Hip Dysplasia

[shredy]

Am I just being paranoid? Chloe played hard yesterday with her cousin Ozzy (6 lb yorkie), running all over the yard, wrestling, etc. Today she has been acting totally normal, but I noticed that when she walks her left leg doesn't bend like her right leg, looks stiff. When she ran to get her toy she had a normal gait at first but as she got up to full speed she had both her legs together (is this a bunny hop???). I am trying to remember if this is normal for dogs at their full sprint, or if she had ever done it before now.

So seeing as she is a 13 weeks old golden I start looking at signs of hip dysplasia and now I am freaking out!! She lets me do passive range of motion with hips, knee, and ankles and does not even wake up so I don't think she is having pain. I felt all around the hip joints on both sides and didn't feel any difference and tried to see if they were cicking or would come out of socket with a little pressure which they did not. (she is the most patient puppy in the world) She still jumped up on my neighbor when she saw her, but even she said that her left leg looks stiff. I have been massaging her and giving her extra love, but I need some advice... Could she just be sore from playing too hard since she is not used to it yet or are these really serious signs that I should be freaking out about? I am really worried, I went through so much with Shade this year and I am not sure if I am looking for something to be wrong so i am finding it. Any advice??

[otter]

Poor Chloe :sad:. It's likely it's just from playing hard... somehow I think I remember reading that puppies shouldn't play too hard when they are growing fast I'd just try and keep her geared down a bit for a while... if that's possible.
Might be worth it to get her X-rayed, for your peace of mind - HD could be an issue even if she doesn't have signs yet and I think it helps to get it diagnosed early. I'm no expert here, never having had a puppy:sad:
it's nothing!

[otter]

Yikes, I forgot the

[shredy]

Originally Posted by otter

Yikes, I forgot the

Thanks for the I am planning on limiting her activity and seeing if it gets better, but my stomach is in knots! What do you think about the bunny hopping thing??

[Winston]

Shredy my guy did the bunny hop thing for along time...and sometimes if he gets startled and runs he kinda of does that now....maybe she just needs a rest??

Cindy

[otter]

I've seen both healthy and non healthy dogs do the bunny hop thing... but I think it's something to keep note of (when she does it, for how long, etc.). If she is doing it more and more i'd definitely be getting those X-rays done.
Maybe puppies get growing pains??
it's nothing at all.

[shredy]

Originally Posted by Winston

Shredy my guy did the bunny hop thing for along time...and sometimes if he gets startled and runs he kinda of does that now....maybe she just needs a rest??

Cindy

I really hope it is nothing serious, waiting kills me because I always feel like I should be doing something. That's the nurse in me, we always have to fix things

Originally Posted by otter

I've seen both healthy and non healthy dogs do the bunny hop thing... but I think it's something to keep note of (when she does it, for how long, etc.). If she is doing it more and more i'd definitely be getting those X-rays done.
Maybe puppies get growing pains??
it's nothing at all.

I was getting frantic trying to remember how dogs run when they really get going and could not remember for the life of me!! I really appreciate your and so does Chloe

[mummummum]

I sometimes wonder "what if" I had known about Ceili's hips ...

I'm not sure I would have our lives any differently.

I understand now alot of things I was too stimple and arrogant to "get" before ~ like she wasn't too stupid to jump, she just could not. She was not just a Diva (my Princess of the Park) ~ she was tired and unable.

Now that I get it ~ I am sorry I wasn't tuned in before but I don't think she would have wanted it any differently.

By all means have the Xrays. I don't allow Ceili to climb or jump. She's allowed a little bit of a race-around-her-sister and that's it. We find safe portals for joy wherever we can.

[shredy]

Originally Posted by mummummum

By all means have the Xrays. I don't allow Ceili to climb or jump. She's allowed a little bit of a race-around-her-sister and that's it. We find safe portals for joy wherever we can.

Do her symptoms sound like Ceili when she was a baby?

I am not sure if it is new or if I never noticed it before because it is subtle. She jumps, runs, will jump onto and off of the couch, but not our bed (it is a little too high) and has what I consider to be normal puppy energy but on the mellow side of that spectrum. I am keeping her from jumping now that I noticed this and will give it a little time. I guess the next step is x-rays, I just want her to get better and for it not to be hip dysplasia. I know she will still have a good quality of life if it is, but I know there will be limitations. I have so many plans for her and was so careful in selecting the right breeder as to avoid these issues if possible. :sad:

[hazelrunpack]

Just a few thoughts...

