My boy Lucky (Border Terrier) has HD and I've worked hard at building up his muscles road walking and swimming.He's normally a comic, makes everyone laugh with his antics.But he's very down at the moment also stiff when he gets up from sleep. Due to the weather and lack of daylight he is getting less excercise and I dont want to bring him back swimming he has never enjoyed it (I supose I'm answering my own question)any suggestions on massage can I do it myself ?? how long for ect.Are there doggy massagers (spelling??) that can teach me bearing in mind that I have tennis elbow RSI(right hand)
Ann

Ann,

The only solution for HD is surgery. It's not muscles that ache, it's bone against bone, very much like arthritis.

I had a GSD with terrible HD. So bad that at 5 months old I was advised bya vet to have her put down. I did not. When she was 4 years old she had surgery by a specialist vet. He said it was the worst case of HD he had ever seen. This was over 15 years ago, before it was commonplace for hip replacements. The worst hip was fixed by cutting of the ball of the bone and the muscle replaced in a slinglike fashion to keep the joint in place.

Eventually the "good" hip was unable to support the displastic hip and she was obviously in pain. My vet gave her some homeopathic tablets, they were made from seaweed or sea kelp. Sorry, but I cannot remember what they were, but I expect they are still about. They did seem to help her quite a lot for a good long while. I understand that accupuncture can help as well.

If Lucky has not had surgery, I would recommend it. Sasha lived to be nearly 13 years old. I expect she was in some degree of discomfort all her life, but she was the boss of the house (I had 3 other dogs) and clearly enjoyed her status and her life.

Stacey

Hi Ann.
There are many things you can do for HD. You don't say how old Lucky is, so suggesting surgery is a little forward yet. Cortaflex, Carprophen, Rimadyl, Metacam etc... are all drugs that may well help him, x-rays are the only thing that will confirm the severity of his condition, and so may well dictate the next step. I have known many dogs that have been crippled with HD, respond really well to treatment, so don't give up and keep us informed.
Dawn.

Hi Stacey and Dawn
My vet doesn't want any surgery, he thinks developement of the thigh muscles (sorry my spelling has gone to pot)I can't find his hip scores at the minute but I think its 35.I keep him underweight I'm lucky as he is not that interested in food.I would just like an alternative to swimming.Lucky is 2yrs and 4mths and I've avoided giving hhim painkillers up to now he's had rimadyl this evening but I would like my comedian back

Ann, if he were mine I would have him reassessed (sorry about the 's') by a specilist. I would have thought that a Border T. would have been able to manage without too much trouble with a score of 35 unless that the score applies to one hip. The muscles do normaly hold the hip together in a dog as small as yours and the dog will manage without to much trouble. Why not ask you vet for a referal, so someone new to the dog, can assess the problem, it could be something else that is causing the trouble or the hip could now be causing unexpected trouble because it has moved or there is a build up of bone that is interfering with other structures. If the specilist suggests an operation then I would go for it. Jackie

I agree with Jackie here, 35 is not a terribly high score, considering I have known Labradors with scores in their 60's and the dog showing no ill effects. I have Border Terriers myself, and I haven't known one with HD so it is difficult to know how it would affect them, but I do know, I would try ANY pain relief if my dog was un comfortable. I agree again here with Jackie, and would opt for a referal just to make sure the correct condition had been diagnosed. Talking of increasing thigh muscles, this is usually done to take the weight burden when a femur head is removed, it provides the stability for the joint, it doesn't matter how much muscle your dog has, if the problem is bone, the pain will not improve if the bone is still there. I hope you can help Lucky, in my experience, even the most severely affected dogs can be helped.
Dawn.

Stacey
My vet won't go for surgery at present as he is a small terrier.I'm lucky that he(the dog) is not that interested in food.I just want to build up the muscle,which I've done until the bad weather started,I'm sure some of the more experienced people on here will tell you that building muscle is the answer to HD especaily in WHWT my vet is confident.
Ann

Hi Ann

Your vet should be referring you, at least to put your mind at rest. I would demand a referral to an orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in hips. Tell the vet you want this. You pay for private healthcare, so don't be fobbed off. If another specialist tells you the same you'll know what to do. Like some others on this site, my GSD had hip replacements (full story in reply to alex on visitors board about Hip Dyspasia).

Good lUck
Katrina