Hi my golden retriever is 7 months (today actually!), however I am worried about HD.  He did not come with any hip scores. He is obviously a bouncy, energetic pup, but I am concerned because I have been noticing that when he walks he kind of woddles (his hips move side to side alot), if that makes any sense! His back legs are also very straight and sometimes he seems to be a bit stiff in the mornings.  I don't know if all of this is normal for that breed or whether this could be a sign that he is having hip problems? If I took him to the vets, maybe for a scan of his hips, does anyone know whether they would be able to confirm anything?

Thanks

I would definately take him for an x ray...this will confirm if he has HD or not
Archer

Hi Guest.
By walking with a waddle, do you mean a "Marilyn Munro wiggle"? Swinging his behind from side to side as he walks? If so this is quite normal. Several of my Labs have done this. I'm more concerned about the stiffness in the mornings. This could mean something but there again I might not. Some dogs do move with a more stiff legged movement. The straightness is possibly just that he is not quite as well angulated as he could be. (Not a big problem for a pet but maybe a fault for a show or working dog.)

Hi would not have been hip scored before you got him because a dog cannot be scored before 12 months in the UK or 2 years in the USA.

An x-ray MIGHT tell you but again, at that age it might not because as the bones have not fully solidified yet the true form of the hips is not visible at this age. A vet could maybe tell you if the hips are very bad but he would not be able to tell you if they are very good. (If you follow what I mean.) If you are really concerned then it might be worth having a word with your vet.

Be careful with the exercise at the moment. If there is a problem then over exercise will certainly make things worse.

Best wishes, John