hi, i posted a message here on 4/7 about my 10 month old black lab puppyhaving just being diagnosed with severe hd . sorry i know we visitors are only meant to ask 1 question but im having trouble getting my password for registering. anyway..the reason ive had to post again is that my puppy is at the moment getting weekly injections from vet to boost his cartilage and is on painkillers daily. i took advice from the replies i got on other post and i contacted the breeder to tell them. she seemed genuinely concerned and is going to contact the other people who bought puppies from the same litter to make them aware and to be vigilant about their own puppies. she also said she may not breed from the same bitch and dog again . ( father wasnt hip scored or health screened ) im due to take jack to vet tomorrow and i was looking for advice as to whether i should go ahead with having a hip replacement ( my dog, not me!) or if i should stick it out with medication. he seems to be limping more than usual ( but im not sure if im just noticing it more). i feel really sorry for him as ive been told by vet to keep him on lead excercise only at the moment and i didnt know if it would always be this was as he looks at me with his puppy dog eyes as if im a bad mum whenever we go to the park as i cant throw his ball for him. i dont know if there is an age limit for when dogs can have hip operations incase of growth but i really want him to have a pain free active life and am desperate to do the best for him as anyone would . will he be able to be off lead? the vet said the hip xrays didnt show up bone cartilage so im not sure how they can tell if he is improving with the injections ..sorry its a bit muddled but i would appreciate all help and advice. thanks so much

I'm rather surprised your vet is proposing operating on a 10 month old dog. At 10 months his growing is not finished. I don’t of course know what he intends to do. there are two ops usual ops, one is the cutting and remodelling of the pelvis to form a better socket for the femoral head to fit into and the other is a replacement hip in the same way human hip replacement works.

Usually with the remodelling the dog is around 2 years old before the vet operates, waiting for all growth to finish first. Knowing a couple of cases, both looking terrible at 1 year old, by two both dogs had developed enough muscle that the dogs were running around without distress (something unbelievable at a year old!) and the operation was unnecessary!

I am afraid you just have to be firm about the exercise. If it was a child you would know what you have to do and the same thing applies to a dog! Hard though it may seem, you must do it!

Regards, John