Tag Archives: hip dysplasia

One Year after Moose’s Car Accident

Today is just a few days past the one year mark of the day Moose slipped his collar, ran off after a cat, and got hit by a landscaping truck. What a year it’s been! I still get a twinge of guilt sometimes, looking at his little tail-less butt and thinking that I could have gotten a harness sooner, or somehow stopped him from darting off after the cat in the bushes. Looking at pictures of Moose before the accident gives me a little pang, too. Over the course of the year, Moose has started twitching his tail muscles when … Continue reading →

Looking Forward: Moose

I was driving home from work yesterday, thinking about my mother’s dog Shashi and how she suffered from hip dysplasia. And that got me looking ahead and wondering how long it will be before I’ll have to make a very difficult decision regarding Moose. My imagination went to work, and I started to cry, thinking about what I would feed him for his last meal and what the people at the veterinarian’s office will say and do. I finally understand the people who were jealous after Miko passed away in his sleep. I started attending a pet bereavement group run … Continue reading →

Looking Backward: Shashi

When I was a very little girl, my mother still had her German shepherd dog, Shashi. At least… that’s what we all called her. Her official name was Wildwoods Scheherazade, and she was a purebred, papered, pedigreed shepherd my mom had bought after she graduated college. When my mom was getting ready to get married and move out, my great-grandmother refused to let Shashi leave — so the dog stayed with my grandmother and great-grandmother. Shashi was a beautiful all-black shepherd. We have all sorts of funny family stories about her. She was so scared of thunder and lightning that … Continue reading →

Moose’s New Supplement

You might have noticed that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about… worrying about… and researching things that could help my Moose deal with the discomfort of hip dysplasia. Ideally, I was looking for a supplement that included glucosamine and chondroitin and other good stuff like omega-3 fatty acids, natural pain relievers, and vitamins and minerals that promote joint health. I haven’t found a supplement that does it all yet, but I have found one that I’m very pleased with. How I found Moose’s new supplement: I was browsing PetSmart.com, looking at the different products they had that included … Continue reading →

The Limp is Back

Back in November, I noticed that Moose was limping a bit on some of our walks. The limp comes and goes, but with the recent colder weather, the limp is here more often than not. In fact, during the several days of sub-freezing temperatures, Moose seemed worse than ever: He would yelp or whine at even the lightest touch near his hips or rump. He limped when he walked. He held his back feet very close together while he walked or stood. He was very restless at night, and seemed to have a hard time finding a comfortable position. He’s … Continue reading →

Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Pets

In light of Moose’s limping (and my suspicion that it is related to hip dysplasia), I spent some time today researching glucosamine and chondroitin. Glucosamine is found naturally in the body in cartilage and synovial fluid (the lubricating fluid in your joints). Adding a glucosamine supplement is believed to help repair and protect cartilage that may be damaged by arthritis, hip dysplasia, and other joint disorders like bursitis, tendinitis, inflamed discs, and even carpal tunnel syndrome. Glucosamine is used by humans as well as dogs and cats for the same ailments. You and your pets can take the same supplement … Continue reading →

Out On A Limp

During two of our daily walks, I noticed that Mister Moose has developed a bit of a limp. It’s odd — he’s fine for the beginning of the walk, but after a few minutes (usually a block or so of walking) he starts to gimp. It looks like one of his back legs is the culprit, which doesn’t surprise me. When Moose had his car accident earlier this year, the veterinarian pointed out that my poor boy has the beginnings of hip dysplasia. Hip dysplasia is a degenerative joint disease in dogs; an abnormality in the hip joint means that … Continue reading →

Treating Hip Dysplasia

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Veterinarians are not one hundred percent sure what causes a dog to develop hip dysplasia. Most researchers agree that genetics are part of the problem — if a parent has hip dysplasia, the offspring are at a higher risk to develop the disease. However, genetics are not the only factor! You can help your dog avoid this painful degenerative disease, or at least lessen the effects. Watch their weight. Carrying extra pounds — especially in the hip area — can cause join degeneration to happen faster. As a responsible pet owner, you need to control what your overweight dog eats. … Continue reading →

Hip Dysplasia

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Hip dysplasia is a degenerative joint disease in dogs. It is a sadly common disease; you probably have known a dog who suffered from hip dysplasia. The disease is mostly seen in large breed dogs, but can also be found in small dogs, cats, and even humans. German Shepherds, Labs, Rotties, Golden Retrievers, and other large dogs seem to have a higher incidence of hip dysplasia than other breeds, and purebreds seem to be more likely to develop the disease than mixed breeds. What is hip dysplasia? A normal hip joint is a ball (at the head of the femur … Continue reading →