Symptoms and Treatment for Dogs With Hip Problems

Larger breed dogs, overweight or over exercised dogs may be more susceptible to hip problems. This is due to the stress additional weight or high impact exercise can place on the hip joints. Natural wear and tear of the joints, associated with the aging process is also a leading cause of hip problems. Some dogs with hip problems may be genetically predisposed to certain diseases such as Hip dysplasia. Symptoms of hip dysplasia can be seen around the age of 18 months and are associated with particular breeds such as German Shepherds or Labradors. Ligaments within the joints become loose, offering less support to the joint. As this happens, the muscles and connective tissues become abnormal in structure and in hip dysplasia, the hip joint and hind leg may separate leading to inflammation, pain and osteoarthritis. Hip problems may be caused by injury, dislocation, fracture and more serious conditions such as panosteitis, bone cancer, Lyme disease, crucial ligaments problems, hyperparathyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis.

Dogs with hip problems often display physical symptoms such as changes to their mobility. You may notice stiff abnormal gait, dogs may favor their front legs to avoid walking on the hip joints. This may result in a bunny hop like gait which can often cause difficulty going up and down the stairs and rising after lying down. You may even see physical swelling or muscle atrophy and changes to your dogs personality such as aggression, refusal to eat, exercise and withdrawing from being petted. However it is important to note that some dogs may not show any symptoms making diagnosis more difficult.

Treatment for dogs with hip problems will vary depending on your veterinarian's diagnosis. There are surgical and medical options for hip dysplasia although in advance stages, hip replacement surgery may be required. Up to 95% of surgeries are successful. For arthritis of the hip joint, anti inflammatory medications are prescribed such as NSAIDs which provide short term treatment for inflammation and pain. In some case steroids such as prednisone may be prescribed.

Dog joint supplements help to provide natural cartilage support. These may contain a combination of essential minerals, vitamins and antioxidants as well as glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM. Addressing your dog's diet and exercise is a very important factor in any treatment plan for dogs with hip problems. Moderate exercise may help to improve muscle function which can support the joints. If your dog allows you to, they may benefit from massage or physical therapy. There are also many household adjustments you can make to support your dog's mobility such as using ramps to help your dogs maneuver up and down the stairs or in and out of cars. An orthopedic bed may be particularly useful to cushion your pet's joints as they sleep.