Labrador Hip Dysplasia

[luvmy2sams]

UGH! DH just returned from taking our almost 3-year-old lab to the vet. The vet did X-Rays, stating that Zoe was reacting to possible back pain. Turns out that there was no back injury evidenced on the XRay, but she has hip dysplasia.

The vet, talking 100 miles per minute, gave DH the options, and DH left feeling overwhelmed and sad. Our vet said we should get a second opinion and possibly consult a specialist. He talked about drug therapy (Rimadyl, . Right now she's running a mild fever and has been put on 100mg Rimadyl twice a day, Osteo BiFlex (3 tablets twice a day) and 100mg Tramadol twice a day.

After typing that it makes me feel awful. Zoe was running around the yard yesterday afternoon without a care in the world. She seemed anxious last night and was shaky this morning, which is why DH took her into the vet. We had no indications that she was in pain.

Any pet owners out there have experience with this? Recommendations? We did know that dysplasia is a common occurrence, especially in large breeds, but we're not quite sure what course to take here.

 

[daisax]

I'd see a specialist (orthopedist) -- I just went through a medical crisis with one of my dogs that might have been prevented if I'd paid extra for a second opinion (ended up treating him with major medication for 2 months for a problem he didn't even have, thus causing another problem he will need to be treated for for the rest of his life).

In such a young dog, surgery is usually the treatment of choice. Those are pretty major drugs (rimadyl) that your vet prescribed, with long-range implications for liver toxicity. I might give rimadyl to an elderly dog in pain, but not long term for a 3 year old.

Once you get a definitive diagnosis, you can do some networking with local lab/golden people who may have experience with different approaches and be able to recommend surgeons or alternative treatments.

Be sure to notify your breeder straight away -- if this is a problem in the line the breeder needs to know, and may also have some resources for you.

In the meantime, if the dog is overweight, try to get the weight down -- every single extra pound will add to the pain.

 

[maxiesmom]

My German Shepard Maxie had hip dysplasia and arthritis. Glucosomine worked wonders for her. You can get it at any drug store. It is pricey, but it is so worth it!

We did not give Max any pain meds. And her hips were so bad that the vet stated if she was a person, she would have been in a wheelchair. She simply didn't need them. Why drug her if it is not necessary?

Definately get her wait down if she is heavy. That will help too. Also keep in mind that dogs can deal with pain much better than humans. Zoe may not be experiencing much, if any, pain.

Here is a from me, and a big slurp to Zoe from my Lab Emma.

 

[luvwinnie]

Our beloved Winnie, who we had to say goodbye to on Sunday, had hip dysplasia. Please ask your vet or specialist about Adequan injections. PM me if I can be of further help. Did they say why your baby has a fever though?

 

[luvmy2sams]

I'd see a specialist (orthopedist) -- I just went through a medical crisis with one of my dogs that might have been prevented if I'd paid extra for a second opinion (ended up treating him with major medication for 2 months for a problem he didn't even have, thus causing another problem he will need to be treated for for the rest of his life).

In such a young dog, surgery is usually the treatment of choice. Those are pretty major drugs (rimadyl) that your vet prescribed, with long-range implications for liver toxicity. I might give rimadyl to an elderly dog in pain, but not long term for a 3 year old.

Once you get a definitive diagnosis, you can do some networking with local lab/golden people who may have experience with different approaches and be able to recommend surgeons or alternative treatments.

Be sure to notify your breeder straight away -- if this is a problem in the line the breeder needs to know, and may also have some resources for you.

In the meantime, if the dog is overweight, try to get the weight down -- every single extra pound will add to the pain.

Thanks for the info!

We know all about the dangers of Rimadyl. Our 12.5 year old cocker spaniel was on a low dose of it during a battle with her ear earlier this year (long story!). It made a huge difference with her mobility...we didn't realize just how much she'd slowed down...but the side effects scared us off of long-term use. She's now on chondroitin/osteo-biflex, which does wonders.

DH will be notifying the breeder ASAP.

My German Shepard Maxie had hip dysplasia and arthritis. Glucosomine worked wonders for her. You can get it at any drug store. It is pricey, but it is so worth it!

We did not give Max any pain meds. And her hips were so bad that the vet stated if she was a person, she would have been in a wheelchair. She simply didn't need them. Why drug her if it is not necessary?

Definately get her wait down if she is heavy. That will help too. Also keep in mind that dogs can deal with pain much better than humans. Zoe may not be experiencing much, if any, pain.

Here is a from me, and a big slurp to Zoe from my Lab Emma.

Thanks so much for the info, and especially for the and slurp! The thought of surgery is scary (and expensive! ). In a perfect world, she wouldn't need medication, but if this is an accurate diagnosis, we know it'll be reality. I agree with not drugging unless necessary.

She's not overweight at all, thank goodness, and she doesn't seem to be in any pain related to the dysplasia. The vet was totally caught off guard when it showed up on X-ray.

Our beloved Winnie, who we had to say goodbye to on Sunday, had hip dysplasia. Please ask your vet or specialist about Adequan injections. PM me if I can be of further help. Did they say why your baby has a fever though?

I've been following your threads about Winnie. Sad to say that we've been through the loss, too.

Thanks for the info on Adequan injections. Zoe goes for a follow-up next week, and I'll be sure to mention it.

The vet thinks the fever is a reaction to the inflammation in her lower back. Their best guess is that she was bitten by a lovely bug in our backyard. We haven't seen any creepy crawlies, and there aren't any apparent bite marks, but that's the best guess at this point.

I'm going to hang onto this thread, and just might be PM'ing you in the future.

I really do appreciate all the tips and insights here!

 

[TrueEeyore]

My dog, Nemo, wasn't even a year old when he was diagnosed with this. The vet said he was days away from his leg completely coming out of the socket.
We hadn't known it was that bad, he only held his foot up when he was running.
The vet gave us some pain medicine, but also put him on special food for joints. It's called J/D by Prescription Diet. His hip doesn't seem to hurt him anymore. We even put him back on regular food, and give him pain meds if it seems to be bothering him.

I hope your baby feels better soon!