Hip Dysplasia And Your Dog
| Are You Sick & Tired of Do you wish that there was a simple way of house training a puppy quickly and easily? |
Hip Displaysia – what is it exactly?
Hip Dysplasia is a degenerative type disease that is normally found in older, larger dogs. It is a condition where the hip joint is not properly developed. Over time the hip cartilage is ground down which ultimately causes inflammation of the area. Rottweilers and Labradors seem particularly vulnerable to this condition. In rarer circumstance younger dogs may also be affected by this condition. Much like arthritis in humans, hip dysplasia in dogs can be a very painful situation for your animal and is likely to get worse over time. Luckily with modern medicine today much of the pain and discomfort your dog would have suffered in earlier years can be mitigated.
Symptoms
A few signs and symptoms to watch out for in your dog are as follows: If you notice that your dog is beginning to have a harder time navigating up and down stairs, they are having difficulty getting up from a sitting or lying down position, they are beginning to limp inexplicably, or there is any whining associated with any of the previous situations, you may want to think about seeing your veterinarian.
If you find that your dog does indeed have hip dysplasia there are a few options available to you. If it is in the early stages many times an exercise regimen will help to slow down the progression of the symptoms. Swimming is excellent as well as of course daily walking. In more severe cases there are excellent anti inflammatory products available that may help with the swelling and pain. Of course in severe situations hip replacement surgery is available.
Opinions
There is some debate to how much genetics has to do with this condition. While it is true that it is more likely to occur in dogs whose parents had dysplasia, sometimes the offspring are just carriers. Many experts now agree that nutrition and weight control are just as important as genetics.
Treatment and Prevention
There are a few things you can do to help prevent the development of hip dysplasia in your dog. Watch their weight as they grow. Obesity can exacerbate the condition. Of course a proper and consistent exercise and nutrition regimen will also aid in the health of your dog. You can also think about adding a Glucosamine and Chondroitin supplement in their early years.
What Does Hip Dysplasia Look Like?
If you are wondering what dysplasia may look like or how your dog may act if he or she is effected by this disease, watch this brief video.
Sign up for our free dog care tips and updates newsletter published monthly. We occasionally obtain access to unadvertised coupons and promotions and will send them to you via email. We do not sell or rent your private information and you can unsubscribe at any time.
April 6th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
We have a great beagle who is full of vigor and anticipation as well. He has been around my baby brother and just desires to lick him like crazy and be right in his face…. so I am also worried for when baby arrives. We are looking into some more guidance but have not yet found exactly what we are looking for yet. He can sit and come and do those types of commands but just doesn’t seem to know how to control his excitement.