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Hip Dysplasia And Golden Retrievers

Posted on February 16, 2011 by admin

Hip dysplasia is a poor formation of the hip joints, which is a common growing disease with younger dogs of virtually every breed. With larger breeds, unsteady hip joints are common, although hip dysplasia can be a serious problem that will limit the physical activity of your Golden. Although many Golden Retriever owners don’t realize it, hip dysplasia is something that dogs inherit from their parents, and gets worse with age.

The signs and symptoms of hip dysplasia is nearly impossible to detect with Golden puppies, although it will start to show once the pup has reached the age of nine months. Even though you may take your Golden to the vet to have him looked at, your vet will tell you that you need to wait to see if the symptoms are there, once the Golden Retriever has reached a certain age.

The symptoms and signs of hip dysplasia vary, although the most common include crippling or the inability to walk properly. This disease can get better once the dog gets older though, due to the joints stabilizing, the inflammation going down, and the muscles in the hips getting stronger and more mature. Keep in mind however, that Golden’s who have hip dysplasia when they are younger will more than likely develop arthritis when they get older.

Golden Retrievers that suffer from hip dysplasia aren’t fit for breeding, although they can still live a long and healthy life. There are certain drugs that your vet can prescribe to your dog, which will help him control his weight and help control the disease. These drugs can also cut down on the pain as well, helping your Golden enjoy himself as much as possible.

Some Golden Retrievers that have hip dysplasia won’t begin to show any signs at all until they get a few years old, once the muscles start to wear down and the damage to the hip muscles start to become more noticeable. Although your dog may be active and healthy for most of his puppy years, dysplasia can slow everything down and make your dog look as if he is old and is suffering from the physical attributes of arthritis.

To eliminate the pain of hip dysplasia, there are surgery options available. Golden Retrievers have a high threshold for pain, and won’t normally show any signs of being in pain, even though you know they are. X-rays won’t show any signs of pain, although the limping or slow walking will tell you that your dog is hurting. Golden Retriever’s who have this disease won’t know it – which is why you should help as much as possible. If you do your part and help your dog seek relief – he will feel better than ever before – although he won’t let you know he hurt any at all.

Hip Dysplasia And Golden Retrievers courtesy Dog Articles.

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What Do I Do If My Dog Has Hip Dysplasia?

Posted on February 2, 2011 by admin

Hip dysplasia is a complicated disease that affects both cats and dogs. It is considered to be an inherited disease but it is polygenic — that means that it is not a case of simply breeding parents together who don’t have hip dysplasia and producing puppies that don’t have the disease. There are many factors that can affect whether or not a dog develops the disease, even if he has parents with or without hip dysplasia.

Hip dysplasia results when the cartilage around a dog’s hips shows signs of breaking down. This can happen for several reasons. There may be bony projections in the hip joints. There could be shallow hip sockets. There can be evidence of bone changes called “remodeling.” All of these indications are bad because they lead to the breakdown of cartilage in the hip area. Cartilage is necessary to cushion the hips when a dog walks or moves. Without proper cartilage the dog begins experiencing some degree of pain.

The breakdown of cartilage leads to various stages of arthritis in the dog’s hips. This arthritis can be diagnosed by a veterinarian as degenerative joint disease, arthrosis, osteoarthrosis. These are all painful conditions and can eventually lead to a dog being debilitated and unable to walk.

If your dog is having difficulty with his hips or is showing any signs of pain you should visit your vet to get a professional opinion. Your vet can make a preliminary diagnosis. You can also submit the x-ray to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals for evaluation. The x-ray will be viewed by three veterinarians who are extremely experienced in evaluating hip dysplasia. They can give you a precise rating for your dog’s hips. Ratings of Excellent, Good, Fair, Borderline, Mildly Dysplastic, Poor and Severe may be given. For cases where dysplasia is indicated the vets report back with a checklist of where the problems are. Having the opinion of these specialists can provide your vet with more information if your dog is dysplastic.

Many people have their dog’s hips x-rayed when the dog is two years old to find out the dog’s hip status, especially if they are considering breeding the dog at some point. As a general rule, dogs with ratings below Fair should not be used for breeding unless there are very important extenuating circumstances.

Hip ratings can depend a great deal on the x-rays submitted so it’s important to use a vet who has some experience with taking x-rays for OFA. Bad x-rays can make even a dog with wonderful hips look like he is dysplastic.

