Hip dysplasia _ dog

Just had my2yr old Airedale diagnosed. Gutted. Really don't know what to do.would appreciate any feedback from anyone who's been in the same situation. Don't know if to go down surgical route or drugs for life. Got to be the best decision for the quality of his life

We had a 10 month old Labrador that had this.

We went to http://www.torvet.co.uk/

They were AMAZING. Yes pricy, but the care was second to none. This was 5 years ago and you wouldnt know that there was ever anything wrong with him.

Dont know what the "Drugs for Life" would be as the joint isnt sitting in the socket properly so would have thought a surgical procedure would have had to be done.

Ask you vet would be my advice 'cos it is a young dog.

My rescue boxer was diagnosed with it aged 5, the vet did not recommend surgery for numerous reasons. But in essence they couldn't guarantee any improved quality of life post surgery in our dog. Probably due to his nature and demeanour.

3 years on ,he's more prone to arthritis in the cold and gets a bit stiff and clicky but he still has a very good quality of life.

His meds haven't changed in 3 years so although the joint will have deteriorated it isn't crippling him, he also has hydrotherapy every two weeks. I do have to admit hydro therapy has made all the difference to him.

For a young and otherwise healthy and strong dog there is often quite a lot that can be done surgically to improve the quality of the joint and reduce long term issues, but as previously stated, hydrotherapy, changes in how you walk and exercise them and lots of other small things can make a huge difference to their lives.

Please get other veterinary opinions on your dog's specific indicators, or book another vet appointment with your current vet to discuss the options in more detail. You cannot be expected to make your mind up on something as large as this with a 5 minute consultation.

With such a young dog, if the surgery has good results then it may be better to opt for that if funds permit. Maybe you could ask your vet for a referral to a specialist vet? However, this would be expensive. As Medusa says, hydrotherapy may help and would recommend Kate at Splashy Pups. She would also be able to advise you on the best course of action. BTW if you are still in touch with the breeder of the dog, it would be a good idea to let him or her know because this is largely inherited. They need to stop breeding or get their dogs checked out to see who is carrying it.

thanks for all replies and advice

Appreciate it

What does dog breed your dog is? Dysplasia is quite often in certain dog breeds, specially large dog breeds even most of them have a genetic predisposition such as, German shepherd

My first dog, a Welsh Border collie was diagnosed with this. She didn't have surgery, all we did was changed her exercise regime, and she led a long, normal and very happy life, so although its not good news, please don't be too pessimistic about it

One of my dogs suffered from dyplasia long time ago, but his type of dysplasia wasn't able to resolve with surgery, so we had to give him two pills every days for almost five years. Also, he was a male German shepherd with a big size, so this was supposed another big problem for him. He had to follow a light diet to reduce his weight.

---------- Post added 22-10-2014 at 11:18 ----------

Unfortunately, he died long time ago,,however I can say that we tried to give him the best life quality despite his sickness.

My girl age 12 hs just passed away with this 12 long happy years I diddent restrict her exercise I let her play ball ect and she had a very very happy life sadley it was her dysplasia that took her and it costs me thousands over them 12 years from all pain relief but please dont worry plenty of pain killers is main advice tbh