Hip Displasia.. Help!

[dwells]

I'll get right to it. Had a few ppl over, they saw my boy (6 months old) and said it wouldn't be a bad idea to get some extra vitamins in his diet, one said his back 2 legs were kinda shaky at times. I was surprised to say the least, having done my research before getting a gsd i opted for a working line pup to minimise the chances for any risk of hip dysplasia. (he has his pedigree with working line appearance: mostly straight back and dark sable colour with high drive - as you would expect from a W.L. .. which is why those comments caught me off a bit)

Anyway, few days after that last comment i decided to take him to the vet because what's there to lose, when i got there i got told to take him for a straight line walk for him to see what he's dealing with ig, after that got told to do x-rays. So we do X-rays, X-rays come, vet says he's got something but it's NOT the "very bad type" of h.d.. and also "not anywhere close as bad as (he) thought it would be from that first walk". Got told to bring him back in 6 months to see how it progresses. I was advised to keep him off slippery surfaces which makes sense and to keep him on the leaner side which i've always done with him anyway. (currently 21kg at 6 months)

Coming to my question, what's the best i can do to minimise whatever is to come. When i asked about potential supplements to his diet, vet said "his dry food has everything he needs" and that "those vitamins and all they're trying to sell you don't do anything", fair enough - heard many say that. However, now what? Given he's still developing and knowing he has h.d. even to some degree.. feels kind of off to just sit there and do nothing specially since it feels like there's still room to improve given he's still just a baby, what's the best i can do to help this boy out?? I'd really appreciate any advice, i'm sure were not the only ones facing this in here.

(not sure how i made the vet sound but he was recommended by many and said to be one of the best in the region so he's supposed to know his stuff)

 

[mhcapa1]

@dwells Your vet is correct. There are no supplements that will fix misshapen hip joints. Your best bet right now, while your dogs joints are firming up, is to take it easy.

No jumping on or off furniture, no climbing, no hard playing or running. Get cheap rugs to cover slippery floors in your house. If you see your dog sitting/laying funny (sloppy sit/frog sit,) correct him so he’s sitting square. No exceptions.

If you’re in a warm climate, find a lake to take him swimming for exercise(look for an indoor dog pool or hydrotherapy if you’re in a cold climate) Low impact exercise will build up his leg muscles. Strong muscles will keep his hips in alignment and prevent the joint from getting any sloppier.

It’s a shame you didn’t catch this sooner, because there’s a procedure that can be performed before 20 weeks called juvenile pubic symphydiodesis (JPS) that can correct dysplasia.

 

[dwells]

@mhcapa1 Thanks for the advice, will make sure he’s sitting properly and not getting strained too much. Hadn’t heard of the procedure before, I’ll look into it he’s not that big structure wise for his age so I’ll check what can still be done. But yes it’s hard to catch since in our case it is minimal, he 9-10 times sits properly and has no problem running and doesn’t look funny or anyth when doing so.

 

[triumphinchrist]

@dwells Our springer spaniel was 6 months old when she was diagnosed. Now 8yrs old and it doesn't bother her much. We let her swim and on walks she goes her own pace. When it's colder we notice her "bunny hop" a bit more. She gets fish oil supplements and a little pain management.

The other comment has already given lots of really good advice. Good luck and fingers crossed it doesn't progress too much and you have many happy years together

 

[fl269fl269]

@dwells Make sure to discuss with his breeder too. A lot of HD is related to joint laxtisity. It may be that PT down the road will help tighten things up. May or may not cause him any issues down the road.

One of the problems with supplements is that you don't want to imbalance the growth. Sometimes it's better to wait until 1 year before adding things. You can talk to vet about omega 3s or cosequin. At an older age you can look in to Adequan.

 

[daughteroftheking89]

@dwells Did you get pet insurance yet?

I have a rescue GS, she wandered into my warehouse when she was 6 months. Took her to the vet and he said she has a very straight back and would unlikely develop HD. I grew up with dogs but didn’t know much about vet care costs. So I rolled the dice and didn’t get insurance. During Covid lockdown when she was 3 she started tucking up her leg after playing fetch for a few minutes. Got x-rays…. HD. Still didn’t have insurance at this point. I live in LA and the most affordable replacement was 12k for each side. Which would have been every dollar I had.

Luckily my folks are up in Idaho and the vet who patented the prosthetic is a few hours away and half the price. Still I’ve spend 13k getting those damn hips replaced.