hip dysplasia?

[Kimberly Risley]

I hopefully will be getting a Goldendoodle this year. Was thinking about the Hip Dysplasia. Is there any "natural" ways to try to prevent that. For me what comes to mind is giving the dog a natural dog diet even some "raw" food. Also making sure the dog gets the right dog vitamins, which would supplement his diet.

I have changed out cats food over to more natural diet and do give her cat vitamins. I do go with these foods, Pure Vita - (Dry Food Grain Free Chicken), Blue, Innova, Taste of the Wild, Blue Wilderness. That's may cats selection for foods. Dry and Wet. I plan to do the same for the dog.

Trying to see what would help reduce the possibility of Hip Dyslasia causing problems for the dog later in years.

 

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

The answer is yes! There is much you can do to prevent hip dysplasia. The natural protection starts right after birth. I make sure my puppies are always on a surface that they cannot slip on. I use fleece usually.

Mom's diet is important. I feed raw and a large variety of things. Puppies should never play on a slippery surface and that goes for the whole time they are growing...until one year of age. Frequent stair use is not good. Especially going down. Over exercising is a biggy. I just talked to a new owner who is taking her puppy of 3 months on 8 km runs. I told her if it was one of my puppies, she would have forfited her warrenty.

A natural raw diet and maintaining a proper weight is also very important. They need to look skinny. Especially while growing. I give extra warrenty to those that continue to feed raw after my puppies leave here. I have done quite a bit of reading and all books I have read agree that the environment counts for 60 to 75% of the cause of hip dysplasia and 40 to 25% is predisposition.

Another thing that I have been taught by my trainer/mentor, and this is huge, is that you should never push on a puppy's butt or croup to get them to sit. That can stretch the ligaments and cause tiny tears that cause the hip joint to be unstable. Over time, a looser joint can cause problems.

There is a lot of good information about this in Dr Ian Billinghurt's books like "how to grow your pup with bones". I know he has a newer one out, but I have not read it. He maintains that it takes 3 generations for all the benefits of the raw diet to kick in. My dogs are many generations of raw. 4 generations here, and the ones I got from OZ were many generations raw before I got them.

[Kimberly Risley]

Thanks for the tips, was going to be doing raw with the dog. My cat really didn't take to it to well. Of course didn't start her on a healthier diet until she was about 6 years. But may still try. Now I do have a few stairs in my house 4 steps in our house. Plus 4 steps that go from our hangar to our house. Believe it or not we live in Florida and we have steps in a one story house. :-0  Can the dog go up and down stairs by them selves after one right? Hat to be carrying a 40-50 pound dog up and down stairs for 15-17 years...

Yes I was planning on taking the dog on "walks" we do, but they are walks for a couple of miles and not everyday.  Other then the standard dog play that will be the exercise.  I feel running is not good for human's either we were not design to run that much only to get away from danger.

I'll have to see what the breeder we may be going with is feeding the dogs. But I doubt raw, I have a feeling raw may be uncommon among breeders.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I would also recommend supplementing your pup with Vitamin C. There is a lot of info on the web about Vit. C preventing and being used as a remedy for hip dysplasia. I had a good experience with it in the past when my 6 month old black lab was diagnosed with it. Here is one link to a site that discusses doses, etc.

http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/hip_dysplasia.html

[Kimberly Risley]

Yes just found out about Vit. C. Which is a good thing, my husband and I take Vit. C daily for our self in powder form. So will not have a problem giving it to the dog. Vit C is great.

I just found that same website!