Natural Remedies For Hip Dysplasia In Dogs
Pet Health and Safety Richard Rowlands Apr 17, 2022
If you’re the owner of a large breed dog, you’ve likely had a conversation with your veterinarian about the signs and symptoms of hip dysplasia. This hereditary condition most commonly affects German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, and Labrador Retrievers, but it can actually happen in any breed of any size.
Dogs grow rapidly for the first year of their life. During this growth stage, some dogs’ hip joints may not develop properly, leading to hip dysplasia. When this happens, the ball and socket of the hip joint rub together, leading to the deterioration of the joint over time.
While this hereditary condition can be painful for your pup, there are ways that you can help your dog feel more comfortable and treat hip dysplasia naturally. Let’s take a look at 8 ways to do just that.
Signs & Symptoms Your Dog Has Hip Dysplasia
There are several Hip Dysplasia symptoms and over time they can reduce of your pets quality of life and mobility.
Among the most common symptoms are:
- Trouble Rising or Climbing Stairs
- Difficulty with Jumping or Running
The good news is that there are treatment options and devices available to help! Many of which are very manageable. A few of those options include weight reduction, Physical Rehabilitation or therapy, medication, wearing a hip support brace, and hip surgery.
The most common surgeries performed to correct severe Hip Dysplasia are: Femoral Head Osteotomy , Total Hip Replacement or Double/Triple Pelvic Osteotomy.
Put Your Dog On A Fresh Food Diet
Weight control is an important aspect of caring for a dog with hip dysplasia, as you do not want your dog to be overweight and put more stress on its joints. One of the simplest ways to mitigate your dogs hip dysplasia is to change up your dogs diet. Start them on a cooked and raw meat diet . Other ideal foods to add to your dogs diet are fresh vegetables like carrots and kale, whole grains, bone broth , and knox gelatin. Be sure to avoid vegetables such as those in the nightshade family as they can worsen your dogs condition.
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German Shepherd Hip Medications
Some German Shepherds may benefit from prescription medications.
Several effective anti-inflammatory and pain medications are on the market. Your veterinarian can give you advice on the pros and cons of each type.
Some medications are available in oral tablets, others as injections.
Prescription medications often have more side effects than natural supplements, so be sure to talk with your veterinarian about the best pain and anti-inflammatory medication for your pet.
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How Prone Are German Shepherds To Hip Dysplasia
Its interesting to note that research by The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals ranks the GSD 39th in their research on breed specific HD. And this is not from a small sample! The evaluations run from January 1974 to December 2015. With each breed having at least 100 evaluations during that time.
The GSD had 115933 evaluations in total.
Whats also interesting is that the cases of HD have remained pretty much the same during this time. In my opinion, its the popularity of the breed that makes it seem like the GSD is right at the top of the list.
Ways To Help Your German Shepherd With Arthritis
Now that weve gone over causes, signs, and diagnosis of arthritis in German Shepherds, we will move on to some very caring things that you can do to help your GSD manage his arthritis.
While some of these actions may seem small, its important to keep your eye on the big picture. In combination, the following methods will have a very large and helpful impact on your German Shepherds quality of life while managing arthritis.
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Prevention Is The Best Cure
Preventing debilitating hip pain is almost always less invasive than curing it.
Keep your German Shepherd at a healthy weight, as excess weight can cause or exacerbate hip problems. Your dog should get regular exercise, to keep his muscles strong.
If your shepherd is experiencing some hip problems, consider a non-weight-bearing exercise like swimming instead of running or walking.
Regular massage sessions or acupuncture may help your dogs joints stay healthy. You might consider a supportive or orthopedic dog bed to relieve the stress on your dogs joints.
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Youâll also rediscover 40 home remedies our grandparents taught us that doctors still use or prescribe. These have once again become very important for people who like try a more natural approach. For example, you can tackle some headaches using a potato, deal with bug bites using toothpaste, lower fever with vinegar, detox over night sleeping with half an onion in socks, make cough syrup from black radish, and many others.
Keep Their Nails Trimmed
Many owners dont know this, but your dog walks on their toes or digits, called digitigrade walking. This means they need to feel the surface beneath their toes in order to provide feedback for their balance and prevent falls.
Keeping your dogs nails trimmed isnt only healthy paw care, but it allows them to maintain their natural gait and smooth walking, which assists in their balance.
Ignoring your dogs foot health, especially when they have hip problems, can create a multitude of additional health and joint pain down the road. When their nails are too long, they may change their gait which can cause skeletal changes and aggravate arthritis in their feet and toes .
Dont let overgrown nails cause your dog pain!
You can trim their nails at home or ask your vets off to trim their nails. This is usually a small price and sometimes free with a regular visit.