Other people choose to use Penn Hip to evaluate hips for dysplasia. Penn Hip stands for the University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program. This radiographic technique measure the level of joint laxity in a dog’s hips rather than the absolute position of the joints and bones, as with OFA. Both systems have their supporters but OFA seems to attract more people.

If your dog does have hip dysplasia a lot will depend on how much he is affected. This is a degenerative disease meaning that it will get worse with age. He will most likely become more arthritic as he ages. Fortunately, there are a lot of things that people can do to help offset the early stages of hip dysplasia. Many people give their dogs joint supplements, such as glucosamine and chondroitin and MSM. You can buy the same supplements for dogs that you buy for yourself in drugstores or places like Walmart. Ask your vet about the proper dosage for your dog’s weight.

There are many other supplements sold in pet stores for doggy arthritis, such as Dog Gone Pain. Some dog owners swear by them. You will have to try them for yourself and see if you think your dog improves when he takes them. Most dysplastic and arthritic dogs also do better when you keep them from gaining excess weight. Watch their diet so they aren’t too chubby. Carrying a lot of extra weight is bad for their hips.

As your dysplastic dog ages he may experience some degree of pain in his hips. Your vet may recommend using one of the NSAID medications for pain relief, such as Deramaxx. There are drawbacks to these medications and your vet should advise you about possible side effects. It’s also advisable to do a blood panel before starting to use an NSAID with a dog to make sure your dog is a good candidate for taking the drug.

There are plenty of dogs who may have some minor degree of hip dysplasia who never exhibit any symptoms. If your dog does have some hip dysplasia it’s not the end of the world. He may run and play for the rest of his life without experiencing pain. Even if he does develop some arthritis there are many ways to counter the problem. A diagnosis of hip dysplasia doesn’t have to mean the end of good times for you and your dog.

What Do I Do If My Dog Has Hip Dysplasia courtesy Dog Articles

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Do Greyhounds Make Good Pets?

Posted on January 23, 2011 by admin

Greyhounds are devoted, brave, sensitive, intelligent, and often fairly laid-back dogs. They are great for young families with children, and are very obedient. This breed is mostly known for their speed and agility which makes them exceptional racing dogs. Other talents they possess include being good watchdogs, sighting and hunting, so Greyhounds do make a good choice of pet.

They have a lovely even temperament in both show and racing lines but are often undervalued due to their character, as at times they can be rather bashful towards strangers and sometimes their owner. Often they are very sensitive to the tone of voice being used, they have been known to be unresponsive to communication if they sense they are stronger minded, and do not react well negative punishment. Greyhounds are tall with a long slender build with flexible spines. Their long graceful necks and small folded back ears are a part of their distinct profile. They also have impeccable straight front legs with contoured muscular hind legs.

This breed can run at remarkable speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. Male and vary some what in height and weight. While a male might be up to 30 inches and weigh up to 70 pounds their female counterparts are only up to 28 inches in height and can weigh up to 65 pounds. Their smooth coat is short and their colors vary from brindle, black, white, fawn, gray, fallow and blue or a combination of these colors with a white coat. Due to their short coats they are simple to maintain as long as they combed weekly. They don’t need to be shampooed regularly only when necessary as they are fairly clean dogs, good for people who normally have allergies as these dogs don’t produce the dander that other breeds do as they have more oil in their skin making them almost shed –free and odorless. These dogs don’t mind urban living environments but still need regular moderate exercises on a daily basis.

They are indoor dogs but also enjoy the freedom of outside play. Their dietary requirements aren’t strict but it may be best to feed them two to three small portions each day instead of the one main meal. Greyhounds may be susceptible to bloating and have been known to be quite sensitive to insecticides and some medications. Some are allergic to anesthetics. Their skin is fairly sensitive so you may need to be mindful of this as it can tear easily. Check with your veterinarian first, before using certain products on your dog, as some flea treatments may be harmful to your pet. Like few breeds, Greyhounds aren’t prone to hip dysplasia and can normally live up to 10-12 years of age. Many retire from their racing prime from 18 months to 4 years old and generally adopted to good homes. These former racing dogs make great pets and have been crate trained, so house-training should come easily. The cost of these dogs will vary accordingly to their bloodlines, racing or show statistics.

Do Greyhounds Make Good Pets courtesy of Dog Articles.

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