Hi. What precautions do I need to take to protect my pups hips? He's almost 5 months. I don't overfeed and don't let him jump up on things but what else should I do? He kinda "bounces" around when he's playing (Rott owners will know what I mean), is that bad? What else? Also, when will he be ready for more strenuous activity? Thanks.
Walt
Jeneck's Hammer aka "Yogi"
"Against stupidity the very gods themselves contend in vain." --Friedrich von Schiller
Be careful of stairs. A step or two here and there is not an issue, but running up and down a flight of steps is a big no-no. Don't let him run (run - walking is ok) for long distances (like over a mile) until he is about a year old.
Normal puppy bouncing really should not harm a dog's hips unless the hips are already questionable. But try not to let him jump up on things or jump up and down too much in general. No jumping over things either til he's about a year old.
One year old is generally about the right time to carefully allow more strenuous activity. The bigger the dog, the older he should be before allowing jumps and stuff.
One thing people tend to forget is that, even though you need to be careful about what you do allow your pup to do, the pup DOES need good exercise to help keep muscles and joints strong. The key is to not allow the pup to OVER-exercise. Some people think they need to allow NO normal running and playing and "bouncing" at all, but the pup needs this to build strength.
Hope this helps you!
Kali, Schatzi & Deva
"Let dogs delight to bark and bite, for God hath made them so."
Issac Watts (1674-1748)
Retrieving games are very tough on hips too, unless it's done while swimming. Frisbee playing is a big no-no too.
any stop-and -start-- quick jarring of the joints (hips and elbows) shouldn't be done repetitively if possible.
I try to let pups free exercise at a moderate pace. If they have a lot of drive you may have to be the meanie that says NO MORE......it's for your own good!!
Really Cindy? Are you talking about all dogs or just those who are suspected/known to have a problem?
I have two gsds and one has dysplasia. We'll see what the future holds for her after her second operation coming up soon.
But my other gsd, a 3 yr. old male, loves to play frisbee and chase a ball that I hit off of a tennis racquet. He seems fine and although I've never had him x-rayed, I think he's ok. Probably I should have him x-rayed, right? If he turns out ok, are you saying this game is still bad for him? Just curious. I don't want to screw him up.
It reminds me of a job I had for a day at a grocery store back in the day. At one point the manager told me to move a bunch of bags of rock salt. I explained to him that I wouldn't as I didn't want to hurt my back. He asked if I had a back problem. I said no and I didn't want one. Needless to say I got canned on the spot. The point is Cindy, I agree with preventive medicine and preventive living. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Originally posted by Russell Gibson: Really Cindy? Are you talking about all dogs or just those who are suspected/known to have a problem? I am talking about pups whose skeletal growth is not complete or dogs that have joint problems.
A 3 year old adult dog with no problems can play these games within reason although thru the years I have definitely cut way back on the retrieving games with my dogs. I see too many very driven dogs skid, crash and burn in their desire to get the ball or toy and end up with a (sometimes) career ending injury.
Border collies and whippets can play frisbee for ever but their skeleton is certainly not like a GSD's.............i try to use road work, plain running or swimming to exercise my dogs, but that's just me and my opinion....
Really? Ive had my pup since he was 12 weeks and he is 9 months now and we live in a two-story house with approximately 13 steps. Hes been going up and down them since he was a pup. So am I supposed to be concerned about the hips? Or is this just general guidelines? I also throw balls with him in the backyard and have done so since he was a pup (going after the ball-string). Does that mean he will get dysplasia, or are they just general protective measures?
These are guidelines that I would follow for sure. Climbing stairs doesn't mean your dog will get HD but it puts an unneeded strain on undeveloped joints which in return could cause HD, especially if the hips were or are loose to begin with. And that is something you won't know until you get x-rays done. I agree with Cindy that swimming is going to be the best exercise but letting a pup do their own pace at walking is fine as wel like she said. I learned the hard way with jumping a dog too early when she had loose hips.. Cindy and I will be co authors in an article we are putting together about how to read hip x-rays and we will have pictures of dogs with severe HD, OFA Fair, Good and Excellent. We will also have x-rays of a THR, and FHO and once you see these you will understand the value of HD prevention..
That sounds sensible to me. My 3 yr old gsd is a lean 70 lbs. and seems more like a Mal than a gsd. He's super agile and I think he'll be ok with this type of activity. But for heavier dogs I can definitely see the concern.
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