For Dog Lovers.... Part 3

[RedRocksU2]

Ok, question for ya;

My dog tends to bite the side of her hip when she comes in the house. She does not cause any damage to her skin, but she "clamps" down to her skin....while making noises.
I took her to the vet and they gave her a shot to see if that would help (I forgot what it was they gave her), it did not. The vet also said to change her diet, I did...it did not help.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Liesje]

I'm guessing they gave her a cortisone injection. Did it help at all? Kenya had a few for chewing on her feet, and it helped for a few weeks but that was all.

Does it appear to be behavioral, or is she actually itching something? Itching could be a lot of things: mange, a bug bite, allergies, diet issues.

 

[RedRocksU2]

Yeah, that was it was. No it did not help. It appears as if it's really bugging her, but she does not chew to a point that she hurts herself.
So far, 2 shots; $152.

 

[Liesje]

Dang. I can't believe how prices get inflated depending on where you live. Our cortisone shots are $25. One month of Kenya's new meds (twice a day) is $15.

Has she had her hips x-rayed?

 

[RedRocksU2]

Dang. I can't believe how prices get inflated depending on where you live. Our cortisone shots are $25. One month of Kenya's new meds (twice a day) is $15.

Has she had her hips x-rayed?

ooooh, you might be into something.
She does have a little trouble getting up after she's been laying down.

 

[Liesje]

If the cortisone and diet change did absolutely nothing, I don't think it would hurt to check the hips. I've never heard of a dog chewing on sore hips, but you never know. My dog chews on her feet for absolutely no reason at all.

Maybe bring it up with the vet? I'm no expert on hip dysplasia and joint problems even though it's common in my breed. I do know that not all vets are created equal, and it takes somewhat of an expert to even position the dog correctly for an x-ray that can be accurately evaluated.

My only other thought is maybe it's not a joint problem but somehow something neurological, and it "tingles" or something when the dog moves a certain way or gets up?

I guess if it were my dog, I'd rule out a joint problem (and I do that anyway even with no symptoms, Nikon's already been pre-lim'd free of hip dysplasia and arthritis). Maybe do some massages and stretches for those joints and see if it helps. Swimming is good exercise without pounding on the joint.

 

[Angela Harlem]

Ok, question for ya;

My dog tends to bite the side of her hip when she comes in the house. She does not cause any damage to her skin, but she "clamps" down to her skin....while making noises.
I took her to the vet and they gave her a shot to see if that would help (I forgot what it was they gave her), it did not. The vet also said to change her diet, I did...it did not help.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.

you're sure it's definitely not a simple skin thing?

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

lies,
I need your help here.. I had read on the lab retriever message boards that its better to wait to spay your dog until after she goes thru her first heat cycle (basically at a year of age) due to joint and bone growth still developing. What's your take on this? I am torn here Gracie is gonna be 9 months here this month and could go into heat any day. The vets I spoke to haven't heard of this, I have only seen it brought up by many people on the message boards so far. I know vets side on getting it done by 6 months due to overpopulation etc but who should I rely on here, vets who I think are more experts or lab owners? I need to make a decision this week on whether to schedule the surgery now.

thanks in advance!

 

[Liesje]

The best is to wait until the dog is physically mature (for GSDs that is 18mos - 2 years). However, I don't really think there's a right and a wrong. There are several risks associated with either decision, and it really boils down to your family's lifestyle. Personally, with a pet I would not be against spaying at 9 months. Plenty of them are done at 8 weeks before they leave the shelter. Spaying for nonbreeding females is far more important than neutering nonbreeding males; females have greater risks when kept intact. What would be effected by spaying now is basically the dog's conformation and I doubt that means much to you. Sometimes you end up with a bigger/taller, leaner, leggier dog (however I've studied this more in males so maybe not as much with females....neutering male GSDs really early generally leaves you with a "bitchy" looking male that is too tall). If the dog is otherwise healthy I personally would have no problems spaying a 9 month old pet. Because of her breed, you *may* want to consider having her hips and elbows x-rayed for prelims if she's going to be put under anyway. For labs, GSDs, and other breeds prone to dysplasia and joint problems I think it's a really good idea (had Nikon done already). The only trick with that is finding a vet that's good with these x-rays. They need to be positioned correctly or it's nearly impossible to get an accurate reading. Bad positioning can make hips that would pass OFA look dysplastic. If you get good films you can submit them to OFA for a prelim reading. I think they have a "panel" so more than one vet looks at them. I didn't submit Nikon's because the person who did his is the world's expert in veterinary radiology and had already been on the OFA panel. I've read that I the prelim x-rays are like 75-85% accurate in determining arthritis/hip dysplasia, so if you have an active dog of a breed prone, it's not a bad idea to do them so you know if the dog's joints are developing OK.

