The Vet Thinks It's Hip Dysplasia. Any Advice?

[Juno]

So I took Juno to the vet today so they could look at her hips and possibly do some xrays. They tried a mobility test and when they tried to extend her back legs, she screamed. The vet is pretty sure she has hip dysplasia. The vet sold me a bottle of supplements called Rejuvenate, and they're not bad, but I don't think they contain enough glucosamine and other ingredients to make a difference.
For those of you who have huskies with arthritis or hip dysplasia, what brand of supplements do you use to help rebuild and or relieve pain?

[Elyse]

Gosh, I'm so sorry to hear that.

 

Did they actually perform x-rays? That is the only way to know for sure; other symptoms of limping and reluctance to go upstairs/exercise/get up could be related to a torn ACL ligament.

 

But, I can sympathize:

 

Suka has middle-grade juvenile arthritis (it was diagnosed when he just turned 5 years old - but it very well could have been present when we adopted him at 4) , with a high chance of developing HD. For supplements, I use:

 

Vermont Naturals: Hip + Joint XL (exact name). I use the 'XL' version because he is over 75 pounds.

It costs around $30 (CAD) a bag; a bag lasts around a month (60 chewable tablets per bag).

 

I've noticed a huge different in his movement since putting him on these supplements, but they take 4-6 weeks to build up in the system enough for them to have any effect. They have high amounts glucosamine and MSM (according to my vet), and are the best ones I've tried.

 

I also switched him to the salmon formula of Taste of the Wild: Omega fatty acids in the fish help with joint movement and lubrication. In addition, I also put a tablet of Omega 3-6-9 on his kibble; I don't know if that makes a huge difference (might just be placebo), but it makes me feel better.

 

If your pup has HD, then I would recommend swimming/water therapy for their main method of exercise. Swimming is little to no impact on their joints - which is very good for arthritis/HD sufferers (this applies to people as well!). If your dog doesn't like to swim, like mine doesn't, then I would recommend short walks (anymore than 50 minutes a day and my boy complains of sore joints) on soft surfaces (grass, dirt, etc) as soft surfaces have slightly less impact on joints (as opposed to the road or the sidewalk).

 

 

In regards to pain medication: only use when absolutely necessary (or during flareups, as in the case of arthritis)! My vet explained to me, that if pain meds are used all the time, the dog will not think they are suffering from arthritis/HD anymore, and will thus push themselves during exercise (instead of holding back like they would if the pain was there) thus increasing the damage.

Also, they may build up a tolerance to pain medication if used every day, and it will eventually not be effective.

 

But, when I do put Suka on pain meds (for when he has flare-ups), its called Deramaxx. Its a powerful dog-only anti-inflammatory. 1/2 of a tablet (I forget the actual dosage, I just ran out so I can't go and check) is usually sufficient for him (he weighs 75ish pounds, if that helps to figure out the dosage.)

 

Just as a side note, you might want to get a 2nd opinion on the diagnosis just to make sure it isn't anything else instead.

 

Oh, and also: don't get anything that advertises itself as a treat (Example: Any products from pedigree, Iams, or any company that specializes in making treats/dog food). These treats are a complete rip off - they contain little to no glucosamine/MSM, and/or the sources are of poor quality (and therefore aren't absorbed as well by the body).

 

The Vermont Naturals ones I mentioned earlier specifically state they are NOT a treat, and if more than 2 tablets are given a day, he has to get his stomach pumped or something. I forget the actual warning label, but you get the drift: they aren't treats - they're medication!

 

EDIT: Also, if possible, notify your breeder that Juno has HD. Its usually a genetic condition, and the breeder should know. If the breeder you got her from (I'm assuming you got her from a breeder??) is worth their salt, they will fix both the sire and dam so they can't pass their 'little problem' onto other puppies. And, again if possible, get in contact with puppies from the same litter to see if their pup has HD.

 

EDIT 2: Also, keep her weight down as much as possible. Suka is a few pounds underneath his ideal weight to help prevent arthritic flare-ups.

Edited January 26, 2013 by SolitaryHowl

[HuskyMom09]

Diamond was diagnosed with CHD at 9 months of age.  Our vet suggested to us to keep her slightly underweight and get her to do water therapy on occasion to help slow the process.  Today she's 4yrs old and is having no long lasting effects of her disorder.  We do not supplement as of yet.

[Juno]

Ah underweight, got it. She is about 40lbs. She was starting to look almost emaciated for a good while, so I upped her food intake from 2 cups to 2&1/2 cups. I'll lower it back down to 2 cups which seems like a better amount.
I thought about doing the chewy supplements, but they're just so expensive for the amount that you get, when horse supplements are higher in concentration and contain nearly the same ingredients.  All I have to do is put it in her food and she will eat it willingly.

The vet is about 95% sure she has HD. They can't really confirm until she's about a year old, so I have a few months before I take her to a specialist. 

