# Another worried senior golden mom - hip displaysia questions.



## maddiesdoghouse (Sep 21, 2007)

Hi All,
Just a couple questions I hope you can answer.
My golden, Maddie (she's 12), was just diagnosed with severe hip displaysia after noticing she was having a hard time getting up for a couple of weeks.

She is on rimadyl and we've been giving her cosequin with Knox joint supplement daily. The supplements are so confusing and it's frustrating not knowing what to do to help my baby feel better. Joint Max has a triple strength formula with MSM, but Cosequin has more chrondroitin. My vet hasn't started carrying dasuquin yet.
My vet said she could probably do the femoral head osteotomy, but at her age she would worry about anesthesia.

We're starting her doing pool therapy(with a pool noodle) to help with the muscle atrophy and she is still able to go for short walks.
She seems so "embarrassed" to have us help her up and will sometimes just plant her butt down as if to say "I do it myself". Her mind is so strong and she wants to do so much, I can hardly manage to see her like this. Maybe time for a red wagon?:no:

Thanks tons!
JEN


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## honeysmum (Dec 4, 2007)

I am so sorry your older girl Maddie is going through this at her age, Honey has H/D she is not yet 2 the hydrotherapy will help immensly I would hold off any surgery untill you see how the hydro helps.


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

OH so sorry!! I have a young'un with HD. The pool and noodle will help strengthen the muscles which in the long run will help. I give all my dogs Cosequin DS and I get 1000mg of MSM from GNC. What all my vet friends have told me is that Nutramax the company who makes Cosequin (and Dausquin) stands behind their ingredients. These supplements are not regulated so they may say they have 1500mg of something but not actually have it. They say that is why vets recommend Cosequin. ALSO they say if you use Cosequin and it works and you switch to a cheaper version and it still works great! Then their levels are correct. I am not doing Dausquin yet as I do not think my dogs need it...yet. Would your vet give you Rx for the Dausquin? Perhaps you could contact Nutramax directly and find out who locally has some. It is supposed to be a bit stronger than plain Cosequin. 

A couple of things I changed in my dogs recently and have seen wonderful results with are, I put all my dogs on salmon oil. Salmon oil has natural anti inflamatory properties. I can not tell you how much especially my senior dog (also 12) has perked up by adding that supplement. I get organic (Timberwolf) and they get 1 teaspoon 2x a day in their food, it does not make their breath fishy either. The other thing my two younger dogs are on (my youngest, the HD dog also has ED) are Adequan injections. This is not cheap, especially starting out, but it is an injectable joint supplement. It re hydrates the joints (all joints) improves the quality of joint fluid, and keeps the surrounding tendons and ligaments elastic. It slows the progression (does not stop it). It is an intramuscular injection, you give one every 4 days for a month, then once a month. It has made a HUGE difference in my poor Teddi's condition. Since she is two I don't want her on NSAID's yet. My vet gave me a prescription so I could by it at a cheap online site, and showed me how to do the injections so I give it my self. My horse is on it too, and I can feel the difference it has made in him. 

Keep exercise easy for your girl, do only what she wants. The more swimming you can do I would think would really help her. It is so hard when they get older to know what you should or should not do. My senior a few years ago blew both her CCL's and had to have surgery on both knees. Her second surgery was right before her 10th birthday. She came through with flying colors but the rehab is slower for an older dog as opposed to my Teddi who had a THR at 1 yr old. A pre op blood panel should give your vet a good idea whether or not she can under go any surgery. 

One more thing, we all love our vets. However before heading into any thing for HD or CCL injuries, you really need to consult a orthopedic surgeon. You need to ask lots of questions, it may even be worth it to consult even if you are not going to do surgery. My ortho surgeon gave me some good insight into what to do to maintain Teddi for her elbows. We can not do surgery on her for that now. 

OH one more thing! Talk to your vet also about chiropractic or accupuncture to help manage your dogs pain. It might help and not need as much Rimydyl. The less NSAID's we dish out the better. 

GOOD LUCK!!!


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

I have a GR who has had two surgeries, but he was a pup. He's six now, going on 7. I'm probably a bad Mom, but I don't give him any supplements. I know many dogs with HD are helped by them and if Shadow ever has any issues, I would start.

The swimming is wonderful. It's expensive, but I had both of my in hydro both in the pool and the underwater treadmill. They loved the pool. 

