Young Doodle with Early Onset Arthritis

[Tina McNerthney]

Hello everyone:

My doodle, Baxter, who is about 1 year 8 months old, has had episodes of hind leg limping on and off since July. At first, we thought maybe he overdid it running at the dog park. However, the limping has become a frequent problem that takes a long time to heal. Our vet recommended we get x-rays of Baxter's hips and knees. He had to be sedated and it was a costly procedure (another reason I am so glad I purchased Healthy Paws pet insurance when Baxter was 8 weeks old as he is covered for hip issues since the symptoms appeared after the one year waiting period for hip dysplasia). The radiograph readings show early signs of arthritis, very likely attributed to hip problems.

I am frustrated and we're taking Baxter to see a specialist who may do a PennHip test and will discuss options ranging from painkillers and antinflammatory medications to, potentially, something more radical like hip replacement sooner than later.

Baxter's parents both tested "excellent" for hips, but genes can be unpredictable.

Wondering if anyone else has had a doodle with early onset arthritis and hip issues and would recommend any supplements, treatment or thoughts on "wait and see" approach with some supplementation vs. surgery. We love Baxter and feel bad that, at such a young age, he's dealing with these issues. I want to do whatever I can to help him. I've heard there are some good supplements that can really help, but I also imagine that they will only help so much.

Thanks for your advice.

Sincerely,

-Tina

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I've never dealt with this myself, but I'm so sorry for you and Baxter.  Over the years, a few of our dogs have had arthritis, but they were much older, so it wasn't unexpected.  I'm glad you're going to see a Specialist...hope you get some answers and support.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm sorry to hear this Tina. I would definitely see the specialist sooner rather than later, because assuming your breeder has a 2 year health warranty, you're still in that window if he does indeed have hip dysplasia. I know $ is not your main concern, but getting a diagnosis and treatment early will also help Baxter. 

JD has some osteoarthritis, but that's age related and also related to his herniated lumbar disc. We've had some small success with cold laser therapy, it does seem to help him. We also do acupuncture, but I honestly can't tell if that's made any difference or not. 

One supplement that was recommended to me by a veterinary physical therapy specialist is Dasuquin ASU. We have not been able to try it due to Jack's also having digestive disease, but I asked about it here in the Health Group and some members who are using it said it's helped their dogs. One of those is Cheryl, whose Finnegan has HD.  I hope she will chime in here with advice for you. Here's a link to the discussion: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/healthandmedicalissues/forum/topi...

[Tina McNerthney]

Thanks, Karen! 

My breeder does have the 2 year guarantee, which is among the reasons I am getting Baxter tested and set up to see a specialist. Mostly I care about preventing further damage as much s possible.

Everyone is raving about Dasuquin and Baxter does not have any allergies or sensitivities as far as we are aware, so I'm going to get him started on that as part of his daily routine.

Thank you for the link to the HD discussion. I see there is a forum just for this condition and will join that group.

I really do appreciate all the advice and kind thoughts so much. It's good to hear from others that I am doing the right thing!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The Dasuquin formula that was recommended to me is Dasuquin ASU. The ASU is a proprietary blend of avocado and soy saponins (whatever those are) and the specialists that I talked to said that it's believed that ASU is what may be helping more than the glucosamine chondroitin.

I know there have been clinical trials for Dasuquin; I did not see any for Connectin. With this kind of thing, word-of-mouth really isn't good enough, IMO. You need some documented evidence of effectiveness behind anything you try. 

[Tina McNerthney]

The Connectin indicate specifically indicates that clinical studies have been conducted. I posted a link to the page where they talk about the studies. I'm not sold, but I am interested in learning more about the product. For now, I will go with the Dasuquin ASU.

http://inclover.com/not-all-clinical-studies-are-created-equal/

I'm not seeing any link to a study though, which always makes me a bit wary.

[Tina McNerthney]

Karen and Cheryl:

Have you ever heard of the supplement Connectin? It's another joint supplement I've recently been hearing about? It looks promising.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I don't know anything about Connectin. I see it contains Yucca which I have successfully used for horses but Connectin's description of their clinical trials which sounds impressive is really pretty vague.  " A major university" etc., strikes me as more marketing than science but maybe that's just me.  I guess I'd need to know more.

[Tina McNerthney]

Cheryl,

I agree. I went to Chewy.com and ordered the Dasuquin ASU chewys since I think Baxter would prefer it to pills and one of the big bags of Acana dry food. Luckily, Bax isn't picky or sensitive about food and loves it all!

Which Acana blend do you feed Finn? I see there are grain fee varieties and special diet varieties. My vet says for a dog like Baxter, grain free isn't necessary and low grain might actually be preferred. I have heard that either grain free or low grain works as long as the quality of the food is really good and meat is the main ingredient. But you mentioned one has glucosamine? Or do all of their foods have it. I've also read that the ASU is more important than the glucosamine, so maybe doesn't matter but I also doubt it would hurt.

Take care and thanks, again!

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Tina, 

I feed Lamb and Apple right now but I've also fed the Chicken and Burbank Potato as well as the Pacifica.  I believe all of those have the glucosamine so I think it's part of their blend no matter what you choose. You're so lucky that Baxter loves all his food :)  

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Sorry you and Baxter are having to deal with this at such an early time in his life. I hope the specialist will have good info for you.  Having Arthritis myself, I do understand how medication can help tremendously, but it's never cured. Hopefully the specialist will know the meds and supplements to slow down the progression. Keep us posted and you are in my thoughts.

BTW: What does your breeder suggest? Has she had others with this issue?

[Tina McNerthney]

Sue,

Thanks for your kind words. I am looking forward to what the specialist says after we get to an appointment.

The breeder has not disclosed having other dogs with this issue, but it is really not in their best interest to do so (that's the cynic in me speaking). They immediately responded with concern when I let them know what was going on with Baxter and are going to have their vet and radiographer they work with look at Baxter's x-rays. They have asked me to keep them posted and they will compensate $1,000 if there is sufficient evidence that the issue is hip dysplasia.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

That really is fantastic news. You obviously have a reputable breeder. Its nice having that support.