And many dog groomers offer mobile services that cater specifically to older dogs or dogs with special care needs. Its not as expensive as you think and its free to call and ask the groomer for a quote.
Trust me, its better than keeping your dog in pain with overgrown nails.
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Our Orthopedic Hip Brace Was Born
Elizabeth knew that dog leg braces were highly effective in stabilizing and supporting joints. She knew exactly what Bella needed. Elizabeth and Karen Hartman designed and created the Ortho Dog Hip Hound brace. Bella became our Hip Hound model, and the first dog to wear and benefit from the brace for the majority of her life.
Diagnosing Hip Dysplasia In Dogs
At your dogs regular checkup, your veterinarian will perform a physical exam. Sometimes this exam is enough for your veterinarian to suspect hip dysplasia. In other cases, its up to owners to let veterinarians know that when dogs are experiencing discomfort.
One of the first things that your veterinarian may do is manipulate your dogs hind legs to test the looseness of the joint and to check for any grinding, pain, or reduced range of motion. Your dogs physical exam may include blood work because inflammation due to joint disease can be indicated in the complete blood count. Your veterinarian will also need a history of your dogs health and symptoms, any possible incidents or injuries that may have contributed to these symptoms, and any information you have about your dogs parentage.
The definitive diagnosis usually comes with a radiograph or X-ray. Your veterinarian will take radiographs of your dogs hips to determine the degree and severity of the hip dysplasia, which will help determine the best course of treatment for your dog.
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How Can I Tell If My Dog Has Hip Dysplasia
Initially, you may not be able to tell if your dog has hip dysplasia. Sometimes, there are no symptoms until they begin to limp or favor their hind legs. If symptoms are present, you might see some or all of the following:
- Stiffness in their back legs
- A decrease in thigh muscle mass
- Reduced activity
- Reluctance to climb stairs or get up
- Shoulder muscle growth from compensating for the pain in their hips
Practical Steps You Can Take
Making life easier for your German Shepherd with HD is as simple as asking yourself what will make it easier for my dog to move around?
We have tiled and wooden floors. These floor surfaces can be slippery and prevent your GSD from getting a good grip for walking.
For Charley, Ive laid down large rugs all over the house with non slip rug pads underneath. This makes her more confident to move around the house.
For more comfort and support you should consider buying your dog an orthopedic bed. Orthopedic beds are made from memory foam or gel, or both. And unlike regular dog beds the foam molds to the body.
There are 2 main benefits to this:
- Firm support for your dogs weaker hind quarters Soft and warm place to rest or sleep
Cold surfaces will stiffen the muscles, aggravate the pain. Making it difficult for your dog to get up.
I wanted the Furhaven Pet Orthopedic Mattress from Amazon, but the shipping costs to South Africa are 9 times the selling price. The local options I had werent great quality. So I had one made.
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Best Dog Exercises For Healthy Hips
An active dog is a happy dog. Talk with your veterinarian about creating a customized exercise program for your dog as every breed is different. Certain breeds will need to strengthen the muscles around the hip joint to eliminate pain.
Start with a 20-minute walk, twice a day. Make sure your dog avoids jumping and running long distances. And always avoid exercising on hard surfaces.
Swimming is actually a great exercise for your dog and can help with hip problems as well. Like a form of physical therapy.
Dog Hip Dysplasia Treatment
A combination of a healthy diet and maintaining a thin or average weight can help your dog maintain mobility and live a less painful life. Itâs essential to make sure they get an appropriate amount of exercise, have their joints massaged, and sleep in a warm and dry area.
Your vet will help you explore exercise and feeding options to help ease your dogâs pain. In some cases, joint supplements and prescription veterinary pain-relieving medication can help manage the condition. Your vet will help you find a daily pain-relieving program that is right for your dog.
Physical therapy can also help, along with joint supplements, joint fluid modifiers, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines or corticosteroids.
If your dog needs surgery to correct the condition, vets may perform a total hip replacement. They might also elect to perform a double or triple pelvic osteotomy, cutting the pelvic bone to make the joint fit better, or a femoral head ostectomy, a removal of the ball at the top of the femur.
If your dog is diagnosed early enough, such as 10 to 18 weeks, veterinarians can perform a juvenile pubic symphysiodesis , which closes a growth plate at the bottom of your dogâs pelvis and allows the joint to grow together.
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The Issues With Bad Breeders
When looking for German shepherd puppies, make sure the breeder checks their parents. Otherwise, look for another breeder.
You might need to learn about the reasons why you should make this call:
- Many breeders dont check the hips of the dogs. As long as theyre sure its a German shepherd, theres nothing they will do.
