Devasted.... My 11 month old VA pup has dysplasia. - Page 1

I suppose the signs were there but maybe I just didnt want to believe this would happen to my pup.He always did have slightly wiggly hips and swung his leg out when he walked sometime, but he is perfect in every other respect... He didnt really seem to be bothered in any way and has always run like a trooper, but as I said he just had a very slightly odd gait-though not always. I suppose it was slightly worse as a puppy and I thought it was just because he was somewhat gangly and that the different growth spurts of his bones were perhaps throwing him off balance. Anyway decided to get an xray just to satisfy myself. We anaesthetised him and examined him first, after the anesthetic. Vet said he has very tight hips with no laxity and could not elicit ortolani/barlow signs. Good news I thought, but lets look at the xray. Strapped him up accordingly and took the xray. I have to admit that although the xray is not perfect, with the pelvis having a very slight rotation to the left, it shows a slight difference of the left head of the femur, this one being slightly smaller than the right and with more of a gap between the socket and head compared to the right. Good socket development though and norberg angles about 100-105 degrees on the left. overall the vet said it is mild only with no obvious arthrtic changes yet, but will probably worsen. Said needs definitive xray in one year, but doesnt sound hopeful. Today however, my pup seems stiff and bunny hops, which of course he would be as a result of the strapping and manipulation under anaesthetic aggravating his condition. I suppose that if he had a normal hip the manipulation shouldnt have caused any pain or stiffness-not in a 11 month old pup at least. Anyway I am completely devastated for the pup as well as bursting my own show/ breeding and sports training bubble completely.

So sorry, been there, done that. I know how you feel. Why don't you send the xray to OFA and see what they think? If the positioning is not perfect, it could make a big difference. I've had dogs with normal hips act stiff after a hip xray and they were not strapped down for the film. I'd think the palpatating of the hips probably caused some discomfort too. He may never have any problems with lameness. Was this a Penn Hip xray using a wedge?

Klekoni, my statements are not intended as a second guess to the observations of your veterinarian. I commend you for making a medical analysis rather than a subjective analysis by merely observing the dog in motion. You say the pelvic socket was well developed (I presume both sides), at least on one has a decent Norberg angle displacement. If you wish to have a more definitive answer, I suggest that the puppy is examined again in the future and a good example of the x-ray is sent to the O.F.A. for a preliminary evaluation. I would not write off the future of this dog just yet. The tight hips are a definite plus for any puppy. I would wait a few weeks and examine again the puppy. You have probably read here about hips that are score "a"3 by the S.V. at twelve (12) months of age, and later pass as O.F.A. Good at twenty-four (24) months of age. While it is not the norm, it does happen. Occassionally a pair of hips does improve slightly. The observation of a "bunny hop" is merely a clinic sign, and not a scientific analysis. Even dogs with good or better hips sometimes have this type of motion in the rear carriage due to lack of coordination-especially while young. But, I know that we all get nervous when we see this. I advise to be careful with the puppy, but give the puppy a chance. Perhaps the observed movement is due to a severe sprain that may take weeks to heal-been there myself and the examined puppy had decent hips. Good Luck, Bob-O