hi, i have a 10 month old black labrador pup and unfortunately have just been told by the vet that he has severe
hip dysplasia and will end up with arthritis. im really gutted that he has this at such a young age . as ive been told its genetic
ive been looking at his pedigree certificate and i only have the hip score etc from his mum. i was wondering
if there should always be details for both the sire and dam. im not sure if i should make the breeder aware
incase any other puppies in the litter have the same problem, i would appreciate some help and for any advice on
hip dysplasia. many thanks

yes both the parents should have been hip scored, other than that though I cant really help much!

It might be worth contacting the breeder but if they are using a stud that hasnt been hipscored then it might not be high on their list of priorities!!!!

Saying that though a pup from two perfectly fine parents can be badly effected so I dont mean to say they are being irresponsible.
There is always a small element of luck when buying a breed like the lab

edited because I forgot to say how sorry I am to hear your news. Poor thing.

I'm so sorry to hear your trouble. It is devastating to be told something such as this at such a young age.

I just wish that all breeders and stud dog owners could be persuaded to health screen their dogs. So saying, it would still not eradicate HD. Only so much HD is inherited, a large part is due to accidental damage. A puppy slipping and a shiny floor, over exercise, going up and down stairs, even a leg caught up at birth or a dam lying on a puppy's leg!

Longer term, I've known dogs with almost no hip who have, with care and a gentle and careful gradual build up of exercise, been able to compensate for the poor hips and live out a full happy life. Good muscle tone helps the dog hold the hip in place and the dog is capable then of full NORMAL exercise. I say normal because excessive exercise would not be such a good idea. As an example, A little gundog training would be fine but a day spent retrieving on a busy shoot would be far too much!

Why don't you register here then you will be able to ask any specific questions you may have.

Regards, John

Hi

I'm really sorry to hear about your pup. My GSD who was pts last December (nothing to do with her hips) had very severe hd. She managed well on Rimadyl then Metacam until about 4yrs old. Then we had one of her hips replaced, and a year later had the other done - it was brilliant. She could do all the stuff she had done when younger, and when chasing other dogs (!) the people whose dogs she was chasing couldn't believe it. So don't give up hope, it's not the end of the world. I've since got another GSD pup, and investigated in great detail the world of hip scoring. Yes both parents and if possible grandparents etc. should be hip scored. There is however no guarantee that from the best hip backgrounds, HD will not happen. So I watch my pup like a hawk, and I wonder....but, having been there and done that I would be comfortable to go down the hip replacement route if it was necessary (of course I hope I don't have to!). The biggest consideration with that is are you insured? If not, perhaps you could start saving regularly in case surgery arises (it isn't cheap - £1750 (one hip) the last time, 5 years ago). Surgery however is a matter of degree, and some dogs just don't need it, non-steroidal medication can give them a good quality of life. It's also very rare for a dog to have both hips replaced. When I was talking to the specialist surgeon it seems that having one done is often good enough (have the worst one done obviously).

Definitely let the breeder know. It may be that others from the litter have the same problem, and that match should not be made again. I would be happy to answer any questions about my experiences with a dog with HD, as I would have loved to have talked to someone that had experienced the surgery side of it before I had it done - it was a really worrying time. We came safely through the other side, and my beautiful dog had a good life because of it. In fact I believe it gave us an incredibly special bond, as I was so protective of her.

Good luck

Katrina