Older dog and Hip Dysplasia

christylou

O.G.
Dec 28, 2007
2,374
0
Okay, I'm sure I didn't spell Dysplasia correctly, but you all know what I mean.

My sweet golden retriever mix is 10 1/2 years old. She's such a sweet girl and is the last of my pets (I lost my 2 cats and other dog within the last 2 years). Anyway, she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia about 7 years ago, but it really hasn't caused her any problems. She's always been super active--running, swimming, etc. Within the past 3 or 4 days however, she has really been having problems getting up and is limping when she walks around.

Does anyone have any recommendations for me to make her more comfortable? I bought some Glucosamine for dogs, but she has actually gotten worse since taking them. She just looks at me with such sad eyes and I know she's in pain. I just want her to be comfortable. Any suggestions from anyone that's gone through this?
 
A coworker has a dog with severe hip dysplasia. They thought they would lose him a couple years ago because it got so bad. But, he's still here and better than ever. I'll ask her about details regarding what she does, but the main thing she tells me is that she keeps him very lean to minimize stress on the hips. The vet says his hips look even better than they did a couple years ago. He is also on pain meds, Tramadol, I believe, but only when he simply doesn't want to get up. He's also on the strongest Glycoflex supplement (has glucosamine) and gets his liver enzymes checked regularly to make sure the drugs aren't becoming toxic!

I'll ask her today what else she does. It may worsen with cold weather :sad:

Hugs to your sweet girl!
 
I have not had a dog with hip dysplasia but coco did develope some arthritis as she got older and was on rimadyl for a while....i would call your vet...maybe he can give you something for her pain for the next week or so and then hopefully she will bounce back...maybe she just aggravated her condition somehow and hopefully it is a passing thing...if not, then i am sure the vet has some long term meds to keep her comfortable....I hope she feels better soon....we get so helpless sometimes how to help our babies.....keep us posted!
 
It would be best to consult with a vet, preferably one with some orthopedic experience. In addition to the drugs mentioned above (NSAIDS, tramadol, joint supplements, gabapentin) there are injectable joint protectives, and for more severe cases, corticosteriod injections of the coxofemoral (hip) joints can bring older dogs great relief.

Additionally, some people have great success with acupuncture and or physical therapy.
 
It's so hard to see pain in your dog's eyes :sad:

I have an 11 and a half year Newfoundland who thankfully doesn't have dysplasia but does have severe hip and back leg problems due to her age and breed. She takes Metacam for pain relief.

I agree with posters above -
Take her to the vet ASAP for updated diagnosis and medication.
If necessary, get her leaner for less weight bearing stress.
If she doesn't have already, she needs a supportive raised bed and good mattress, and bedding should be kept dry.
When this severe flare-up has subsided make sure she exercises healthily, and doesn't aggravate the condition.

And a really good anti-inflammatory diet definitely makes a difference to health and comfort, and probably longevity.
 
Thank you so much for your advice, it is greatly appreciated. I have an appointment with my vet for next Friday and I'm looking forward to hearing what he has to say. I'm glad to hear that there are alot of medications on the market that can help her, or at least help to aleviate the pain. I also had no idea about the need for a supportive mattress/bed, but that makes perfect sense.

You know, I've always said my dog is so weird! She always seems to have more hip pain in the summer, when it's hot and she spends alot of time in the pool. I always thought warmer weather was better for joints and swimming was good for the joints, but not in her case. She's such a weirdo, but she's my weirdo and I want to make her happy.
 
My Dal had a very bad experience with Rimadyl - Personally, I would not recommend it. We had alot of success with CoSequin. She also had acupuncture which helped alot and for inbetween, a baby aspirin is OK too.

It is very important to have liver enzymes checked regularly.
 
My coworker has had success with laser therapy on her dog's hips...not sure how it works, but it's $200 and lasts 6 mos. It was a last ditch effort, she really thought she was going to let him go since he was in so much pain :sad: She said before the treatment her dog was absolutely miserable with pain and now he runs around like he's young again :smile: She also adds fish oil to his diet...dunno if that does anything for the hips, but I hear it's a good supplement.
 
Thanks again for all of your advice and recommendations. I'm so glad to hear that there are so many different options available. I'm not made of money (who is?), but I manage to do whatever I need to do for my pets. My cat was diabetic for 7 years and I gave her insulin shots 2 times a day for all 7 years and had so much money invested in her. I definitely don't regret it and would do it all over again. I think I would have to draw the line on hip replacement surgery, but I'm willing to try various treatments prescribed medication. Thank you all for easing my concerns and letting me know that this isn't the end of the world for my little pouch. You're the best!!! :flowers:
 
I had a Doberman who suffered w Hip Dysplasia for the last 6 years of her life. When she began to suffer we thought we'd have to put her down w/in a year or two because we didn't want her to be in pain. First she was on Rimadyl, it was very effective for years. I know it is somewhat controversial because it can cause liver damage, but on older dogs, I think it's worth it for pain relief. Over the years she became reistent to the Rimadyl and had to keep raising her dose, until it stopped giving her relief at all. At that point our vet switched her to Adequan. This is an injection by the vet. You have to go about twice a week for the first month or so, then only ocassionally for "booster" shots. I am really grateful that these treatments were available because it gave her at least 4 extra pain free years w us, very fortunate she lived to 14.