Canine hip dysplasia hits home...

Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD). If you had asked me about hip dysplasia two months ago, my know-it-all answer would have been: A congenital infirmity of poorly and over bred dogs commonly seen in the larger purebreds such as German shepherds, sheepdogs and golden retrievers. I’d have told you to make sure you have your purebred puppy OFA certified before you bring her home from the breeder and to ensure that the breeder will take the dog back in the event it develops.

That was then, this is now. This week I learned that Jake, my handsome, agile, active, border collie -Australian cattle dog mix from the shelter, who lives to run has hip dysplasia. I’m shocked, I’m worried, and I’m very, very sad. How could this be? He doesn't fit the profile.

Less than two months ago, I took Jake on a weekend holiday to a remote part of Wisconsin. Jake has been going there since he was a new puppy in our household and he enjoys his time in the northwoods immensely. He loves running in the woods, bounding over obstacles, and chasing all the other critters away (although I’m always worried about the coyotes and porcupines). He loves running on the beach there and swimming. The beach is part of a bay that stretches as far as the eye can see to the north and south. We both like that beach and, frequently, we have it all to ourselves. Jake is a happy camper there.

We were returning home one Sunday, and with a five hour drive ahead of us, it seemed a good idea to give Jake all the exercise he demands. We did just that. Even if it was spring, the weather was still winter, so it was not time for Jake to swim in Lake Michigan, other than to walk in around the shore. So, we played with Jake’s obsession – the ever present tennis ball – most of the way up and back to the tip of the bay from the midpoint. Jake hustled for that ball, as he always does. Hustles to go get it, hustles to bring it back to me. On the shoreline. Into the dunes. He was going to be one tired doggie, that was for sure.

And, he was, indeed, tired. He slept most of the way back to our home. We stopped along the way, and as he arose in the back seat, it was a clear he was in no hurry to get out. On the ground, it looked like he had pulled a muscle. My first thought was that it isn’t easy being a “weekend warrior” and I considered whether he had worked too hard in comparison to the week. Still, Jake’s always running about, chasing squirrels, tennis balls and frisbees in the backyard.

In retrospect, it was as if someone had just flipped on the pain switch that day - and I wish I could find the switch and turn it off.

Jake seemed to improve during the week and, so, we visited the local dog park on the weekend. Normal visit to the park – chasing tennis balls, running with other dogs, a swim in the pond. By the time we were home, Jake was having trouble walking away from the car. I told myself that perhaps the pond had been too cold. No more cold ponds for Jake. That would fix it. And, I thought, he just hasn't recuperated yet from overdoing it in Wisconsin.

Then, it began to happen after our evening walk – no run, no chasing balls, no real exercise. Just a nice walk. It was more subtle at first – a slow movement to standing, a bit of extra stretching. I couldn’t tell if it affected his left leg or his right, until the day, after being at the dog park, he held his left rear paw up off the ground. But, I thought, it seems to be his right leg, too. I called his vet, Dr. Grogman, and we agreed to wait a little while to see if it would clear up on its own. It didn’t occur to me that he could have hip dysplasia until the evening I massaged his legs and confirmed Jake wasn’t sensitive at any point on them. It was then that I knew the trouble must be with his hips.

Dr. Grogman agreed it was time to diagnose his problem. Under general anesthesia, Jake’s hips and legs were x-rayed, and the doctor could manipulate his legs to see the range of motion. The tests confirmed hip dysplasia in both hips -- with the worst of it on the right side. The doctor reviewed the x-rays in detail with me. Not the worst case she’d seen, but on a scale of 1-10, about a 4. Any number on that scale would upset me in light of the difficulties Jake was having.

I listened carefully to Dr. Grogman as she covered the alternatives for treating Jake. Frankly, it was difficult to hear her because my mind, at that moment, was focused on what will become of Jake if he can’t run? if he can’t stand? and how can this be? why? In any event, I had researched hip dysplasia before our visit to the vet and knew that none of the solutions seem very good for Jake.

In future blog entries, I’ll describe the treatment we’re going to follow. Whatever comes next, we'll do it together. Jake deserves the best -- he's such a fine doggie. He loves running and we're going to keep doing that for as long as possible. Meanwhile, if you’ve had experience with canine hip dysplasia, please share it with us – especially if it will be positive! You'll find below some general information on CHD.