If you do the spay I'd do it soon. Once the dog is in heat it's much more risky and expensive to do the spay, and then they would probably want you to wait a few months after the cycle.

If you want to wait (or never do it), don't let anyone make you feel like you're irresponsible. I get that all the time with Nikon, "pet over population" bla bla bla when the truth is that the pet overpopulation in shelters is NOT caused by responsible pet owners and reputable breeders. Plenty of people have multiple intact animals and never have fights, unwanted breedings, etc.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

thanks lies,
I am really kicking myself for not taking care of this before now cuz the vet I want to take her too doesn't have a surgical appt available for 2 weeks so if she goes into heat between now and then I will have to wait something like 8 weeks after she goes into heat. I don't know what to do... I did make a appt for a exam on 6/20, a saturday so hopefully she won't go into heat.. ugh...

we are going to ireland mid july so I was hoping I could take care of this before then and that my sister in law and brother in law wouldn't have to deal with her being in heat.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

update, I spoke to gracie's breeder and she told me that the dam and all the girl puppies that she has bred have gone into heat late, around a year or so. So I am gonna take her in next week to the vet that I wanted her to see in the first place and not this other one I had her booked for on friday. I feel so much better.... So relieved, I was gawd, it could be any day and if I wait a week what if she goes into heat then I would have to wait several weeks to do it.. was so stressed..

 

[Liesje]

Phew! Nikon's sisters have been through heat and they're 9 months.

 

[samralf]

I thought I'd give y'all an update on Wally. He graduated from his Rookie Rover class with flying colors!!! He is an awesome Sheltie. There was a female with dog issues and we were asked to help with her because Wally is so calm. He was able to eat treats sitting next to her, sniff nose to nose, and walk next to her. I am so proud of him being able to help another doggie!!

 

[dazzledbylight]

hey dogsters

2 questions (no rush- just curious)

just what IS hip dyspalasia? I'd been thinking of this question for the last several weeks to ask you all... just timing it's in the current page of discussion.
I know it's due to pure-bred breeding issues, and causes mild to severe walking/running problems.

I'm guessing that is the hip bones are no longer formed in a way that is optimal for the dog & whether the upper leg bone not longer fits into the hip socket as well as it could, OR it causes the legs- how the legs come down, whether the feet end up being placed, which effect the gait which has issuers down the line/ or current. .
If it's a more active type of dog from breed type, and added personality variance- problems a can show up sooner? Maybe in some dogs it shows up earlier that others, since no 2 dogs are exactly alike.

2) Are whippets bigger, or smaller than greyhounds?

I saw a beautiful whippet last weekend.
What was surprising to me was the coloring> the owner said it was a brindle.
So it was mostly beige with flecks of darker beige & gray. very interesting.


good luck with your dog - carlos!


Congrats to Wally for his graduation and helping another dog!

 

[Liesje]

Whippets are smaller than Greyhounds, and Italian Greyhounds (Iggy) are even smaller yet. Brindle pattern happens in many breeds but is always very striking.

