Think my dogs hip is going

[MikeMike]

Well, every once in a while she will just stand up and then fall, or be walking, and her left rear leg will give way.

she is atleast 12, we got her in 92 and she was already fully grown, so we figure she is atleast 14 years old.

German-Shepard Beagle.

so, what are the tell tale signs of a bad hip, what i just described?? She tends to favor it sometimes too. normally for about 2 hours after she falls or more.

MIKE

 

[bradruth]

Unfortunately German Shepards (my favorite breed) are notorious for developing bad hips.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: bradruth
Unfortunately German Shepards (my favorite breed) are notorious for developing bad hips.

yeah, this is true. a lot of it is from being overbred to have that crippling sloping back. last i heard the guy in charge of the big german shepard association was ranting about how people are ruining the dogs by making them look like that. he caught a lot of heat from the breeders, but i think he's right. looks should never come over a dog's health.

nourdmrol, sorry to hear your companion isn't doing so well. i'd ask your vet if it would be better or worse for her to be taking walks.

 

[MikeMike]

she is outside all day. we have invisible fence, so she can walk, or lay whenever shewants in a 3 acre area.

MIKE

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
she is outside all day. we have invisible fence, so she can walk, or lay whenever shewants in a 3 acre area.

MIKE

It sounds like she has terrific conditions, so it must be something genetic.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
she is outside all day. we have invisible fence, so she can walk, or lay whenever shewants in a 3 acre area.

MIKE

It sounds like she has terrific conditions, so it must be something genetic.

or age, 14 isnt young for a dog.

MIKE

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
she is outside all day. we have invisible fence, so she can walk, or lay whenever shewants in a 3 acre area.

MIKE

It sounds like she has terrific conditions, so it must be something genetic.

or age, 14 isnt young for a dog.

MIKE

That's true. Either way it's probably beyond repair.

 

[Ness]

The bad news is that there isn't anything you can do. You may be able to slow it a bit or encourage the muscle to strengthen by feeding her some occasionall red meat (stripped of fats... beef chunks are usually good.) You shouldn't have to cook it, either. If a German Shepherd is fed these for their first year, then the likeliness of them developing hip diplaysia (sp) is greatly reduced.

Other than that, just make sure she has a comfortable place to lay and that she isn't doing anything such as climbing steps or strenuous running/walking.

 

[Sluggo]

Our husky who died this past summer at 13 years old, had hip dysplasia. Early on (on the vets advice) we gave him an aspirin a day to help with the pain. As he got older and the condition worsened, the vet prescribed him some anti-inflammatory medication that really helped.

The medicine from the vet helped the dog to be able to get around pretty well the last couple of years, we would have had to put him to sleep much sooner without it.

 

[Bolvangar]

I have a miniture lassie with really bad hip problems, she's about 11. My vet gave her this -
Pet Meds Link

She isn't what she used to be, but it has helped A LOT
It's somewhat expensive, but definatly worth it for a dog that has been with me for 11 years!

 

[xXped0thugXx]

when she lays down how does she lay? is it kinda on her side, thats usually a sign of bad hips.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Rymidal
Thats what my shepard is on for her hips. Its about a $1 a pill but its worth it. You can also get food or pills with glucosamine in it which helps their joints.

BTW how in the hell do you get a shepard beagle mix ?

 

[Sluggo]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Rymidal
Thats what my shepard is on for her hips. Its about a $1 a pill but its worth it. You can also get food or pills with glucosamine in it which helps their joints.

BTW how in the hell do you get a shepard beagle mix ?

Thats what our dog was on....couldnt remember the name earlier.

 

[nageov3t]

my dog is 14 years old. she's a mutt; cross breed between a golden retriever and a terrier. not questioning just how that breeding happened... the terrier was the father :/

she developed a bad hip a year ago. the first sign we noticed was that she had a really hard time sitting down; she kinda half sits / half falls down. we give her pills, though, which helps a lot.

 

[MikeMike]

it really depends upon how she lays. she will lay normally, or on her side.

she just developed it.

i dont think we will spend much, i anything on pills for her due to her age.

MIKE