My Pitbull has hip pain. Could it be hip dysplasia or arthritis?

You are correct this could be due arthritis or hip dysplasia. I see that Spike is an older boy, and arthritis is common in older dogs. I would recommend taking him into the vet for an exam. The vet can do a physical exam and x-rays to determine if he has hip dysplasia or arthritis. He could benefit from pain meds and glucosamine and chondrotin sulfate supplements. Please do not give him any human pain meds, many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. I would take him into the vet today or tomorrow during normal business hours.

Basically it could be either a hip disease or a knee condition, it will need to be checked by a vet and an x-ray might be needed as well in order to confirm the diagnosis. Knee injuries usually require surgery while hip condition are often treated ssuccessfully with medications.

Hello. Sunshine has significant hip dysplasia & also evidence of arthritis in her lower back & hips. This is very sad for such a young dog. She will need pain management, weight control management, careful exercise & possibly some additional therapies to keep her comfortable for the rest of her life. STEM cell or PRP therapy may be of use ( ask your vet about these ), but often surgery is necessary ( removal of the femoral heads ). Acupuncture, laser therapy & rehabilitative medical intervention are all possibilities, too. Please make sure you spay Sunshine. These are traits & conditions you do not want to pass on to future litters. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dogs. Hip and knee pain is a common cause of rear limb lameness in large breed dogs. Arthritis tends to develop in either or both joints making the animal reluctant to move. Over time they will lose muscle mass in the rear limbs as they bear more weight on the front end to compensate. This could be what you are recognizing in your dogs. Other causes of weight loss include increased activity levels, diet changes (dog food can vary drastically in the number of calories per cup) or hormonal or metabolic disorders. If the dogs are acting ill, they should go to the veterinarian for further testing. I hope this information helps!

I am sorry Snickers is having hip pain. I would recommend starting off with a glucosamine and chondrotin supplement. This supplement can help decrease inflammation and movement of the joint. However supplements only go so far so if you feel Snickers is still painful I would recommend taking him to the vet to discuss proper pain control. I do not recommend anything over the counter for pain. I hope he feels better soon

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There is severe hip dysplasia present in both hips, I am afraid. The left hip id also subluxated and I suspect it is causing more discomfort than the right hip. Hip dysplasia is a disease that dogs are born with. Arya must have had it sine a puppy but most likely it was not as severe as now. Spondylosis in the lumbar spine is usually a result of infection of intervertebral disc. Typically, it is an accidental finding in dogs that do not cause mobility problems. However, CT scan of the spine would give more detailed information about the severity of spondylosis.

Legally, I am not allowed to give you a diagnosis, but based on the x-rays you posted, I suspect that your vet told you that Sly has significant hip dysplasia and arthritis in both hips. I'm sure that came as a surprise to you since Sly is only showing some limping after resting. Dogs are very stoic and do not show us pain as we would expect. Since you have just started Sly on a glucosamine and chondoitin sulfate supplement, you certainly could wait and see how he does on that, but I suspect you will need to add some additional supplements or medications to resolve his limping, so don't be afraid to talk to your vet about those. We frequently use fish oil, MSM, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and many other drug combinations for arthritis. I also highly recommend physical rehabilitation and acupuncture. Although we expect our dogs to cry in pain, most dogs with arthritis pain act exactly like Sly and only limp after getting up. Our goal with treatment is to get them to the point that their pain is so well controlled that we don't notice them limp at all. I hope that helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.