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Hip Dysplasia And Golden
Retrievers
Hip dysplasia is a poor formation of the hip joints,
which is a common growing disease with younger dogs of
virtually every breed. With larger breeds, unsteady hip
joints are common, although hip dysplasia can be a
serious problem that will limit the physical activity of
your Golden. Although many Golden Retriever owners don’t
realize it, hip dysplasia is something that dogs inherit
from their parents, and gets worse with age.
The signs and symptoms of hip dysplasia is nearly
impossible to detect with Golden puppies, although it
will start to show once the pup has reached the age of
nine months. Even though you may take your Golden to the
vet to have him looked at, your vet will tell you that
you need to wait to see if the symptoms are there, once
the Golden Retriever has reached a certain age.
The symptoms and signs of hip dysplasia vary, although
the most common include crippling or the inability to
walk properly. This disease can get better once the dog
gets older though, due to the joints stabilizing, the
inflammation going down, and the muscles in the hips
getting stronger and more mature. Keep in mind however,
that Golden’s who have hip dysplasia when they are
younger will more than likely develop arthritis when
they get older.
Golden Retrievers that suffer from hip dysplasia aren’t
fit for breeding, although they can still live a long
and healthy life. There are certain drugs that your vet
can prescribe to your dog, which will help him control
his weight and help control the disease. These drugs can
also cut down on the pain as well, helping your Golden
enjoy himself as much as possible.
Some Golden Retrievers that have hip dysplasia won’t
begin to show any signs at all until they get a few
years old, once the muscles start to wear down and the
damage to the hip muscles start to become more
noticeable. Although your dog may be active and healthy
for most of his puppy years, dysplasia can slow
everything down and make your dog look as if he is old
and is suffering from the physical attributes of
arthritis.
To eliminate the pain of hip dysplasia, there are
surgery options available. Golden Retrievers have a high
threshold for pain, and won’t normally show any signs of
being in pain, even though you know they are. X-rays
won’t show any signs of pain, although the limping or
slow walking will tell you that your dog is hurting.
Golden Retriever’s who have this disease won’t know it -
which is why you should help as much as possible. If you
do your part and help your dog seek relief - he will
feel better than ever before - although he won’t let you
know he hurt any at all.
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