Canine Hip dysplasia Awareness

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I want to dedicate this post to my belovid autism Service dog Nimrodel (Nim-row-del) who fights canine hip dysplasia every day this is our story.

I got Nimrodel on April 11th 2003 she was 2 month old. well almost, she was born February 27 2003. She was 20 pounds and I needed both arms to hold her. I remember that day very clearly because I had never had a dog before and I was so excited. I was over whelemed with joy when they place her in my arms as well as a level of shock. her fur wasn't as soft as I had imagined but I loved how she smelled and was instantly bonded to her. she seemed perfectly healthy and her vet agreed she was a shy but healthy puppy. I could never have imagined the struggles she would all to soon begin to face.
[img][img]http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb1/zeev227/BabyNim.jpg[/img][/img]
Nimrodel was always a bit shy but very happy and playful. She loved to run and play . She had a few canine friend who she loved to run and play with. We were living in Gloucester and she was about7 months when we started to see something wasn't right. She appeared normal and healthy She was in good shape for a pup and she was a healthy weight and had a proper diet (or what I was told was proper diet) Nim started to wake up in pain in her back end around her hiips and it seemed sore in the morning after playing the day before then after going out and moving a bit the pain seemed to vanish. and we wondered why? Maybe she had played to much? so we limited it a bit that day but the next day was the same. o then we tried a whole quote day but it happened again. worried and confused we went to the vet we didn't know what else to do. Her vet looked her over and drew her blood after finding out we are frequent hikers in the woods. The test only took a few minutes before it cam back with a positive diagnosis for LYME DISEASE! I was upset and confused but the doctor reassured me if she took all her medicine she would be fine. So we went home and medicated her everyday as per instructions, Once we had completed the pills nothing had changed she was still waking up sore most mornings so we called the vet and said it could tak a month before the morning pain went away so we waited, and waited and waited, 2 months later we went back she still wasn't better
Again he looked her over drew her blood said Lyme disease and he sent us home with more medicine and more hope and so confusion. Once again we medicated her and she still didn't get better. Nimrodel would be diagnosed with Lyme disease and medicated at least 4 more times before we became frustrated and tried to learn to live with it. I knew deep inside this wasn't Lymes disease that it was something more. I remember watching animal planet and on the show this women was talking about her dogs hip dysplasia. She said one thing she noticed was how he sat a bit different almost on the side of his leg and she showed a picture of him sitting that way and I could feel a pain in my stomach a terrible fear because I had seen Nim sit like that and it was how she always sat. We founds a new vet who told us once a dog runs a positive on a Lymes test they will always register as positive. He tested her anyways and ordered exrays. of course she tested positive but we waited for the xrays
When they cam back She was diagnosed with mild hip dysplasia. I broke into tears I was devastated. the vet said the exact cause is unknown except that its a miss formation of the hip join socket and cartridge that for some reason they don't fit right and varies from case to case but Nim's sockets were to large just by a bit and the head of the joint flattened. HE said the prognosis isn't great but there are a lot of factors. He told us that he had no way of knowing how long Nim's hips would hold out that is could be years and she could live a happy full life or it could be months but that we had options. We could give her a hip replacement or try to manage it as best we could. We had no choice the funds were not there we had to learn to manage it. this meant more exercise to build the muscle to help keep the hip in place and a body weight on the lower side to keep it off her joints.

Hip dysplasia took many things from Nim. She could no longer play her favoret sport we were training for agility. though I did let he play some days it made her so happy. I know it was wrong but it brought joy to her and that what mattered. She also lost out on alot of play time. she needed exercise but gentle and low impact heavy running and playing had to be limited. Nim used to be friends with many dogs she loved to play but as she got older she became less social because she couldn't play like other dogs dog. She began to fear other dogs because they tried to jump o her and it hurt her. years would pass and Nim would be 54 before mom looked into training her as my service dog. we talked to her vet and explained her work and said it would be fine she wasn't pulling or anything and the extra exercise would be good. SO we trained her and it has helped a lot and she is happier. I am sad to report that last month Nimrodel's only friend Micah a 13 year old chocolate lab had to be put down.
Lately her hips are getting worse and she is starting to struggle so we are trying new methods specifically Tellington touch and some homeopathy. I refuse to let her slip away with out a fight and we will fight hip dysplsia till the last day. We have spoke of retirement but it isn't advised because t would devastate her its what she loves to do.

there are a multitude of causes for hip dysplasia
it is more common in large breed dogs
Some dogs are mildly effected but are hypersensitive to the pain and it is crippling while others may be severely effected but show little to no signs
there are many sings but most go unnoticed the most obvious is the hip pain
A hip replacement costs about $5,000 a hip sometimes more depending on the type Vets expect it paid in full up front!
surgery is stressful and takes a while to heal after but the benefits are often wonderful
the pain can cause behavior problems like aggression and fear.
The prognosis varies from dog to dog
there is a strong genetic link
there are no know statistics but the rate are very high
inbreeding increases the likly hood of this condition
a total hip replacement is the only real cure
hip dysplasia can effect all breeds.
they dogs hips will eventually give out.


some signs

a swaying like walk
soreness in the back end
stiffness and laxity in the joints and back legs.
an odd frog like sit
reluctance to get up or lay down

Nim's x-ray
[img][img]http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb1/zeev227/Wolfhollow082.jpg[/img][/img]

the odd sit
[img][img]http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb1/zeev227/pictures2009-1.jpg[/img][/img]

That's terrible. I feel so bad.