Will explain HD later. Despite what people commonly think (at least about German Shepherds) you cannot diagnose HD by watching a dog move (though you can guess and be right!). A dog's rear angulation and angle of croup is separate from how their hips fit in their sockets. Many American line German shepherds have insane angulation in the rear, so their butts are low, they gait down on their hocks, but these dogs are no more likely to be displastic than a German Shepherd with little angulation that stands square.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

I am a worried furmama gracie goes under the knife wednesday and stays overnite with the vet that I wanted her to see. My lil girl I am sure she will be ok but I am sure you all know what I am talking about. I am going to make sure she has her fav pillow and blanket when I take her in wed morning.

Just had to spill it.thx for listening.

 

[dazzledbylight]

good luck U2F4 for gracie!

if you have any leanings toward complementary medicine & such.........
and have access to a Health Food store or an amenable Pharmacy I suggest (homeopathic) Bach (insert rest of name) Remedies.....
.... their item called Rescue Remedy .

It was started for people.
There are many people with fur kids who find it very useful when an animal is sick,injured, very stressed out etc.




thanks liesje

wow, i guess I thought whippets were smaller than what I saw, b/c i thot it was a greyhound - i asked.

I don't think i've ever seen a dog in my nabe or eleswhere around the boroughs with a brindle pattern... which why it doubly caught my attention!

 

[Liesje]

One of my favorite breeds - the Dutch Shepherd - is usually brindle. Others are/can be Akitas, Boxers, pit bulls/staffies/bullies, Mastiffs, Basenjis, Plotts, Great Danes....

(2 brindle Dutch Shepherds)

 

[Liesje]

OK as for hip dysplasia, basically that means there is some malformation of the hip joint, which is a ball-and-socket type joint. There are two components - how the ball fits into the socket (how much coverage there is, the more the better), and the shape of the ball joint. Laxity and/or misshapen femoral heads = hip dysplasia. To confirm, you x-ray the hips. There is no hard line of what is HD and what isn't. In North America, two organizations review x-rays and "grade" hips, PennHIP and OFA. Because the OFA has an online searchable database, it is more commonly used. But, the accuracy of the grading/diagnosis is really only as good as the person taking the films and the person reading them. Bad films (bad positioning) are impossible to grade accurately and often are sent back, especially if the dog is not obviously dysplastic or obviously not dysplastic (some hips look so good, even poor positioning doesn't matter). Luckily, my breeder's husband is basically the world expert in veterinary radiology and now runs a clinic from their home. He did Nikon's hip and elbow prelims at 7 months and he will do them again at 2 years where they will be submitted for a grade/score (even though he is every bit as qualified to read the films himself and had a hand in starting both of these organizations, plus all the research).

Basically, what HD means for a dog is arthritis in the hips. There is a huge spectrum of severity. For example THIS DOG is mildly dysplastic and is a nationally ranked agility dog. I know of another GSD that has already had a hip replacement and isn't yet 3 years old. Borderline or mild dogs can often be managed with joint supplements, keeping them very lean, and avoiding activities that stress these joints.

 

[Liesje]

This weekend was big for Nikon.

On Friday, we had 6 hours of Schutzhund training. On top of that, the breeder and owner of Nikon's father was visiting from Germany. He breeds and trains dogs, and is a breed warden and SV judge. He wanted to see Nikon and complimented him very much. I'm waiting for our picture. Luckily, Nikon did REALLY well in all the obedience exercises and his bitework was also good.

Saturday Nikon took the CGC test a week early. He passed nine of ten test items. Two weeks ago I was laughing about this test being a waste of the instructor's time. But, in just two weeks he has learned to do the heeling pattern, heel through a crowd, and heel past another dog!

Sunday was the last day of the UKC Premier, a HUGE annual dog event. We took Nikon along and the dock diving club let us enter the drop-in at the practice pool, so we had lots of turns acclimating Nikon to the pool and the dock diving equipment.

Here's a few pics from the Premier:

 

[dazzledbylight]

cool pics!
good for Nikkon!


thsnks for the info
So a mishappened ball joint at the top of the fermoral bone is one type

but the other type is ? if the way the socket in the hip is not as enclosed as it should be for that type of socket

like the human shoulder bone socket for the head of our upper arm is a relatively flat-tish socket VS out hip bone socket which is deep and it should be deep covering a lot of our femora <sp?> bone ball-joint at the top of the bone.