Xrays will give you answers, even at Chloe's tender age. Likely, it's nothing more than a pulled muscle or strained tendon, but even if they discover some luxation at the joint, sometimes with muscle toning and further development of the skeleton, it resolves. If you want an expert orthopedic opinion, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (http://www.offa.org/hipinfo.html), for a reasonable charge, will evaluate the xrays your vet takes of Chloe's hips. There's a lot of HD info at that link plus a downloadable form that you and your vet fill out and send with the xrays.

We were always scared by the possibility of HD. Then we inherited our first dysplastic dog (we knew she was dysplastic at the time, just not how bad she was) and had her hips checked. Upon seeing the xrays, the vets remarked that they were surprised she was still walking, much less running and hunting like she was. Bottom line: each dog is an individual and dysplasia affects them all differently. Even a severe case doesn't necessarily slow a dog down. We opted for a full hip replacement--very expensive, but so worth it in the end since Priscilla lived another 10 years in comfort afterward!

While we still had Priscilla, we got a setter puppy, Evan. Evan developed inflammatory bowel disease and had died of it by age 3. At that point we realized that in the scope of things, hip dysplasia is a breeze. It can be treated, it is not a death sentence, it responds to a diet/supplement/exercise regimen, and doesn't necessarily have to limit a dog's life.

So...take a deep breath...relax.

It may be nothing more than a pulled muscle or strained ligament. As for the "bunny-hopping" you describe, Grace (OFA good hips) does it when she's going full out. Most of the dogs we've had from puppies have gone through stages where they run with the hind legs working in full tandem when they're at top speed. (Notably, our horribly dysplastic springer, Priscilla, did not. )

But if you can afford it, the xrays are a great option for setting your mind at ease. And if they do show the first stages of HD, the faster you get on it, the better the prognosis.

Currently we have no HD dogs, but two of the boys (Cole and Ember) have mild elbow dysplasia (grade 1 degenerative joint disease). We found out about it early while they were still asymptomatic and started treatment right away. The djd has not progressed in either boy to date (, knock on wood, avoid stepping on cracks, throw that spilled salt over hazel's left shoulder and for dawg's sake, don't break any mirrors, hazel! Me? Superstitious? Never! Just cautious. .) So treatment can be very effective.

We were given a rule of thumb by Priscilla's orthopedic surgeon. If the dog is less than a year old, no leash walks longer than 20 minutes. You can take many of them a day, but not longer than 20 minutes at a crack. For informal, off-leash exercise--try to limit it to 30 minute play sessions. Again, you can have more than one a day, but not longer than 30 minute play sessions. Anything longer can be damaging to developing joints. I've heard other 'rules of thumb' on exercising young dogs since, but they were all pretty similar. You might want to talk to your vet about what they'd recommend for Chloe.

hazel went on a bit longer than she intended...

for you and Chloe!

[shredy]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

Just a few thoughts...


hazel went on a bit longer than she intended...

for you and Chloe!

Thank you for your thoughts, I'm glad you did go on longer than you intended. I know I have to breathe, it's hard having just lost Shade to a spinal tumor to see signs of lameness, just brings all those feelings rushing back. I am going to watch her for the next few days and see if it resolves at all. We definitely went over the limit of playtime (about 4 hours) so I am hoping that it is just a strain or sore muscles. I am planning on x-rays even though my BF thinks I am overreacting (he usually does). I am not sure if I am seeing signs becuase I am looking for them, or because they are there, but I guess it is better to know early... I am just hoping that showing signs so soon doesn't mean it will be really bad for her if it is HD.

Thanks again everyone for the information and support

[growler~GateKeeper]

just want to give my & for good news for wee Chloe puppy she's just a bit sore

[clm]

I hope it's nothing more than a puppy playing hard and being sore as a result.
Baxter went through a period where he limped off and on for a week when he was under 4 months old. Front leg, not back, but you couldn't slow him down regardless. Bentley has done the same thing, only he went longer, around 2 weeks. It was a front let again, but he was even worse than Baxter to try to take it easy until it got better.

Cindy

[mona_b]

I agree with the xray...Better to be safe then sorry....

