160 Bear Christiana Rd
Bear, De 19701
302-322-6488
Dr. Jim Berg
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Hip Problems
Dear Dr. Berg
My German shepherd is about 7 years old and I’ve noticed
that he’s had trouble getting up, especially first thing in the morning. I’ve heard that hip problems can happen with
German shepherd and am wondering if I should be doing something or if he needs
to be checked out.
I enjoy reading your column.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
B. T., Wilmington
Dear B.T.,
There are a variety of problems that can cause stiff or sore
hind legs in dogs, but one of the most common ones seen in large breeds is call
hip dysplasia. Hip dysplasia is a
genetic disorder that, unfortunately, is becoming a more prevalent problem in
many of the popular large breeds, such as the German shepherd, Golden
Retriever, Chow Chow, Akita, and
Rotweiller.
Hip dysplasia can occur at any age, and symptoms may be
apparent as young as 6 months of age.
Dogs with hip dysplasia often have trouble standing up right after a
nap, but may tend to “warm out of it” as they move around. As the back legs become more painful with hip
dysplasia, many dogs tend to shift their body weight to the front legs. This causes a narrow stance, with the hind
legs closer together, and the hind legs tend to appear straighter with less of
a bend at the knee joint. When a dog
with hip dysplasia runs, he may “bunny hop”, using the back legs together as a
bunny may do.
Prevention is by far the best way to tackle this difficult
problem. Using good breeding selection,
the incidence of this devastating genetic disorder can be gradually reduced
within a breed’s genetic pool. You can
help out by asking lots of questions when looking for a new puppy. Be sure to discuss hip dysplasia, especially
if the breed that you are looking for has a high incidence, and ask if there
have been any problems discovered in the parents or grandparents of the puppies
that you are looking at. Look for
breeders who have taken the time to have the parent’s hips professionally
evaluated using careful x-ray techniques.
Two of the most common organizations that will examine radiographs of
dogs’ hips and certify them are the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation of America) and
Penn Hip.
The only accurate method to determine if a dog has hip
dysplasia or not is by taking radiographs.
If you suspect that your dog is suffering from hip dysplasia, as about
having a radiographic survey done. These
radiographs are taken with the dog stretched out on his back (a very submissive
position), so most of the time sedation is used for proper positioning. These days, many veterinarians use reversible
sedation, so that your dog can be up and walking minutes after the procedure is
completed.
If hip dysplasia is diagnosed, the treatment may involve
medical treatment, surgical intervention, physical therapy, or even
chiropractic treatment and acupuncture.
Medical treatment prescribed may be as simple as giving
buffered aspirin on bad days; aspirin should only be given under the careful
direction of your veterinarian, because there can be serious side effects with
its use, especially if used for long periods of time. At our practice, we use a
common glucosamine supplement, called Cosequin, extensively for many arthritic
conditions, including hip dysplasia.
Glucosamines are extremely safe and may be used for years without worry
of side effects in most animals.
Another commonly used drug for relief of pain with hip
dysplasia is called Rimadyl, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. While often very effective at relieving pain,
care must be taken when using this drug since it can produce detrimental effects
to the liver. Most veterinarians
recommend blood testing before and during its use to check to be sure that the
live is OK. Finally, when nothing else
seems to relieve the pain from hip dysplasia, steroid medication may be
prescribed. Steroids should be used on a
“little as possible” basis, since there can be numerous serious side effects
associated with the long-term steroid use.
There are several common types of surgery that may also be
used to relieve pain and greatly improve a dog’s quality of life. Some of these surgeries involve reshaping or
repositioning the hip joint. The most
effective surgery of all, however, is usually the total replacement of the
entire ball and socket joint, providing the quickest recovery and most
effective relief of discomfort.
This type of surgery, especially the hip replacement
surgery, is often best performed by a surgical specialist who has specialized
experience and tools to do the job right.
I refer most of my cases in need of hip surgery to the Veterinary Specialty
Center of Delaware, a wonderful group of specialists practicing in Newport,
with two excellent veterinary surgical specialists on staff.
Hip dysplasia may also be treated using chiropractic
treatment and acupuncture. Our 10 ½ year
old Akita, Nikki, is currently undergoing both of these types
of treatment through Dr. Chris Makowski, who is trained in both chiropractic
and acupuncture, and who practices right outside of Newark
on Route 896.
To treat Nikki, Dr. Makowski first carefully feels up and
down her spine, checking Nikki’s spinal alignment and locating acupuncture
points. Next, she uses a special
percussion tool that looks like a thick pencil and gently taps the bones of her
spine, one-by-one, which helps to adjust her spinal alignment. Then, Dr. Makowski inserts approximately 15-20 acupuncture needles in
special “energy points” to help Nikki feel better. These points many be on her toes, on her
back, on the front of her knees, and even a very cute needle inserted right on
the top of Nikki’s head intended to improve her “sense of well-being”. Dr. Makowski is very gentle so that Nikki
does not seem to mind the tapping of her spine nor the placement of the
acupuncture needles. In fact, Nikki usually seems to relax the more needles that
are inserted. You can view photos of
Nikki getting her acupuncture treatments and read about her progress by
visiting our website at
www.animalvetcenter.com.
So please take your dog to your veterinarian for a good
check-up that may include a radiographic evaluation of the hips. The sooner you discover your dog’s problem,
the quicker you can relieve your dog’s discomfort and improve his quality of
life.
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