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My dog has bad hips

 Many things can cause joint problems in animals and one of the causes is hip dysplasia. This is a developmental disorder of the hip joint of dogs, and larger breeds are most often affected, although it can occur in smaller ones.

It may be the condition that your dog has, and the outlook depends on many factors, such as the severity of the condition, your dog's physique and health status. There are, however, things you can do to alleviate the condition.

In the normal hip joint of the dog, the head of the thighbone fits snugly into the deep socket of the pelvis. 50% of the head of the thighbone should fit into the pelvic socket. Hip dysplasia is where the joint is loose fitting, and the head of the thigh bone rubs against the pelvis, causing the joint capsule lining to become inflamed and painful.

There are various treatments for this condition, but each treatment has to be tailored to the dog's needs and varies according to the factors involved, such as age and severity of the condition. It is therefore important to discuss any proposed changes with the vet who is looking after your dog.

With arthritic changes in a joint, it is usually worse when an animal gets up first thing in the morning. This is related to inflammation of a joint, and excessive exercise may make the condition more painful.

If your dog does suffer from an arthritic change in the joint, sometimes exercise should not be totally restricted, as this will reduce the joint mobility. Short frequent walks are better than single long ones.

However, in some forms of arthritis exercise restriction may be important, especially in the early stages of therapy. The dietary management of cases like these should also be considered, as obesity, for example, exacerbates arthritis. Given all of these different treatment options, you can see why it is important to work with your vet in the management of your dog's condition.

Rest and anti-inflammatory drugs often help dogs that show pain after exercise. This, together with short walks of about 10 minutes 4 times a day, keeping the dog slim and not allowing the dog to grow too fast, works in some cases.

Keeping your dog's joints (and the rest of his body) warm may help, as may massage of his joints and physiotherapy. Ask your vet for advice on the techniques to use, as well as for a practical demonstration.

Dogs that do not respond to conservative treatment may need surgical treatment. This includes realignment of the hips by cutting the bones and adjusting them with steel plates and screws and total hip replacements

As you can see from the variations in cause and the different ways of dealing with them that it is important that the treatment and care are appropriate to the condition. Each regime has to be tailored to the individual animal and only the veterinarian who is taking care of your dog can advise you on the best options.

Another possibility to discuss with your vet is supplements like chondroitin and glucosamine that are available for use in animals suffering from arthritis and other degenerative joint diseases. They aim to slow the progression of the disease and promote the repair of damaged tissue. In most cases they do appear to reduce pain and improve mobility.

Remember Elaine cannot replace the vet who normally looks after your pet and they should always be the first point of contact. If you are concerned your pet may be ill, don't delay contacting your own vet.