Why are my puppy's back legs splaying out? Vet cleared hip dysplasia.

Hello, sorry to hear about Dexter. He is still very young to tell accurately, but he could have early signs of hip dysplasia. One way to tell for sure is by having Dexter evaluated by an orthopedic surgeon no later than by the time he is 3 months of age. They will then schedule him to have a PennHip study to confirm more than normal joint space in his hips. If so, they can talk to you about certain types of procedure which can aid in decreasing the possibility that he could have full hip dysplasia. Other causes of this is that he is a growing puppy this could just be associated with him growing. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Yes, this can be a sign of poor hip conformation or hip dysplasia. Usually dogs with hip joint laxity run with both rear legs together or bunny hop. As Coco is still growing the pain also could be due to panosteitis which is pain in the bones from growing too fast. I recommend switching her to adult large breed dog food so she will grow slower. She will still reach her full size, it just may take a little longer. Adult food is fine for all ages so you do not need to be worried, she will still get the nutrition she needs. Your veterinarian can feel her hip joints for laxity, but X-rays are not conclusive until she is six months or older. It is best to exercise Coco on a leash and prevent running and jumping. Your veterinarian may also prescribe pain medication to make her. more comfortable. While hip dysplasia can cause arthritis later in life, many dogs go through short painful episodes, then they are pain free for long periods of time. If she has poor hip conformation she shouldn't have puppies as they may have bad hips also. Keeping Coco active, thin and well muscled in addition to joint supplements and pain medication when needed will give Coco the best chance to live a normal active life. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Coco.

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.

I agree with the doctor who said the x-rays were not positioned properly. In order to obtain really diagnostic quality hip x-rays, the patience should be fully sedated. Without being able to bend the hips all the way downward, you simply can not obtain completely accurate results. Depending on the current clinical picture, I might possible recommend starting medication. Joint supplementation definitely can't hurt, but starting an NSAID at this early of an age is not advisable unless there is clear and obvious discomfort / inflammatory pain. Hope this helps!

For such a young dog, I recommend to have Boogie examined by the veterinarian. Dysplasia is something that tends to get worse over time and if you take appropriate action now, you may be able to avoid or slow this down. He will need an exam and radiographs to begin figuring out your options. At home you can put Boogie on an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets. A joint supplement would also help. Lastly, a prescription diet for joint health will also be beneficial but they cannot fix the dysplasia. Here is a link with further information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/hip-dysplasia-in-dogs-diagnosis-treatment-and-prevention/ I hope this helps.

At this age, it’s hard to say- it could be either. Bernadette will need to start or continue her puppy vaccines around this age anyway, so have your vet do a good exam of the hips while you’re in for that. We really can’t diagnose hip dysplasia without xrays (unless it’s so severe that the hips are popping out of their sockets) but your vet could certainly do that at any time. Hope this helps and best wishes to you and your big puppy girl!

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.