard with Roscoe. Keeping them on the thinner side helps as does the walking. Be careful with running that it isn't too much to add any starin to the joints. Please keep us posted and good luckhug
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Star

1188980
 
 
Barked: Tue Jan 22, '13 8:01am PST 
My old boy was having trouble getting up out of bed. He was 14 at the time and I saw the grrenies for joint care one day when i was getting all my dogs treats , and decided to try it. It did wonders for him. He was able to get up mudch better and even went back to going to short walks with me again. He was on them until he passed of old age at 16.
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Lobo

"Stubborn" dogs- don't need- corrections		 
 
Barked: Tue Jan 22, '13 9:07am PST 
My grandma has some Glucosamine powder(she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, went through Chemo, then Radiation, then had surgery, and her doctor put her on Glucosamine to help her out), so I can easily add that to some raw eggs. I can call the vet and talk to her about it, see if she wants to wait until she sees him(which she probably will, but no harm in asking).

MORE OBSERVATIONS:
It seems to only be one hip, and I've noticed that leg sometimes seems to struggle to hold him up. Once or twice during walks(usually in the beginning of the walk) he does seem to "slip" or lose his footing. Again, though, it only seems to be that one hip/leg(it's his back left leg).
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UCH Onyx TT

Do you even- lift?
 
 
Barked: Tue Jan 22, '13 9:35am PST 
Well there is unilateral hip dysplasia, in which only one hip is affected. As far as I'm aware, when it's unilateral, it's less genetic and more likely to have been caused by an environmental factor such as an injury. But I believe it's also not uncommon for one hip to be worse than the other in bilateral HD, so that could be why one leg seems more affected than the other.

As others have said, I wouldn't put much stock in a diagnosis obtained by feeling. Definitely go for an actual x-ray.

Glucosamine/MSM/chondroitin works wonders for some dogs with HD or arthritis. Some people have reported their dog only showed improvement if the glucosamine supplement contained MSM and/or chondroitin, so that's something to keep in mind. Lots of people swear by high doses of vitamin C for HD. Fish oil and green lipped mussel powder are also supplements used for joint/hip health.

Edited by author Tue Jan 22, '13 9:39am PST

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Rexy

I dig in mud- puddles!		 
 
Barked: Tue Jan 22, '13 11:55pm PST 
Keep in mind that if you start giving glucosamine, then you should be giving Lobo a loading dose for the first few months and then decreasing to what his long-term dose will be.

You can also look into using a supplement that contains green-lipped mussels. While I don't have any experience with these, I've heard good things about them.
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Lobo

"Stubborn" dogs- don't need- corrections		 
 
Barked: Thu Jan 24, '13 6:56am PST 
I called the vet and was told to put him on a probiotic until February, which is when his appointment is. The tech said not to put him on Glucosamine YET. The vet wants to see him first.
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  (Page 2 of 3: Viewing entries 11 to 20)  
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