Hi all, i've just read someone elses thread and they had their dog diagnoised with hip displasia at 6 months, so i'm wondering how they spotted it so early and the signs to look out for.  Any help appreciated.

Warm regards Susan

Which thread ?

Lucy
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My friends dane was diagnosed not so long ago and as far as i'm aware there was a noticable deteriation in his gait to warrant investigation.

Slugishness, wanting to sit alot, a bit of a saggy under carriage, bunny hopping when running, just a few more signs that it could be HD ! :)

Lucy
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(who has a lab with a score of 86 )

Do they roll from side to side when they walk like a swaying action or is that normal in large dogs?  It's just out of interest really.

Warm regards Susan

OMG Lucy - I'VE GOT HD  -  it's like Eamon Andrew's coming out with the big Red Book, "Teri, this is your life"  :D :D :D
(so young too ;) )

Susan i'm not sure to be honest my friend said her dogs gait started to alter to such a degree she couldnt not notice it.
The only way really as at 1st it was thought he was just lame or even lazy! was to be investigated, so if you suspect anything its best to get it checked out.

:D :D

Comes to us all at some stage in our lives..........:rolleyes:

Was it the saggy under carriage that confirmed the diagnosis ? :p

Lucy
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Many of my breed bunny hop when running they look so cute with their ears going up in the air, but the ones that do this have low scores :d  My friends dog that has HD and who has just been operated on said that he used to cry out a lot and also never was able to roll over on his back.  I don't know what the signs are though.

I remember people saying when one of my girls spread her legs out like frogs legs when she laid down, half of them said that she must have really bad hips and the other half said that she must have really good hips, fortunately for me it was the good ones that came out when she was hip scored :d  Actually at nearly 5 she still lies like this, her son does too but his score is just above breed average!!

HD dogs can't do frogs and also on a hard surface will not be comfortable rolling on their back :)

However in a really plump soft bed will quite happily sleep on their back all paws up ! :D

Mike my OH has just said that they also can't do bouncing through crop fields :)

Lucy
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Hope that Mike hasn't got HD :d  He must enjoy lying on the plump soft bed :d  Sorry couldn't resist!!

<HD dogs can't do frogs and also on a hard surface will not be comfortable rolling on their back>

One of my BC's had bad HD(score 34:34=68)& never had any problems with his legs & often did the frog legs & laid asleep upside down on any surface  when it was warm, he was the most agile of all my BCs & GSDs including the one who had the 0 hip score

Some dysplasic dogs have terrible pain & others like my boy had none at all

My first BC boy had HD diagnosed by the way he walked by one vet(he was there for something else)& when I had him scored by another vet who does lots of X rays for scoring he had a score of 3:3=6 well under the breed average & median

The only way to diagnose correctly HD is by X ray

My friends dog didnt have any pain at the beginining but this soon changed to discomfort then agony certainly not one to joke about :(

This dog was PTS last month.

It's just something i would like to be able to recognise although there's nothing wrong with my dogs i was just wondering how that girls dog was diagnoised at such a young age.  Sorry to hear about that dog mygirl.

Wasnt just HD he had wobblers too neither helped each other.

I guess the bottom line is if you notice anything different in your pup then get it investigated, not all symptoms are classic ones.

That is a real shame the poor dog.

Warm regards Susan.

It was a shame it was an accumulation of events steroids/painkillers the dog didnt know where it was, his behaviour changed to dramatic proportions and in the end something happened to warrant the PTS.

I don't think I was joking about my boys HD especially as he was a very special boy & his HD meant sadly despite being everything a BC should be(as a working dog)I could never have a puppy by him, I do not take HD lightly

Never said you were? my reply followed in order not in reply to you.

In really severe cases, you can detect it as young as 12 weeks although it's rare.

Symptoms can range from a 'swaggering' type roll of the hips when walking to a minor wobble on the back end. Lameness, stiffness, reluctance to sit on hard surfaces, reluctance to sit at all. It all depends on the severity.

Dogs can have quite severe HD and you'd not be able to tell unless you really knew what you were looking for even to the point that vets often confuse the condition for muscle strain when a limp presents until x-rays are done.

Symptoms can and do vary tremendously.

My boy never had any signs at all & even the vet who x rayed him could not believe that they were as bad as they were & I do know what the usual signs even slight ones are

Some dogs never have any outward signs at all to the day he was PTS with cancer he never had any problems sitting etc & never developed arthritis as the X raying vet though he would

The only way as I said is to X ray

Thanks Moonmaiden i'm glad to hear though that your dog didn't get pts because of it and he lived a happy life.  It's one of those things you should know about in breeds although it still shocks me thats it's in small breeds aswell as large, i thought it was in large breeds only.

Warm regards Susan