Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:19 am Post subject: Do I start worrying now.
I just took Harvey to the vets to get his vaccanation done and his kennel cough vac, god love him he was such a good boy, he didnt even cry. Only because he was chewing on a treat lol. The Vet checked him all over and checked his hips, Harvey let out a yelp. The Doctor said not to worry at this stage as he could of been just a sook and not liked being felt there, but she said to take precautions and the next 6 months I have to be careful with him. She said I have to feed him on Science Diet kibbles and take him for short walks and no jogging. She also said if I want, when he gets desexed they can xray him. She did reassure me not to stress, But I am. I hope my boy is ok. If for some reason his hips are playing up, what would happen to him? Glen is under the impression that you have to put im down. I dont want to even go there.
Apart from that bit of upsetting news, he is very healthy boy, he has dirty ears, but I will give them a clean, I was given some anti septic for his tummy as he has been chewing on it and the doc told me to put a cotton sheet over his bed as it could be irratating him.
He is now 7.2 kilos at 10 weeks. He has put on 3.4 kilos on in 18 days She said that he will probably triple that size in another 3 weeks. LOL he is a boofa.
I have ad very little experince with hip problems apart from that fact that we are monitoring 9 month old Henry at the moment as he MAY have it.
Firstly, don't panic.
2. You don't need to feed science diet - the vet get paid to recommend it. A good, natural food like Burns is better.
3. Limiting puppy's exercise is important at this age anyway. be sensible.
4. You won't need to put him down! That's the most outragous comment! Problems can be fixed (I hope you have insurance just in case!) and it's been picked up early which is the main thing. I know there are lots of people on the forum who can share their experiences with you - Charlie comes to mind straight away.
5. His hips can settle down - he's still soooo young and the joints will take about 12 months to form fully so it may be something and nothing.
6. Keep his weight down - excess weight will add stress to underformed joints
7. If he's not stiff or lame or imping, he's not in pain and you shouldn't be either!!!
Hope tha helps and I know others will add to whatI've said!
Ok, firstly I think the vet is being a little overboard to scare you like that.
Excersise should be limited for the first year of life, a good rule to follow is the 5 minute per month of age , so at 3 months, 15 mins exercise, 4 months 20 etc.
Do not allow pup to run up and down stairs, common sense stuff really, as damage can be done to young , soft joints.
I think alot of young pups would complain at having their hips pulled about, so I do not think this is a sign of a hip problem.
If you feeding a good quality puppy food, I see no reason to change.
HTH , I am sure others with more experience will be along to offer more advice xx
____________ I am only responsible for what I say, not for what you understand !
Don't panic. Just keep an eye on him and make sure he is not being over-exercised, as has already been said.
If you are happy with the food your pup is already on and he is doing well on it then I wouldn't bother changing either. Vets often get commission on the foods they sell anyway. All dogs and cats would be on science plan or whatever if they had their way.
Make sure that you have proper insurance in place. You really don't know for sure yet that there is a problem. Maybe Harvey simply did not take kindly to having his legs manipulated. Even if there is a problem, with proper insurance cover there is a lot that can be done, almost as much for dogs now as for humans in many instances so the comment about putting him to sleep is way too drastic.
There are users on here who have experience of hip problems with their dogs (I am thinking of Charliesmum - Wendy) and may have additional advice to offer.
Thank you everyone for your kind words, it has made me more at ease. First of all, I have got insurance, it was the first thing I did when I got Harvey. With the vets, its through the RSPCA which its a non profit organisation, they only charge you for the consulation and medication. They are there for the animals not for the money, so thats why I dont mind them telling me to put Harvey on Hills. They dont sell it at the clinic, so I know they are not making any commission out of it. At the moment I am still trying to find a suitable kibble. I have tried Harvey on a few being Advance & Royal Canine. Harvey turned his nose up at Advance, so I gave him some Royal Canine, which he didnt mind, but the vets said its too expensive and Hills or Eukabana is much better for a growing body.
I think when Harvey gets desexed I am going to get the x rays done, just to give me some peace of mind. Im sure its nothing, but I am just a worry wart. Sorry for babbling on. Thanks everyone. xoxo
Oh poor Harvey!! Like others have said, it's probably nothing, so keep your chin up (as hard as I know it will be). When do you get him desexed? X-rays sound good if only for peace of mind
Do you mind me asking how much your pet insurance is with RSPCA? I need to organise insurance for Ruby fairly soon, and was thinking about going with PetPlan. I like the idea of my money going to a worthy cause like RSPCA, but not if they are like 4 times the cost of PetPlan!
I used Hill's for my GSD until he was two. I wanted his bones to form well and for him not to grow too fast. I'm sure other dog foods are just as good but it depends what you are happiest with. At least if you try the Hill's and he doesn't eat it, you are guaranteed your money back.
I hope you are happier now about Harvey's hips.
Lots of good advice here. I don't know if anyone has mentioned to keep him away from stairs until you know there's no problem.
It's a good idea to get his hips X rayed whilst he's having his furry plums removed.
Hi Rachael
sorry to hear you are so worried about Harvey - what a cutie by the way.
I think the vet is right by telling you not to worry at this stage. Maybe little Harvey was just letting the vet know that he'd had enough messing about with and wanted leaving alone to eat his chew!!!!
There are several things that you can do to reduce the risk of potential hip problems.
1, keep his weight down
2, stick to the '5 minute rule' ie 5 minutes exercise for every month of his life so, when he is 3 months he needs 15 minutes walk per day, at 4 months it is 20 mins etc
3, don't let him climb stairs or if he has to, then he needs to do it in a controlled manner
4, Don't let him jump up or climb on furniture
Just out of interest, were Harvey's parents health checked? If so. do you know their hip scores?
If I were you, when he is castrated I would get the vet to x-ray his hips while he is under GA.
Please don't let all this spoil the enjoyment of having a pup as hopefully his hips will be fine.
Quote:
Glen is under the impression that you have to put im down. I dont want to even go there.
Absolutely NOT. Charlie had severe hip dysplasia and needed his hips replacing when he was just under 1 year old. He is now 16 months and racing around like a normal lab, enjoying a very active and painfree life
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