I wonder if you can sling her during the short walks? Before she goes down, give her a bit of a boost, and then use it as support while she walks. You can also get a cart when it comes to the point where she cannot walk on her own.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

I can second how helpful Adequan injections are  At first they are expensive (several per week if you follow the protocol) but this tapers off fairly quickly. My Rowdy was on maintenance of once every 6-8 weeks the last year or so of his life; he had arthritis, not HD, but it probably would work out about the same.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Maxs Mom said:


> OH so sorry!! I have a young'un with HD. The pool and noodle will help strengthen the muscles which in the long run will help. I give all my dogs Cosequin DS and I get 1000mg of MSM from GNC. What all my vet friends have told me is that Nutramax the company who makes Cosequin (and Dausquin) stands behind their ingredients. These supplements are not regulated so they may say they have 1500mg of something but not actually have it. They say that is why vets recommend Cosequin. ALSO they say if you use Cosequin and it works and you switch to a cheaper version and it still works great! Then their levels are correct. I am not doing Dausquin yet as I do not think my dogs need it...yet. Would your vet give you Rx for the Dausquin? Perhaps you could contact Nutramax directly and find out who locally has some. It is supposed to be a bit stronger than plain Cosequin.
> 
> A couple of things I changed in my dogs recently and have seen wonderful results with are, I put all my dogs on salmon oil. Salmon oil has natural anti inflamatory properties. I can not tell you how much especially my senior dog (also 12) has perked up by adding that supplement. I get organic (Timberwolf) and they get 1 teaspoon 2x a day in their food, it does not make their breath fishy either. The other thing my two younger dogs are on (my youngest, the HD dog also has ED) are Adequan injections. This is not cheap, especially starting out, but it is an injectable joint supplement. It re hydrates the joints (all joints) improves the quality of joint fluid, and keeps the surrounding tendons and ligaments elastic. It slows the progression (does not stop it). It is an intramuscular injection, you give one every 4 days for a month, then once a month. It has made a HUGE difference in my poor Teddi's condition. Since she is two I don't want her on NSAID's yet. My vet gave me a prescription so I could by it at a cheap online site, and showed me how to do the injections so I give it my self. My horse is on it too, and I can feel the difference it has made in him.
> 
> ...


Very well said. There was a discussion a day or two ago about chiropractic care and a listing was given to find qualified canine chiros... perhaps you can do a search for that. Also, Beaushel has used this harness for her Beau who has mobility issues ... looks great and perhaps could be a great help. http://www.helpemup.com/flashmovie.html


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

If Adequan injections work like cortisone shots we humans get, I can tell you they can certainly work. I'm sitting here right now with a numb hand, no I shouldn't be typing, and I'm hoping this shot works as well as the one I had in my shoulder and my foot. They changed my life and if Adequan shots work as well...


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Kimm said:


> If Adequan injections work like cortisone shots we humans get, I can tell you they can certainly work. I'm sitting here right now with a numb hand, no I shouldn't be typing, and I'm hoping this shot works as well as the one I had in my shoulder and my foot. They changed my life and if Adequan shots work as well...


Don't think they are quite the same. I do not think Adequan is a steroid. My horse had a cortisone injection in his hocks and he was pain free for almost two years. I was going to have the vet check him the second spring, unfortunately he died over the winter. No relation to the shot! He was an old man.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Kimm said:


> If Adequan injections work like cortisone shots we humans get, I can tell you they can certainly work. I'm sitting here right now with a numb hand, no I shouldn't be typing, and I'm hoping this shot works as well as the one I had in my shoulder and my foot. They changed my life and if Adequan shots work as well...


Adequan shots replace some of the fluid that has been lost in the damaged joints (I am unsure if it is natural or synthetic), allowing the joints more lubricated movement (it soothes and lubricates the joints, naturally reducing inflammation and pain by reducing friction). It is somewhat simlar to glucosamine but is injected into muscle and is then taken into the joints affected.

The largest side effect of the injections is the cost


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## Cam's Mom (Apr 13, 2007)

Adequan is a "form" of injectable glucosamine like supplement. My experience of it is that it doesn't help if started when the arthritis, joint function, is severe. (I've tried it with several rescue dogs and my own)

The chondroitin factor in a supplement is probably not as important as the glucosamine. There is no good evidence that it helps. Chondroitin and glucosamine given together each inhibit the other from being absorbed. 

