My pitbull favors her right hip after playing. What's wrong?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sugar. She appears to have significant changes to both of her hips indicating severe arthritis. She also appears to have some mild arthritic changes in her left knee. Hip dysplasia is a congenital disorder where the hip joints do not develop properly leading to arthritis later in life. So this is the potential cause of the changes in her hips. I hope she is able to start pain medication to help with her mobility.

Your best option is to keep up with routine physical exams. It's impossible to know at this point if this is behavioral or if there is a medical condition. Hip problems may not become evident until she is older but getting her and your vet use to the feel of her hip palpation would be a good idea. She may need radiographs when she is older. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

We often see torn ACLs in large breed dogs with limping in the hind limbs. I would highly encourage you to have her evaluated by your veterinarian soon. An orthopedic exam and possibly an x-ray may be recommended to help determine the diagnosis and best treatment plan. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Muscle weakness in the hindlimbs is commonly seen with hip or spinal arthritis and i recommend scheduling xrays to have him assessed as soon as possible. Your vet can also prescribe pain medication to relieve the immediate discomfort until fully investigated

You can try restricting activity to just leash walks for elimination. Prevent any running, jumping or rough play. If the lameness does not begin to improve after 24-48 hours, then Bella should be seen by your veterinarian. If you notice any bruising or swelling, this is also reason for an exam. Do not give her any OTC medications for pain as many are toxic or easily overdosed. Contact your vet to discuss pain management if necessary.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Storm. Just by the description an ACL injury (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) would be suspected but there are other causes also including hip or other joint problems (arthritis, degenerative joint disease), trauma, puncture wounds, fractures, soft tissue injuries to tendons/ligaments, muscle injuries, tick transmitted diseases, etc. ACL injuries usually occur when dogs are chasing squirrels, cats, birds, etc across the yard. They are fine and then they return lame, holding up the leg or bearing partial weight. That ligament when examined microscopically is undergoing a degenerative process in almost all of the cases. The strain on the ligament eventually tears or rips it completely. That same process can occur in the other knee and that's why this is so important to diagnose properly. Some dogs tear one ACL, get it fixed and then tear the other one. There are multiple ways to fix an ACL rupture or tear and I would discuss these with your veterinarian. Some of the newer techniques are specialized procedures only certain vets perform and they require that hardware (plates, screws) be put into the area to stabilize the knee joint. One older technique is called the lateral imbrication technique and I still think it works well if an experienced surgeon does it. It is much cheaper also compared to the newer procedures. There are some braces out now also for dogs that are unable to have a surgical repair done but I don't have any experience with those. So I would advise taking Storm to your vet if this condition persists, worsens, or other signs develop. They can evaluate her, gather a history, and then make a diagnostic plan, and eventual treatment plan. A physical exam may include sedation/anesthesia and x-rays to fully assess the knee. Good luck with Storm.

I would recommend Kobe have a thorough orthopedic and neurological exam by your veterinarian. Your veterinarian may need to do x-rays of both his hips and knees to check for certain diseases like arthritis and kneecap issues. Depending on what is going on Kobe may need medication such as joint supplements or even surgery.