Hi,
My 1 Yr old gordon was diagnosed with OCD in april which has now thankfully healed, but shes now been diagnosed with HD. The vet doesnt favour an op and I don't want her on pain killers for the rest of her life so our options are running out! Has anybody got any ideas or suggestions?

Tracey

Unless the condition is so bad as to be causing her difficulties it is literally impossible to accurately say that a dog has HD without ex-raying. It is not a "Yes" "No" condition but there are degrees of severity.

As to a life on pain killers, I'm not in favour! The problem there is that it is the pain which stops the dog from trying to do too much and making the situation worse. I have seen quite a few cases of severe HD and in almost all cases the dog has lived a long happy life. As the puppy gets older, with gentle exercise the muscles improve and the dog "Learns" how to hold the joint in place with muscle power. A Friend's Flatcoat was so bad that arrangements were made for it to be operated on when it had grown to full size. The pelvis to be cut and remodelled around the femoral head. In fact, by two years old the dog was running around as if there was nothing wrong and the operation was cancelled!

Exercise will always need to be controlled if the hips are really bad but bear with it for a while and you may well be pleasantly surprised.

Regards, John