Question for owners of older dogs......

[marshallandcartersmo]

Our lab Harley is almost 9 years old. Several months ago we noticed after we'd play frisbee/ball with her, the day after she would limp slightly. Not so much on her front legs but her back legs, and mostly after she'd get up from laying down--never just walking around the house/yard. Day 3 she'd be fine. Still wanted to play ball/frisbee the whole time she'd limp but we wouldn't play with her.
About 3 months ago she fell as she was jumping for the frisbee, and the next day had a severe limp---way different from the previous times. We took her to our vet who did x-rays, and decided she had sprained her back, gave her some steriods and some medicine and sent us on our way. 2 months went by with no problems.

We took her last month for her yearly shots to a new and closer vet. We talked to the vet about her on again off again limp. He checked her out and reminded us of her age, but didn't find any problems with her.........

Within the past week though, her limping is back. Not severe at all, but it's back--when she gets up from laying down mosty.

I'm sure it's just her age, she can't run and play like she used to......but she SO wants to.

Anyway, long story short----does your older dog/lab have this problem. If so, do you give them any mediciation for it? I have friends who give their dog 1 iboprofen when their dogs symptoms flare up, but that doesn't sound all that safe to me.

thanks!!

 

[LittleBlue22]

Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD)
BE AWARE - FOR YOU AND YOUR LAB
http://www.8pawsup.com/articles/health/hipdysplasia.html

Any health care links and information in this article should NOT replace a veterinarian visit or advice; please take your Lab to a vet immediately at any sign of odd behavior, such as aggression, or any symptoms of illness or injury.




Finding out that your Labrador Retriever or large breed pup has Hip Dysplasia is one of the most devastating diagnoses that any dog owner hears. We are conditioned to think this is one of the worst large breed dog problems and that there is no hope for the pup after such a condition has been confirmed. Unfortunately, Canine Hip Dysplasia is not curable and can be quite painful if the Lab is not diagnosed early and necessary precautions made to increase the quality of life for the pup. That is why it is important to become knowledgeable in how to lessen the chance for such a diagnosis, how to know when your pup needs to be seen by a veterinarian, and what treatment options are available.


What is Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD)?

“Hip Dysplasia” simply means an abnormal formation of the hip joint. The head of the femur is supposed to match the socket of the joint. Those Labs that lack a snug fit between the ball and socket of the hip joint are those diagnosed with varying degrees of Hip Dysplasia. Some pups may only have a slight change, while others can have complete dislocation. Hence, no two dogs will be affected by the disorder exactly the same.


The Origin of Hip Dysplasia

Most studies have shown that the number one contributing factor to CHD is genetics. If the parents are carrying the genetic material for CHD, so will the offspring. Even if both parents are OFA Excellent, the opportunity for CHD is still available but less likely to occur.

There is also evidence to conclude that a number of environmental conditions can affect the expression of CHD and include, but are not limited to, the following:

Nutrition – Proper nutrition is crucial during the growth phase of a pup. This does not mean that food or calories should be restricted. Ideally, a high-quality meat-based diet is essential for growing pups and by using a large or giant breed puppy food will assist you in ensuring your growing Lab pup receives all the nutrients its needs while maintaining a proper caloric intake. An overweight puppy or dog adds much unnecessary stress on the hips and joints.
Physical Activity – Large and giant breed pups are in the growth phase of development from birth to 1 year of age. The more strenuous exercise it receives during this period, the greater chance of it developing Hip Dysplasia or arthritis later in life. Climbing stairs, jumping into and out of pick-up trucks, running with other normal dogs, all subject the growing hip structures to unwarranted stress and trauma and increase the future discomfort for the Lab.
Bedding – Although there is no evidence that bedding can increase the level of CHD in a pup, there is still the possibility. Smooth concrete, wood, or newspaper surfaces can become very slippery for a Lab and not allow them to get their footing. The lack of stability of the surface they are walking on can cause their legs to slide from underneath them and put further stress on the hips and joints.