- Bad breeders tend to breed dogs that are 2 years old or younger. You may confirm that their parents dont have hip dysplasia, but they may be not old enough to show signs yet.
- They breed German shepherds knowing that they have the genes for hip dysplasia, all for commercial purposes.
These three issues push these breeders to lower their prices. The normal price ranges from $700 $1000. It may be lower from a breeder who knows of the hip issue of the German shepherd.
This is why its crucial that you buy from a good breeder. In addition to more expenses, you might have less play time with a German shepherd suffering from hip dysplasia.
Home Treatments For Hip Dysplasia
There are many home remedies to choose from for a natural and non-surgical approach to hip dysplasia in dogs.
They help your dog lose a couple of pounds and investing in anti-inflammatory medication to alleviate pain stiffness in the hip joint with a high-quality orthopedic dog bed.
Let’s take a look at 8 of the most popular home treatments for canine hip dysplasia and how they can improve their quality of life.
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Joint Supplements For Hip Dysplasia In Dogs
Vets often recommend a giving the dog a dose of glucosamine and chondroitin in the form of a chewable joint supplement for canine hip dysplasia.
Sometimes referred to as nutraceuticals, joint supplements packed with Omega-3 fatty acids are a powerful and natural home remedy that will decrease inflammation and pain associated with hip dysplasia and arthritis in dogs.
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Where Can You Buy A German Shepherd Puppy
The best place to get a German Shepherd puppy is through a German Shepherd breeder, and it it best to go through a reputable one.
If you plan on showing your dog or using them as a working dog, you may want to purchase from a breeder that specifically deals with this.
Breeders are not your only option. Some other reputable places you may be able to pick up a German Shepherd is through a shelter or charity.
However, due to the demand of purebreds, youre more likely to find a German Shepherd mix than a purebred through these means.
Equally, you must remember that while a good thing to do, going through a shelter or charity often gives you little insight into the previous owner. Even if it was for a short while, you do not know how your potential puppy was previously treated.
Also Puppies are often rare in shelters but you can find them from time to time.
Some not as reputable places, and not recommended, are to buy a German Shepherd puppy at bespoke pet stores, online, and through places like Craigslist.
You may be able to find a perfectly healthy purebred puppy through these means, however, there are quite a few reports of horror stories from these purchases.
You may have a friend who has a litter of German Shepherd puppies for sale, and though they may not be a breeder, you might feel confident purchasing from them as you know the puppies are pure and healthy.
Dog Acupuncture For Pain Relief
A rather unique dog hip dysplasia home treatment is acupuncture. Used to treat arthritis and joint inflammation, pups with hip dysplasia, or a long-term condition that impacts their joints and muscles can benefit from a pain-relieving acupuncture session.
Although not for everyone, this alternative treatment is said to improve your dog’s hip dysplasia, increase their range of motion and help them on their journey to a better quality of life.
If you liked this post, you might also like to read about what is a memory foam dog bed or how long can a dog live with hip dysplasia?
NOTE – If you are worried about your dog and their hip dysplasia, please make sure you consult your local veterinarian for professional advice form an expert.
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Proven German Shepherd Hip Pain Home Remedies
The fact of the matter is that at some point you may need to include German Shepherd hip pain home remedies as your companion begins to show their age.
Thankfully
There are plenty of natural pain relief options that you can use at home.
And, knowing how to help your German Shepherds hips doesnt mean you need to turn to costly prescription pain medication.
On the contrary, here are the best natural, prescription-free ways to help your GSD have a healthier, happier pain-free life.
Install Dog Ramps And Stairs
Ramps and dog stairs eliminate the need for your dog to jump and impact their joints.
Consider adapting your dogs environment to prevent pain from jumping on and off furniture or in and out of vehicles. High-car entrances and having to impact their hips to get in and out of bed to sleep with you can make your dog uncomfortable or worsen their joint problems.
You can get a slanted ramp so your dog can hop into your car the way he used to and make it possible to still enjoy your trips to your favorite hiking spots or coffee shops. Not to mention the obvious, but you might not be able to lift your large companion in and out of your car without having help, which isnt always available or suggested since you could hurt them.
A car ramp helps take the pressure off you and your GSD and make their usual routine a breeze as they simply walk up the ramp to sit next to you like your copilot on the passengers side.
And your favorite couch buddy wont be able to get himself up on a couch with their hip pain.
Be their hero by giving them an extra-wide carpeted staircase to sit next to you or bed down for the night.
Stairs and ramps help your GSD:
- get up and down off the furniture
- get in and out of the car
- entering and exiting their home
- reduce strain on their knees and hips
- prevent accidental slips and falls during uneven ground or jumps
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