My old guys(both around 15), my 11 year old, and my 3 year old with previous injuries all get 1500 mg glucosamine daily...and it does help. I stopped giving it to Bailey while I tried to figure out what he was getting that upset his stomach, and he did very poorly without it. It does take about 6 weeks to really take effect. If Adequan is going to work, you generally see a marked improvement after about the third shot.

MSM is an anti inflammatory, much like, but not the same rimadyl and cortisone. It can cause gastric/intestinal upset. I haven't found my crew do any better with MSM than without it. I give mine Glycoflex III(which does contain MSM, and is regulated also) which I buy online from Entirely pets...it's most often cheapest there. They also get Metacam, an alternative to rimadyl. There are several non steroidal anti inflammatories(NSAID's). If she is not getting pain relief from one, I'd suggest trying another...each dog responds differently.

One word of caution if you try steroids, (cortisone, prednisone,) they might reduce pain, but will also increase muscle loss, so the good done is often undone in older dogs. 

Bailey had knee surgery at 12...and had to have it repeated, he did just fine with the anesthetic. There is a newer anesthetic (which is what Bailey had)which is much easier on older dogs...it's mentioned on a thread in this forum somewhere. He has HD, arthritis in all his joints, spondylosis(arthritis in the spine with fusion of the spinal disks).And at 15 still walks 4-5 miles on a good day...2 on an average day. He goes downhill very quickly without the glucosamine, metacam, and now tramadol(an extra pain med)

There was a rescue lady, Helen Redlus(RIP) who took in mainly older dogs. She had major orthopedic surgery done for many older dogs(10-15), and my recollection is that they were all better for the surgery. But if you have surgery I too would recommend seeing a specialist. In an older dog you would want to be sure his front joints could support recovery of his back end.

Campbell at 13 had anesthetic for an MRI. He has a brain tumor(the reason for the MRI) and he too did fine with anesthetic. It did take him longer to come out of it, and longer to recover but he was fine.

Anesthetic is certainly a risk, but pain is no fun to live with either. I've never heard of anyone loosing an older dog under anesthetic in orthopedic surgery. I have for cancer surgery, and other general surgeries, where the dogs general health is questionable. If kidney and liver function are good, anesthetic should be fine. Whether you want to do major surgery on an older dog is the tougher question.

Chiropractic care can be helpful, but acupuncture can be even better! My 3 year old would not be walking if not for acupuncture! We were advised at one point she would need a leg amputated...she still has four legs and runs like the wind!!!! We used acupuncture to help with pain, UTI's, spinal problems, and muscle relaxation to straighten her out. I was skeptical about acupuncture, but a firm convert!!! If it's available and you can afford it I'd highly recommend it.

Another possibility....http://www.eddieswheels.com/ Wheel chairs for dogs. Can be a god send for mobility, and will help your old dog exercise and build up muscle strength to support the joints. Good for without surgery, and in post operative recupperation.

Good luck...helping these old guys is juggling act at best.


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## maddiesdoghouse (Sep 21, 2007)

Thanks so much for all your replies!
It's so frustrating to know how to help them - especially when they can't tell you exactly what's going on.

Maddie doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain - she doesn't whine or yelp, etc. Just unable to get up from a laying position, using her back right leg. She sort of lifts herself using mostly her front legs.
We actually don't know her real age. We adopted her from rescue about 9 years ago and they guessed she was 2 1/2 so she may be older than 12.

I'm going to order her the lift harness you recommended. It looks like it will help her better than the lift strap we currently have - it just goes under the belly. We'll see if the supplements and pool therapy help and then check with the vet again. I'm not sure if we have an orthopedic specialist locally - I'll check into it. If worse comes to worse, we'll do the red wagon or wheel chair. I'm very impressed with eddies wheels. I wish we could afford stem cell transplant - but that's not an option we can consider. I am doing reflexology with her and will look into acupuncture.

Maddie worked as a therapy dog for about 5 years at one of our hospitals. She also worked as a reading buddy for elementary kids struggling with their reading and several kids with autism. She's pretty darn special - not just because she overcame being abused and abandoned to help out kids, but also because she's been my service dog since being diagnosed with MS 7 years ago. She hasn't done much service work since having hip issues, but she's still my buddy and I get to pay her back now for all the help she's always given me.

