I have a 3-year-old (will be 3 on the 24th) GSD that has recently been diagnosed with hip Dysplasia in his right hip. It was a very sad day when I heard the news at fist, but now we're moving on and try to make our lives work. The vet told us that he needs to get lots of exercise in order to have a more enjoyable future, and I've been doing my best to give him plenty of walking time.

I've recently started hiking and going outdoor, and I would love to take my dog out with me as well, but I'm not sure if that's beneficial for his hips. I don't go to very hard trails, but they require a bit of climbing and I fear that that will hurt him. Does anyone have any suggestion as how to approach this and whether or not I should even take him with me? Also, what activities are considered too hard for dogs with hip dysplasia and what activities are acceptable? Or is it just on an individual case basis?

I thank you all in advance for your help.

- Ali

Exercise that builds up the muscles in the hip region is important. You probably already know that swimming is, by far, the very best form of exercise for HD.

One of the best bits of info I got was from this forum and I was advised to exercise my dog uphill. A dog going uphill uses and strengthens the muscles in the hips. Gentle inclines and shorter distances are probably best in the beginning.

You want to avoid very hard surfaces and slippery surfaces; also avoid forced running and forced jumping (like throwing a frisbee). My ortho vet advised against jumping into tall cars like SUVs.

With winter approaching, the cold temps can exacerbate HD so you may want to consider warming up the muscles before exercising. LB sells a great heating pad for this purpose. It also provides a great deal of comfort on sore days.

 Quote: Sarah Morris

... LB sells a great heating pad for this purpose. It also provides a great deal of comfort on sore days.

One of the best buys I ever made:

http://leerburg.com/742.htm


It has not been unplugged for two years except in June, July, and August. My senior makes very judicious use of it, arranging his body so his hips or spine are on the warm mat, and head and feet not, or sometimes his whole body on the mat .... I have posted before that from the minute I took it out of the box and plugged it in, he acted as if he had an instruction booklet.

He will spend a half hour or so on it after breakfast almost every day, warming up stiff joints and his damaged spine, and he will go back to it frequently for shorter periods all day long.

It's very flat, so it's easy for the dog to be part on, part off, just be laying a shearling-type mat beside it for a big level surface that's part warmed.

I wouldn't mind buying that for him, but I live in Arizona and it doesn't get real cold here in the city. Is it still useful even though it's not that cold here?


Sarah, based on what you said, it's probably not a good idea to take him on hikes. It's hard to find a nice smooth incline around here, but I'm going to look around and see what I can find. Something easy for him that won't hurt him too bad. Thanks for all your responses!

- Ali

 Quote: Alex Madsen

I wouldn't mind buying that for him, but I live in Arizona and it doesn't get real cold here in the city. Is it still useful even though it's not that cold
here? ....

I live in California. Not SoCal, but still pretty temperate weather. We do have morning fog and evening coolness. I'm gonna say yes, it's great, especially for the first-thing-in-the-morning stiffness. Does he have that kind of stiffness?

I also swoop him directly from the mat when I want to do his massage and passive bicycling exercises (or I sit there on the floor and do them on the mat). With his muscles warm, the warmup and then the gradual easing into the exercises seem to go much more smoothly. That is, he does not object with tension or pulling back if his hips and spine have been are pre-warmed. (I still start gradually and with a slow warm-up, of course.)

He will roll onto his back and stick his legs up in expectation when I come over to do his bicycling.

This guy is a senior with some HD, but also two discs that appear to be crushed. He has OA too.

I think that for non-drug benefit for him, I'd probably list fish oil (plus the E you give with it), smooth exercises (I wish I had a pool!), and that mat on the top of the list. He used to walk very stiff-legged in the mornings, and now (even though he is two years older than when he came) he walks pretty smoothly and quickly. He has the bunny-hop gait, but I definitely see more ease of motion.

He gets glucosamine/chondroitin too.

He is now on an NSAID too, for which he had the pre-protocol blood work and still has the regular re-testing of liver and kidney values, but he was significantly improved from the fish oil, exercises, and heating mat before we started it. (I finally decided after 18 months or so that non-RX help was not quite enough. It could be, though, for many dogs. JMO.)

 Quote: Alex Madsen

Sarah, based on what you said, it's probably not a good idea to take him on hikes. It's hard to find a nice smooth incline around here, but I'm going to look around and see what I can find. Something easy for him that won't hurt him too bad. Thanks for all your responses!- Ali

On the contrary Ali, I think hiking is probably a good idea following Sarah's instructions. What you want to avoid are areas which could cause the dog to lose his footing or force him to jump; so some vegetation or roots that can be stepped over, or an occassional rock here and there is ok. If the terrain is too rough for you to walk easily, I wouldn't take the dog.

Was your dog symptomatic of HD or was it discovered by chance? How was it diagnosed and did the vet grade it?

Connie's suggestions in treating the symptoms and keeping your dog comfortable will go far to allow your dog a normal and healthy life with minimal discomfort if the HD is not severe.

I think I'll buy him that heat pad then. It sounds very beneficial.

I found out about his hip problems when I came back into town after being away for about a week. He was limping a lot and I figured that he must have injured himself while I was away, so I took him to the vet and they took an x-ray and told me his right hip is bad. They didn't give me a degree of how bad it was, but it was only his right hip, his left was perfect. They said that a hip replacement is not recommended at the moment because his left hip is perfect and it would be counter-productive to get his entire hip replaced at this age. The vet told me to give him lots of exercises on inclines and give him glucosamine/chondroidtin, which I have been doing.

I really don't know what else to do from here on out besides just be very watchful of him and his diet.

As far as exercising on soft surfaces...that is very hard to do in Arizona. We have little to no soft inclines to go on, just rocky climbs and flat plains.

- Ali

PS. Sorry it took forever for me to respond, I'm a full-time student and sometimes it can get a bit hectic! =D

Ali...Jennifer Mullen would be a great person to PM. She is a serious athlete and her dog Teagan has HD. I know she takes Teagan on hikes but I think she leaves her home when it's long distances and/or rough terrain.

What I cautioned you against is, for example, taking a 3 mile run on pavement...Forced running on a hard surface. Agility-type exercises can also be really hard on a bad hip.

Exercise is very beneficial and I see no reason why you both can't hike together, provided you work up to longer distances gradually. The incline exercises you're doing will really help but it is a 'process" and it takes time.

I'd also strongly recommend asking your vet about Adequan injections. It has made a world of difference in my dog.