As for the rule of thumb with pups,especially the large breed,there shouldn't be any "hard" exercising/play...Not until at least 14months of age.At this age the bones are stronger as they are maturing.This I even read on Goldens.

I have raised GSD's(also prone to HD) and have been very careful with them as pups.My current is 11 and has some arthritis.I still get him xrayed as the arthritis can turn into HD.But he still thinks he's a pup at times.LOL

I agree with hazelrunpack.Limit chloes play time.She doesn't need to play hard for a long period of time.

[rainbow]

I think she just overdid the playing with Ozzy. I would be "paranoid" too though so it's best to see what your vet says. Good luck.

[Ford Girl]

Dazy has had growing pains, pulled muscles, stiffness, you name it...and each time we went to the vets. they checked for HD, they didn't x-ray tho, but looked at motion range and flexibility and they listened to the noise the joints made when they moved, she's all clear for now. Is an x-ray required for diagnosing HD?? My vet always feels and listens, but he has never said we should xray to check. hmmm.....interesting.

I totally understand your concern, it's best to look in to it then to not. Dazy plays hard too, wrestling is her favorite game, it was hard to limit her play time, and energy when she was the size and age of your pooch, it gets easier as they grow.

Since we are talking about HD, how does it work - does it show up early? Can they develope it at any age? Besides controled activity, high quality food and suppliments, what can we do to help prevent it?

[Riluke]

Here's my HD puppy story.

Luke seemed to not want to go on walks. He would go so far and then just stop, but he loved to run and play in the back yard. Then one day I noticed a popping sound when he was walking, not all the time mind you, but once in a while. Then one day he slid on the hardwood floor and his back legs splayed out - he cried and cried. So I took him to the vet for xrays.

This clearly showed he has HD. SInce then we have cut out the walks and just play in the back yard with him (he loves football), added glucosamine to his food, put rugs on the floors and kept and eye on things. He is doing very well, he doesn't seemed to be in pain.

My advice is the same as the others, if you are unsure see the vet, at least for peace of mind. Then you can work from there. The vet said he may grow into it, or he may need surgery some day. We are hoping for the former but one day at a time.

Good luck - it could be a pulled muscle or growing pains. There is only one sure way to find out!

from Luke and me

[shredy]

Ford Girl, My understanding is that HD can show up anywhere between 4 months and 2 years of age and is diagnosed with hip x-rays. Another common problem with goldens is elbow dysplasia. here is a link with some good info

http://www.vetinfo.com/dencyclopedia/dehipdysp.html

I just read a bunch of different sources and found some reasearch articles through my school library to help me understand.

I am feeling good about her quick improvement, but I know we have to keep an eye on this.... Her mom and dad are both OFA certified for hips, and up to her greatgrandparents are documented with a minimum of a good hip rating. This gives me hope, but you still never know....

[Riluke]

Originally Posted by Ford Girl

Since we are talking about HD, how does it work - does it show up early? Can they develope it at any age? Besides controled activity, high quality food and suppliments, what can we do to help prevent it?

I can tell you what my vet told me .

Obviously it can show up early as Luke is only 6 months now but it is common in large dogs like Shephard and Labs but it can occur at any time in their life.

I don't know of any way to prevent it, other than not over excercising your puppy. But you can help HD dogs with regular 'good exercise' like swimming, and the good ol romp in the yard. Keeping a healthy weight is key as well, so do not over feed, he suggested using 'real' food such as meat, veg, rice..etc (I can't remember the ratio off hand), and the glucosamine in their food.

There are probably people with a lot more expertise than me, as I am just learning as I go on this one.

[chico2]

Interesting reading all the post about HD,I am learning soo much about dogs
Shredy I am hoping Chloe just overplayed,but like the others said,seeing you are very concerned,especially after the loss of beautiful Shade,go for an X-Ray,it will be well worth it for your piece of mind.
that nothing is wrong with little Chloe

[breeze]

I also heard that shark cartilage is very good for HD
when Nakita had HD I would give her this as a treat, she just loved it..

I would imagine that everything in moderation.. exercise, food, supplements..
but you can go over board with the love and kisses and hugs of course

[shredy]

I took Chloe to the vet today and he said her hips feel fine and her gait looks normal to him. He said it is good to be overly careful and we can do an x-ray at 6 months just to be sure, but that he thinks she will be ok. :

[chico2]

Shredy I am sooo happy for little Chloe and you