JEN


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

maddiesdoghouse said:


> Thanks so much for all your replies!
> It's so frustrating to know how to help them - especially when they can't tell you exactly what's going on.
> 
> Maddie doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain - she doesn't whine or yelp, etc. Just unable to get up from a laying position, using her back right leg. She sort of lifts herself using mostly her front legs.
> ...


Maddie does sure sound like a special dog. They all have that way of coming into our hearts in a big way. I know what you mean about wishing they could tell you. I am in a similar situation with my senior heart dog. I can't be selfish, her best interest is all that matters. 

Give Maddie a big hug for me. It is good therapy for you too!


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

> The largest side effect of the injections is the cost


We found another one out while consulting with an orthopedic specialist at one of the areas specialty veterinary hospitals--the injections burn! This surgeon had a strained knee from a ski accident and decided if it supposedly works for the dogs it should work for him so he dosed himself. He said the burning sensation was incredible and took his mind off his knee pain for a while. He mentioned that the shot did ultimately help him though!

We used adequin on our first senior hip dog,in conjunction with cosequin, msm, chondroiton and "conventional" acupuncture. He did really well, without the need for surgery. The surgeon mentioned above said he wouldn't perform hip surgeries on goldens over age 9. Ours was diagnosed at age 4, and we consulted the surgeon twice--once at age 4 and later when he was 12 1/2. He died at 13 1/2 and we ended up using a lift aid we bought through drsfosterandsmith.com for senior dogs for the last 2 weeks of his life (cancer finally got him).

Our current hip dog is 12 now and he is receiving monthly "traditional" acupuncture (more like the Chinese practice) with massage, chiropractic adjustments and B-12 injections. He is taking 2 different herbal formulations and we give him Cosequin DS, MSM, coconut oil, salmon oil, 3V capsules (omegas), a Costco fish oil capsule and lots of massages at home with a min-massager I bought at Walgreens for $10. He has severe hip dysplasia per the x-rays but we manage very well without anti-inflammatories. He does have periodic episodes when he goes on Rimadyl and/or Tramadol, but it is tapered off when he starts to feel better. He gets daily walks as well. 

The bottom line is some dogs need the surgery and some dogs can manage pretty well with non-surgical measures. I'd certainly try to manage without surgery given your dog's age.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Dallas Gold*

Dallas Gold

Our 10 year old Rescued, Golden Ret., Smooch ,has taken shots of adequin for arthritis and it is in conjunction with Cosequin and she is doing very well!~~

She also just had TPLO surgery on March 18 and has really bounced back very quickly!!!!

*MADDIESDOGHOUSE

I think xrays at the vet would be a start. What you are describing with her right rear leg and having trouble getting up could be arthritis or our Smooch was having trouble getting up and trouble with her right rear leg right before she was running down the 3 patio steps and let out a yelp-she had torn her ACL. We took her to vet and he did the xrays and we had to have surgery on her knee. She has been doing wonderfully ever since the day after the surgery. I'm not saying that is what your Maddie has, but if I hadn't heard her yelp and then start limping we probably would not have gotten to the vet as fast and had xrays taken/B]*


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Jen:

If you can get to a specialist for a consultation you can rule a lot of stuff out (or in). When we took our first hip dog in for his second consult as a senior the orthopedic surgeon actually believed he had some neurological deterioration along the spine (his bottom would give out sometimes while walking). He prescribed something "experimental" at the time (now it is more common)--human neurontin (used by those with epilepsy). It didn't work so we went back to the trusted and true acupuncture, supplements and in the end the lift aid. It was interesting ordering the neurontin from the human pharmacy though. Our boy got his prescription in his own name and when we went to pick it up we used the drive through and the pharmacy staff had doggie treats waiting for him (a Walmart grocery store at that!!). Too bad we couldn't use our health insurance drug plan to cover the cost because it was expensive to fill. It was a novelty then, but now both my goldens have their own human pharmacy accounts for their thyroid medication and one needs neo/poly/dex eye drops. Both take advantage of the $10 for a 90 day supply promotion too! They are very expensive dogs (vet wise) but at least they are saving money with the discount drug plans!

If you decide to try adequin they can teach you to administer it yourself. You just have to get the right syringes and store the medication in the refrigerator so it won't lose its potency. That way you don't have to make frequent trips to the vet. I found loading my guy in and out of the car to increase his pain so doing it from home was easier for all.

