How to manage dog Legg-Calve-Perthes without surgery & skin allergies?

You are correct those names are used for the same condition. It is typically more common in young, small breed dogs, especially Terrier breeds, but can also occur after trauma. I am assuming your kid has some lameness of the affected limb which is what prompted the vet visits and the xrays. Unfortunately I cannot provide additional comment on the x-rays because it is not legal for us as pet coach experts to diagnose without having examined the pet. But, I hope to provide some information that will be helpful. If the x-rays have not been evaluated by a radiologist this could be very helpful in determining the need for surgery. If this is Legg calve Perthes, in patients that don't respond to medical management within 4 weeks, surgery is typically recommended. For small dogs this typically means removing the head of the upper leg bone (femur, an FHO). For large dogs sometimes a total hip replacement is required. I have attached a link that hopefully will help to explain a little bit about this disease. This is not something your environment caused so it is safe for Boo to stay in AC. I also think the other supportive care that you are providing at home is still a great idea for overall joint health and his other joints. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petcoach! https://www.petcoach.co/article/legg-calve-perthes-disease-in-dogs-avascular-necrosis-of-th/

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Arthritis can be difficult to control, however there are options for Roxy. Firstly swimming is helpful to build muscle strength but is easy on the knees. Supplements including omega 3s, fish oils, glucosamine sulphate (the HCl version just gets peed out), along with injections of Cartrophen can help as well. Keeping Roxy lean with moderate intensity exercise is recommended. Allergies can be difficult, however chat with your vet about Apoquel. This is a medication for seasonal allergies. There is also atopica and cyclosporin as well as steroids for allergies. Try to avoid the steroids however as they cause muscle wasting which will make the arthritis worse. Best of luck with Roxy!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. This is quite severe and warrants therapy. The likely secondary infections need to to be addressed and the itchiness also need to be addressed to prevent this issue from getting worse. Medications like prednisone can be used for the itchiness and antibiotics for the infections. In the meantime, you can use an e-collar in the meantime to prevent further self-trauma. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively! Based on you description of what he has been doing with his hind limbs, I would be more suspicious of something like patellar luxation and possible arthritis as well based on his breed and weight. That is something that can be checked on physical examination. Typically, this is treated medically first to improve comfort though surgery is sometimes needed. Good luck and have a great day!

Poor Bella! I'm so sorry that she is having this problem. We most commonly see Legg-Perthes disease only affecting one hip, but it certainly is possible that she has both hips affected. There isn't any way to diagnose Legg-Perthes disease except x-rays. I would recommend having your veterinarian examine her to determine if her pain is coming from her hip or another location. If it appears to be her hips, they can then take x-rays to determine what is going on. I am attaching a link to a handout on Legg-Perthes disease below for you. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2529 Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Bella feels better soon. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Typically, grade 1 luxations do not require surgery unless they become a frequent problem, progress or cause pain. Time will tell how your pup does. Yes, dogs can have shellfish allergies but it could also be something else in the supplement just causing her stomach to be upset. The best course of action is to avoid execessive hard exercise (daily jogging and heavy running every day) and to start her on a joint supplement. Try Dasuquin. If she does not tolerate that, try an injectable product like Adequan. An omega 3 fatty acid supplement will also be beneficial. I hope this helps.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like you are doing everything you can right now in terms of supplements and joint support which is good. Since it is both her back legs, and she is a large dog, and she is young, getting surgery on at least one leg is a good idea for her quality of life long term. The alternative however is medical management which includes everything you are doing, PLUS weight loss to keep her on the skinny side PLUS getting that muscle mass up. Since her joints are unstable and cannot tolerate a lot of stress, running and walking may cause more damage, therefore swimming is the best option for her. If you can get her muscle mass up with lots of swimming, and keep her weight lean, you might be able to get her joints more support. As mentioned previously, think about getting surgery on at least one leg. Best of luck with Mania!