The breeder is thinking it is something else, more like hoping it is something else, because she has only 2 breeding dogs and they're her prized possessions. This is her first litter, and Juno's grandparents were all OFC certified. If Juno does in fact have HD, it will ruin her..

I really wish it was something else, but I've had this dreaded feeling for the past 3 months that it's HD. She doesn't limp, but she gets up and walks like an old woman.  She acts like she's stiff and in pain all the time. When she's standing, sitting, laying down... it's hurting me to look at her. She also sits really weird, uncomfortable almost--like her legs aren't stable. She walks almost robotic. When I brush her, she's perfectly fine with me brushing any part of her body, except for her hips. As soon as I reach her hips, she flinches and tries to get away from me. She even tries to bite at the brush. At 8 months of age, she's supposed to be super hyper and full of energy, but I'll take her to the dog park and after an hour of playing, she falls asleep at the park in the middle of things.

 

Oh and she loves water, by the way. She swims like an alligator in the pond at the dog park.

by vermont naturals, do you mean these? http://www.chewy.com/s?dept=all&query=vermont+naturals

[Elyse]

Ah underweight, got it. She is about 40lbs. She was starting to look almost emaciated for a good while, so I upped her food intake from 2 cups to 2&1/2 cups. I'll lower it back down to 2 cups which seems like a better amount.

I thought about doing the chewy supplements, but they're just so expensive for the amount that you get, when horse supplements are higher in concentration and contain nearly the same ingredients.  All I have to do is put it in her food and she will eat it willingly.

The vet is about 95% sure she has HD. They can't really confirm until she's about a year old, so I have a few months before I take her to a specialist. 

The breeder is thinking it is something else, more like hoping it is something else, because she has only 2 breeding dogs and they're her prized possessions. This is her first litter, and Juno's grandparents were all OFC certified. If Juno does in fact have HD, it will ruin her..

I really wish it was something else, but I've had this dreaded feeling for the past 3 months that it's HD. She doesn't limp, but she gets up and walks like an old woman.  She acts like she's stiff and in pain all the time. When she's standing, sitting, laying down... it's hurting me to look at her. She also sits really weird, uncomfortable almost--like her legs aren't stable. She walks almost robotic. When I brush her, she's perfectly fine with me brushing any part of her body, except for her hips. As soon as I reach her hips, she flinches and tries to get away from me. She even tries to bite at the brush. At 8 months of age, she's supposed to be super hyper and full of energy, but I'll take her to the dog park and after an hour of playing, she falls asleep at the park in the middle of things.

 

Oh and she loves water, by the way. She swims like an alligator in the pond at the dog park.

by vermont naturals, do you mean these? http://www.chewy.com/s?dept=all&query=vermont+naturals

 

Yes, I mean those. Specifically this kind: http://www.chewy.com/dog/pet-naturals-vermont-hip-joint-dog/dp/35080

 

If you'd like, you can print up the ingredient list they have on that website and run it by your vet. My vet said it was 'really great' in comparison to other joint supplements out there, but yours might have another opinion. Personally, I wouldn't give my boy horse supplements even if they contained the same ingredients - I wouldn't want to risk something happening to my boy just to save a little bit of money. He's worth the world to me.

 

That's really sad to hear, I'm so sorry.

It certainly sounds like HD - some of the symptoms you described Suka's starting to show as well, though I can't afford another x-ray right now to be sure if his arthritis is developing into HD.

 

I can't even imagine having a puppy that young and dealing with HD; I thought dealing with a 5 year old with arthritis problems was horrible! I guess things can always be worse. But it certainly is hard to watch them struggle to keep up with dogs their own age.

 

By the way, even if all dogs in your pup's line received Excellent on their OFCs, there is always a possible a puppy from a litter could develop HD.

 

I would keep in touch with your breeder and keep her updated; ask her to let you know if anybody else contacts her about HD problems in their puppy. That way, she'll know if your puppy is just a one-off, or if its a problem with all of her puppies.

 

Although, I'm happy to see she loves water - I'd get her to swim as much as possible to keep those muscles strong...that's very important to support the joints.

[Juno]

It's not quite about money, however that always is good if I'm able to save. I just hate that most of the hip supplements out there don't contain enough glucosamine. There have been no studies out no any reports of dogs having issues from too much glucosamine, besides diarrhea. The one I'm looking at has dehydrated alfalfa in it as the only other added ingrdient not common in supplements, and with a little research, I discovered that it's actually healthy for them. Tons of protein, almost as much as beef and it helps them digest the supplements a lot more than most. I also love that it doesn't contain yeast, which with the amount of time she spends in the water, could be less beneficial because it would increase her chances of a yeast infection which is such a pain to get rid of.

The one she's on now is called Fluid Joint Action made by Finish line, and there is a dog conversion chart on the back. It contains corn gluten though, and sugar, so I want to switch to a different kind.