Is hip dysplasia fatal for my pregnant dog who is in a lot of pain?

I'm sorry Sunny has hip dyplasia! That in itself does not cause death directly, but the dog may be put to sleep because they are in so much pain from it. Pain medications can be given to the dog to help with their pain, but please do not give him any human pain medications. Many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. I would have Sunny seen by a vet today or tomorrow. The vet can prescribe medication to help with his pain. I also recommend giving him glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate supplements. They provide the necessary nutrients for cartilage repair and function. Use of them helps relieve some of the symptoms of arthritis, and you can use it in conjuction with pain medications from the vet to help maximize relief from his symptoms.

Yes, Uling should be fine to give birth. Hip dysplasia should not affect labor and delivery at all. Hip dysplasia affects the outer portion of the pelvis where the femur (leg bone) attaches to the pelvis. During birth, the puppies pass through the middle of the pelvis, or the pelvic canal. As long as Uling does not have a previous history of having a narrowed pelvis (usually caused from a trauma like being hit by a car) there is no indication to worry. Occasionally, dogs of any breed or size can experience dystocia, which is a term for the difficulty of delivering pups. Unfortunately you cannot be sure if this is going to happen or not until the dog is in labor. Once Uling is in labor, and having active contractions, she should have a pup about every 30 minutes. If more than 2 hours pass and she has not had a pup but is contracting she will need medical intervention. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hello. There is no need to change her food initially. Just feed the best food you can afford. The last few weeks before the puppies are born, switch her to a good puppy food as this will give her more calories she will need until the puppies are weaned & eating on their own. You can have your veterinarian ultrasound her abdomen or take an x-ray to confirm pregnancy & her hip dysplasia will not hurt her pregnancy, although this condition can be inherited by her puppies. So, consider spaying her once she is done with this pregnancy. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, thank you using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am so sorry for your concerns about Madiidda. Her x-rays show very severe subluxation of the one hip, & a very shallow acetabulum of the other. This will never get better on its own, & as she ages, she will experience more & more pain possibly to the point where she may no longer be able to walk. A lot has to do with how you manage her growth, weight, exercise/conditioning, and use of joint supplements & pain medications. You may not be able to afford the surgery now, but perhaps in a couple of years, you might be able to. The important thing is to keep her a tad underweight, regular gentle exercise, & start her on a good glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate supplement. Omega fatty acids can be of some benefit in helping the inflammation in her hips. Work closely with your veterinarian about weight control, medications, & possibly even a veterinarian who practices some alternative modalities such as acupuncture & massage therapy. Here in the US, we even have specialists in canine rehabilitation medicine, where underwater treadmills, water therapy, & special balance exercises can all help to strengthen the muscles around the hips to make life better for Madidda. I wish you all the best that she does well. She is a beautiful girl.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So sorry that Baxter has this issue. The right hip has severe dysplasia (the x-ray is not marked so I am assuming it is the right one). The other hip looks OK. The only way to fix this is with surgery - either a FHO procedure or a total hip replacement. You need to speak to your vet about options. There is no medication to reverse, cure or stop the progression of this disease. Surgery will definitely be needed.

Hello, sorry to hear about Shiro. He does indeed have hip dysplasia as is evident in his x-rays. This diseases does indeed require surgical correction, but only if Shiro seems to be in discomfort. Hip Dysplasia results in secondary osteoarthritis which in the long term can impact your pets ability to walk and overall comfort. There are two different procedures with regards to surgery, an FHNO were we remove the femoral head and neck or a total hip replacement were we replace the ball and joint with metal implants as they do in humans. Ultimately, the best contributor to decreasing osteoarthritis in dogs is by maintaining an overall low weight and lean body condition score. Obese pets with hip dysplasia tend to do worse. Now, with regards to surgery, it does not need to occur now, typically with either surgery, we want pets to be fully developed so that their bones are fully grown and they have developed all of the musculature. I would recommend asking your veterinarian to refer you to an orthopedic surgeon who may be able to better assist you with Shiro's hips dysplasia. Hope this helps and best of luck.

It's possible he will need pain killers for the rest of his life indeed and those pain killers could give him an excellent quality of life, he could go back to normal as long as he is on them. i would recommend taking him to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked.