I would like to know what I can expect for Puck. I'm trying to do a lot of research so I know what to expect as he ages. He is 8 months now, has been diagnosed with HD, and is on 30 days bed rest. The vet recommended a surgical consult, but he said Puck might not be bad enough for it yet. I just wanted to know if any of you senior lab owners experienced this problem and how it turned out. Also, has anyone had the triple pelvic osteotomy surgery for their labs when they were younger? Any insight from you guys is really appreciated! TIA!:cool:

It depends on the degree of severity, but if the HD isn't too bad, most dogs adjust to their limitations as they get older. The sad part is that they're more prone to developing arthritis at a younger age. The good news is that there are supplements that can help this.

Our HD senior Lab never had surgery.

Here's a link on TPO that might help you:
http://www.gcvs.com/surgery/triple_pelvic.htm

Wishing you all the best with Puck! I hope his bed rest will not be in vain.

One of our first Labs had HD-diagnosed at a young age. This was back in the 70's so there wasn't as much known about it then. I did take her to Cornell Univer. to see a specialist and back then they didn't do hip replacements unless the dog couldn't walk. Not sure about this day and age and being a candidate for the surgery.

Back then we gave bufferin for pain but as Lisa says there are a lot of things you can do today with natural supplements. I would, however, talk with a vet that knows the breed before using supp. on such a young, growing dog.

I would suggest high doses of vit. C. (to bowel tolerance - and not one with calcium in it), Glucosamine/chondroitin, alfalfa, EPA/DHA fish body oil - but again check with a vet. You don't want to over supplement a young dog.

When and if your pup exhibits pain in later years or arthritic pain, DLPA is a wonderful natural pain reliever as well. You can google DLPA and get a lot of info on it. Its all natural and can be given with any other supplements or meds. www.dogaware.com (http://www.dogaware.com) also has info. There is an article in this months Whole Dog Journal, written by the owner of the above site, about joint pain and natural supplements. I would stay away from NSAIDs as much as possible.

Best of luck with your baby. I know what you are going thru.

I just want to tell you guys thank you so much for your response. It's so wonderful knowing that there are others who know what's going on! Thanks again for the suggestions!

Brie was Dx with minor HD last year. She'll be on Glucosamine/chondroitin for the rest of her life. Had a couple of surgical consults and both said the same thing, she's not severe enough for surgery and that she will live a nice long life.

1500mg of Glucosamine/chondroitin per day for the rest of her life. IMO it's a small price to pay and I'm glad I can avoid surgery for now. They also gave me the option to go back yearly for x-rays and a check up. However, since she's doing well and being her normal self, I think we'll forego that for a few more years.

We noticed she had a problem, because she wouldn't jump up on anything, wouldn't do stairs and we were actually carrying her to and from the backyard for a little while. Within 2-3 days of being on Glucosamine/chondroitin she was like a spring chicken!

Good luck - I know a lot of people on the board have experience with HD in young puppers.

Forgot to mention that we kept our Lab slightly under weight (about 4-5 lbs under). The less weight they have to carry the easier on the hips. Especially in senior years.

When your pup gets to the age that running and playing causes pain at night or the next day, I would supplement with bufferin before you even see the pain. You will learn to gauge your pup on how long and how rough he plays to cause pain as time goes on.

Massage and magnetic therapy can help too. Magnetic dog beds are great! My old girl with arthritis slept on one every night.

The key is to start supplementing naturally as soon as the vet says it is safe (age wise) to help prevent the long term effects of HD pain wise.

Forgot to mention that we kept our Lab slightly under weight (about 4-5 lbs under). The less weight they have to carry the easier on the hips. Especially in senior years.


Yes, this has been scientifically proven and my vet did tell me that a fit/lean labbie does better.

Thanks guys. Puck apparently is too heavy, at 81 lbs, but he's tall and doesn't even look overwieght. He has a tuck in the waist and everything, but the vet said he needs to lose 20 lbs. Puck's parents were both massive dogs, almost as tall as great danes. We're on Nutro weight management, and he gets fewer treats, so hopefullly that does it. Also, we've put him on 1500mg of glucosamine a day for 30 days, and then down to 500mg a day after. I can't thank y'all enough for your help. I'll be able to sleep better now.

If Puck is a tall Lab and has a waist line I would hesitate to drop 20 lbs.

That sounds like too much in my opinion. Can you post a side veiw pic of him?

I'm not nocking your vet but they aren't always correct. For example:

I have a pup buyer who's vet kept on them about not letting their pup get fat and I was appalled at how skinny he was the first time he came back for a visit. I'm not kidding when I say he looked like a Bioferin (sp). I had the pup with me for 4 days so i was able to increase his food and instruct them to continue this. Thank God they listened to me.

The vet also said the pup would only go to 65 lbs.

Dam is 75 and Sire is 85-90. This pup now weighs 80+ lbs. at 8 months and is not fat.

So, there you have it.

I'm not sure why your vet would say that your pup may not be bad enough off yet for a surgical consult?? TPO surgery must be done on dogs 1 year of age or younger. The reason is that once any degeneration has set into the hips it is too late for the surgeries. My dog had TPO done on both hips by the age of 1. He is now 7 and has done wonderfully. TPO is considered a corrective procedure and therefore the best choice if your are thinking or surgeries of any kind for the HD. Both hip replacement and FHO are considered salvage procedures and are much harder on the dog being that they are older when it's done. I'm not saying that TPO is a picnic but it allows them to have a normal life.