Signs of Hip Dysplasia

Possible signs of CHD in young pups and older dogs can include the following:

Runs with both back legs nearly together (rabbit run)
Reluctant to rise after exercising
Sits back unsteady
Difficulty climbing stairs or inclines
Look slightly undeveloped in the rear quarters
Legs not parallel when standing straight
Boniness to the pelvic area from lack of good muscle development
Inability to extend the leg backward very far
Decreased range of motion or stiffness
Rock forward to support more weight on the front legs
Tip-toeing lightly on rear legs
Reluctant to jump or stand up on hind legs
Sits rather than stand
Decrease in willingness to exercise
Popping or snapping sounds when walking
Soreness after lying down
Sensitivity to touch of the hindquarters
Hind leg lameness
Swaying or staggering
Abnormal gait
It is very important to note that a Labrador Retriever may appear normal and yet have Hip Dysplasia. Some dogs with this disorder will escape pain or simply accept it as a fact of life and don’t complain until degenerative joint disease sets in.


Detecting Hip Dysplasia

Labs with obvious signs of CHD (hip soreness, difficulty arising or climbing inclines, muscle atrophy over the rump, limping) are not a challenge to confirm as such. This does not mean that a veterinarian can just look at a dog and determine them to have Hip Dysplasia. At a minimum, the Lab needs to have a pelvic x-ray taken under anesthesia. You must have the x-ray to know if the dog is normal or suffering from a separate disorder.

The reason anesthesia is necessary is that the veterinarian can only then palpate and manipulate the hips to actually feel the degree of looseness. Also, the tension of the muscles in the rump is best assessed under the anesthesia.


Treatment

Surgery is a viable option for dogs with severe CHD but it is not for every dog. Drug therapies are helpful to deal with pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, naproxen, Adequan, and Cosequin have been proven effective in many cases. These anti-inflammatory drugs, accompanied with such treatments as weight loss and moderate exercise, will help to alleviate the pain and inflammation around the jip joint. This increases the quality of life for the Labrador Retriever pup and allows them to love “normal” with some small restrictions. Some owners will even review acupuncture as an additional alternative prior to investing, emotionally and financially, to surgery.

The types of surgery available for CHD include:

Triple pelvic osteotomy – a procedure to stabilize the joint and prevent degenerative changes that accompany weight-bearing stress on abnormal hips;
Femoral head excision – used to prevent bone-on-bone friction; or
Total hip replacement.
The decision on the type of surgery preformed is based on the age of the Lab, the progress of the disease, and the general health of the dog.


Prevention of Hip Dysplasia

There are few things you can do in the way of prevention, but you should consider the following:

When selecting a puppy, find out the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) hip score for the sire and dam. You should be looking to purchase offspring from parents whose hips have been evaluated and scored good or excellent. The PennHIP program for evaluating canine hips can provide excellent objective information about hip joints in dogs as young as four months of age.
Picking up the problem as early as possible affords your pup the best chance of finding the right option, whether medical or surgical, to minimize the arthritic changes that will develop secondary to the Hip Dysplasia.

It is very sad indeed for any Lab owner to see their special pup affected by the discomfort and mobility problems associated with CHD. Fortunately, armed with knowledge and forethought, highly selective breeding is your best defense against CHD.





References

Dunn Jr., T.J. Dr.Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD)
Hip Dysplasia In Labradors. (2006).
Trout, N., Dr. (2006). Hip Dysplasia in Dogs.
Woolf, N. (2006). When Ranger has hip dysplasia.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Both of my older GSDs had problems with spinal arthritis (they were brother and sister). The male was also a frisbee dog, totally obsessed with it. We had to limit his frisbee time to little catches from a short distance, not letting him jump or land roughly. We did OTC glucosamine to help repair cartilage and daily aspirin to keep down the inflammation (my vet believes that some pain is necessary to prevent the dog from "overdoing" it which they would be likely to do if they had no pain).

We lost the female at close to 12, but the male made it to 13 1/2. By that time he was on a liquid NSAID (can't recall the name), but at that point his problem wasn't so much pain, but numbness in the rear end from nerve issues stemming from the arthritis. My vet isn't a big fan of rimadyl, but some people use that with success for pain. Have a talk with your vet to see what the best course of action is for both pain control and exercise - walking and swimming are gentle ways to keep the muscles strong that support the arthritic bones and cartilage. Rough exercise - not so good. I understand how hard it is to say no when the dog still wants to do frisbee. Good luck.