 

[Liesje]

It's not really a type, they are just both components of the syndrome. From German Shepherd Central, "In dogs who are suffering from hip dysplasia, the ball does not fit snugly within the socket; the head of the femur can be shaped incorrectly, or be a loose fit with the pelvis, or both. This condition causes unusually heavy friction on the joint as the dog moves, which in turn can lead to osteoarthritis, a painful inflammation of the joint."

These are some terrible, terrible hips. These pics literally turn my stomach.

Now these are good/normal hips at 6 months

These were Nikon's hips at 7 months (the lines in the ball joints are growth plates not yet closed)

Here is an example of an x-ray that is horribly positioned, BUT the dog is so dysplastic it is obvious even with the positioning. Notice how there is no coverage AND the shape of the femoral head is terrible.

So yes, the more coverage the better. The smoother/rounder the femoral head, the better.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

well, today is the day... I am off to take Gracie to the Vet this morning for her exam and spaying. I will miss her and be a worried furmama all day today. I pick her up tomorrow..

 

[Liesje]

How's Gracie?

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

How's Gracie?

she's doing ok

i just brought her home this afternoon.. she has the comfy cone(bought it at petco) on her head..

awww poor thing...

she has a slight ear infection, so i have ear drops.. Pain meds and eye drops from a irriatation in her left eye from the anathesia.. Ugh.. Otherwise she seems in good spirits.. what a trooper!

 

[daygloeyes2]

Awww hope Gracie is doing OK.

This is Phoebe, our newest addition.

 

[Reggo]

Update on my puppy:

My little, sweet 6-pound puppy has turned into a 25-pound monster! Puppies don't usually grow that fast in two months, do they?
Anyway, Patches, the heeler, is still having an issue with biting, though he's getting better about it. If we say "ow!" and flinch (natural reaction anyway), he backs away and doesn't come back to play until he's invited, unless he wants to see if we're okay, and then he comes back to sniff or lick and apologise.
He's definitely got his herding instinct down. My brother got away from me in the backyard and I told Patches to go get his boy. Patches dragged my brother back to me by the seat of his pants. Got much praise and a treat for that.
Eats toilet paper like it's some doggie delicacy. Of all the things he could chewon in the house, toilet paper isn't the worst, but it's kinda weird.
I was doing so great at being an alpha dog, or at least, higher up in the pack, but now he won't listen to me without being bribed, especially for going in his crate. I have to throw at least a piece of dog food in the crate for him to go in, and even then sometimes he'll sit just out of reach and bark at me. So I try to creep up on him, he barks and runs and he's so dran fast that I can't catch him. And he knows just where to hide where I can't reach, or where he has more than one way out. He's outsmarted me. He'll still do his tricks and he is mostly a mellow and well-behaved dog (that eats toilet papare and loves having make-up put on him), but I don't know how to assert my dominance again, other than going back to spitting in his food or something. Gross.
Any ideas?

 

[Liesje]

Reggo, we need pics of your dog!!!

As for the training issue, it is simply that, a training issue. I'm not sure how the dog was being trained or what methods you use, but all those theories about "dominance" and being an "alpha" are very outdated, no longer hold any weight when dealing with training domestic dogs. Which actually makes your problem a lot easier, you do not have a dominance problem, you have a young dog that just doesn't know what you want, yet.

Basically it boils down to this: dogs do what works for them. They do not want to cause conflict, to constantly try to dominate everything. They just want food, toys, and love. If you show them the fastest way to get those things and are consistent, they will do it for you.

How have you been training the dog to come to you and go in the crate? I can give you some great suggestions but it's easier with a little more background.

 

[samralf]

Hey Lies, I was wondering how Bailey is doing? Did she move south?

 

[Liesje]

Yeah she did, haven't seen her in over a month. The club they were going to join is having a show next month, but I'm not going. Had to draw the line somewhere, my bank account is not a bottomless pit!