Just so we're clear, you've cancelled your breeding plans, right?

I will defnitely not be using him, and my bitch is going on 7 mnths now so no breeding for now...

I hope she is going to be fine though, i've invested a lot of time and effort in finding her.

I would definitely talk with Jennifer Mullen, whose dog is very much in the same situation as yours.

My 11 year old bitch was diagnosed with moderate dysplasia in one hip when she was 2 years old. I have kept her at a healthy weight and in good shape (even weight pulled with her when she was younger) and it was not until this year that you could notice any stiffness in her rear. I would not take your dog's diagnosis as a death knell. I would choose a healthy diet and keep him in shape so that he develops good muscle tone. Good luck!

 Quote: YUSUF SOLOMONS

... Does anyone know the pain med. PREVICOX, just wanted to know if their are any bad side effects. ... I have to give him 1 a day for 3 days then as pain occurs.

All NSAIDs have potential side effects in dogs, and this includes aspirin.

Before any kind of prolonged protocol is started, liver and kidney values should be noted (that is, bloodwork done) and the side effects to watch for should be discussed in detail. I don't like it that your vet apparently did not go over at least the gastrointestinal side effects to watch for, and I would discuss bloodwork with the vet. (Perhaps it was done.)

Dogs do not do as well on NSAIDs as humans.

OTOH, the relief can be amazing. I have a senior with disk damage who is now on Deramaxx, but I did the bloodwork first, repeated it in three months, and will repeat it regularly to monitor the liver and kidneys. In addition, I was aware of the G.I. symptoms to watch for at first (bleeding ulcer being one of the potential side effects).

Watch for loss of appetite, blood in stool, diarrhea, etc., and if you see any G.I. symptoms, I would stop the med and call the vet. JMO.

It is far more likely statistically that your dog will be fine on the NSAID, but I'm very big on taking all the steps to prevent short- and long-term damage.

 Quote: Ingrid Rosenquist

My 11 year old bitch was diagnosed with moderate dysplasia in one hip when she was 2 years old. I have kept her at a healthy weight and in good shape (even weight pulled with her when she was younger) and it was not until this year that you could notice any stiffness in her rear. I would not take your dog's diagnosis as a death knell. I would choose a healthy diet and keep him in shape so that he develops good muscle tone. Good luck!

A huge ditto. The goal with dysplasia is to minimize the OA changes that it will trigger. Weight management and loads of smooth range-of-motion exercise along with the supplements already discussed can make a world of difference in how the HD affects the dog.

Developing the muscle around the joints protects the joints. Exercise also keeps the synovial fluid flowing, as noted.

One other thing I can't believe I forgot - massage is great! I'm going to be honest and admit I just adjusted massage tips I got from a book on rabbit massage to dogs, but it really does help, and it also lets you be very aware with what's going on b/c of how the dog responds.

One other thing w/massage that a vet tech at my clinic who does massage advised me - don't just massage the back hips/legs. Often the front legs take on more work as a result of the dysplasia so it's important to keep them loose and limber too

Thanks, never thought about that, do you use any ointment or balms Jennifer.

Omigosh, YES!

How did I forget that too?

I use the T-Touch book, and this one:

http://leerburg.com/974.htm

I don't use any ointments or balms....she's a longcoat and I don't think they'd make it through, to be honest, and that way I don't need to worry about whether they're edible.

T-touch is also good - I do it sometimes w/Teagan. I learnt t-touch or a derivative of from a woman who used to come in and work on a disabled rabbit I had (also why I learnt the massage). I thought all that energy stuff was silly and did it as a last resort, but to my shock, it helped him - by the end of his life, he was able to sit upright with his backend again, and he could even hop a couple of hops (with some assistance, but still, it was huge).