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

We bought Harts Glucosamine - MSM for dogs and that helped our old lab/rottie mix for quite a while. She was more like her old self - but eventually she's just gotten to the point that it doesn't help anymore. Of course she's getting pretty old...13

 

[wdwmom2]

My experience with large dogs having this problem has been either hip dysplasia or arthritis. Unfortunately, as our animals age, they get aches and pains like we do. My vet recommended giving an enteric coated aspirin. But this has been many years ago, so maybe there are better ways of treating these problems.

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

Thanks for the replies. When our vet x-rayed her several months ago he ruled out hip displasia, so that was a relief.

Those of you that gave asprin, was it just OTC adult asprin? Has anyone heard of giving a dog ibuprofen?

I will call the vet this week, but I'd like to have some ideas of medicines to talk to him about first. thanks!!

 

[wdwmom2]

Thanks for the replies. When our vet x-rayed her several months ago he ruled out hip displasia, so that was a relief.

Those of you that gave asprin, was it just OTC adult asprin? Has anyone heard of giving a dog ibuprofen?

I will call the vet this week, but I'd like to have some ideas of medicines to talk to him about first. thanks!!

I used Ascriptin. Here is an interesting article on arthritis if you would like to read it. Not saying your dog has arthritis, but it is a possibility. It talks about different drugs to use, and why not to use ibuprofen.

http://www.swancorner.com/arthritis.html

 

[solferino]

....


I have friends who give their dog 1 iboprofen when their dogs symptoms flare up, but that doesn't sound all that safe to me.

thanks!!

OMG dogs should not have ibuprofiin or acetaminophen. They will make them very sick or possibly kill them.

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/ibuprofen-toxicity-in-dogs/page1.aspx

We have a 13yo lab and she doesn't generally have a problem with lameness, but buffered asprin is what our vet suggested. Arthritic dogs I heard respond to glucosamine, but haven't tried it myself. Homeopathic Rhus Tox and Arnica are effective in treating arthritis in humans, animals respond beautifully to homeopathics, IME.

Good luck and I hope Harley feels better soon.

 

[bballmom56]

We had a shepherd/St. Bernard mix who was a big dog who loved to run and play. As he got older we noticed him having a slight limp, particularly in damp and cold weather. I think he was about 10 when we put him on this product http://www.springtimeinc.com/product/94/2 . It worked wonders for him and he loved the tablets. I think it helped his total overall condition. He lived to the ripe old age of 15 1/2 - quite old for such a large dog. Even the vet was amazed.

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

Thanks so much for the replies!! I found what the vet prescribed Harley a few months ago---it was Deramaxx. But reading about it online, it shows lots of side effects too.

I googled iboprofen in dogs---yikes!! Will be telling my friends about that for sure.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

In searching for links to post, I found some interesting/good to know articles on pain management products for dogs. Here they are:

http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2006/506_nsaid.html

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2005-04-11-dog-pain-usat_x.htm

What I was looking for originally was articles about using enteric coated aspirin in dogs. Some recommend against it, although buffered aspirin seems to be ok:

http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/daspirin.html

http://www.rivma.org/wisearthritis.html

This nicely summarizes some of the product choices available:

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_medications_for_degenerative_a.html

The one thing I think is important to remember is that with the anti-inflammatories and glucosamine, you have to give it daily and keep giving it to get the desired effects.

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

In searching for links to post, I found some interesting/good to know articles on pain management products for dogs. Here they are:

http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2006/506_nsaid.html

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2005-04-11-dog-pain-usat_x.htm

What I was looking for originally was articles about using enteric coated aspirin in dogs. Some recommend against it, although buffered aspirin seems to be ok:

http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/daspirin.html

http://www.rivma.org/wisearthritis.html

This nicely summarizes some of the product choices available:

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_medications_for_degenerative_a.html

The one thing I think is important to remember is that with the anti-inflammatories and glucosamine, you have to give it daily and keep giving it to get the desired effects.

Thanks so much for sending these!!

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

I have an almost 11 year old toy poodle and she takes Glucosamine. It has made a world of difference in her back legs. She has had surgery on one of her legs also. Since being on the medicine she is like a puppy again.