Finally, our first hip dog was 20 pounds heavier than our current hip dog. Weight makes a HUGE difference in the management of hip dysplasia. Keeping them light and trim can help them in the long run. We tried all sorts of diets for him at the time and nothing worked until he was diagnosed as hypothyroid during his last year of life.


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

Jen, Eddie's Wheels is a fabulous cart manufacturer. A word of caution, though, before you spend a significant amount of money on a cart. Dogs who are still mobile (hind end does still work, however poorly) often refuse to use a cart. Put them in it and you can't move them for love or money. If yu can find a cart in your area to borrow and let her try, you may figure out one way or the other whether she'd be accepting of it at this point. My heart goes out to you both....it's so hard to figure out what to do to help the seniors.


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## molsonsmom (Sep 14, 2009)

Hi,

Maddie sounds like she is same the stage where Molson was when I brought him to the surgeon for a consult. He was also 12 at the time and he had just come out of a very bad winter here in Montreal and he was in very rough shape. Constantly collapsing with the muscle of his haunches starting to waste away. My husband and I were beside ourselves because he was not having a good time and we truly were skirting the issue of what to do. 

Because of the age factor surgery was ruled out. They also diagnosed spinal nerve damage and for those of you who have already read this part of Molson’s story please forgive me for being repetitive. Well actually I haven’t mentioned this before, I took Molson to a vet specializing in acupuncture and gave it about 3 months of weekly sessions to see if it made a difference because I have heard on some dogs it is a miracle cure. So it truly is a possibility to help in Maddies case. 

Unfortunately it didn’t help in Molsie’s. I bought three different slings on the market, each a different design and all with either snaps, or buckles and did not like them one bit for Molson, although you may find one that you like. So I rigged up something of my own to help him walk and took it with me to the surgeon. 

As I mentioned earlier surgery was ruled out however the surgeon did like my homemade support (even though it looked strange) and told me to use it. 

So along with Molson’s Tramadol 150mg 3 x’s a day, because we have moved onto pain management and enjoyment of life, glucosamine and chondroitin (he takes the same brand I do that I bought at Wal-Mart’s ) 500 glucosamine/400 chondrotin 3x’s a day (and it helped for two years before he got worse all by itself) He is on Metacam 35kgs a day, and most important to keep him mobile, to maintain muscle mass and circulation and general enjoyment of being able to maintain his walks for 2 more years he wears the Hip Hammock from Animal Assistance Products which and drum roll please, I did design for Molson (and adapted and improved in then next year and because people were constantly stopping me to ask what he was wearing and where they could get it I started to manufacture it locally) and which is totally soft and comfortable and washable and takes literally 5 seconds to put on with your sweetheart standing. Although my vet where they also use the Hip Hammock (you can see their testimonial)also use it when emergencies are brought in and they have to help the dog get up so they put it on when the dog is lying down sometimes.

You can check out the Hip Hammock at www.animalassistanceproducts.com and see Molson Modeling it along with a video of how to put it on and you can see him walking with it. Good luck with Maddie there are lost’s of things you can do for her to help her become comfortable and regain any sparkle that has gone missing. Molson is a great example!


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I posted yesterday about a new therapy for arthritic and orthopedic issue dogs. Here is the link:
http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/showthread.php?t=64765
It's a new stem cell therapy that has shown to be about 75% effective, even for the older dogs. My vet is certified to do it but after a long discussion we decided not to pursue it with my 12+ yo Barkley since he is still doing so well with his supplements, acupuncture, chiropracty and massage. 
This new stem cell transplant is expensive, but I would still do it if it would vastly improve my Barkley's quality of life and he were a couple of years younger. We spend at least $150 per month on Barkley for acupuncture, prescribed herbs, supplements and other things to help his severe hip dysplasia. I was told for Barkley the transplant would run about $2500. Our acupuncture vet has 2 big dog clients that have had the transplant and both are doing great. One dog could never climb the stairs to her office and now bounds up the stairs. Thankfully my Barkley is still running up and down stairs despite his bad hips and arthritis! He ignores me when I tell him to take it a little easier. Since starting acupuncture he is acting more like a 4 or 5 year old Golden--we love it!


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

If needed, here is a super harness ( I think it's the one Carol used with Beau) that could help too. http://www.helpemup.com/flashmovie.html


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