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

[Tina McNerthney]

Sue,

My breeders are supportive but I have to question their judgment now that I found out (yesterday) that they send PDF copies of x-rays I sent to them (along with other records) to a veterinarian to review. The veterinarian studied the PDF images (which were not clear, as actual digital images would be and are really not even the greatest copies) and determined that everything is "good" and saw nothing out of the ordinary in the images. The vet's findings are based on an evaluation that follows guidelines "similar" to those of an OFA hip test. They thought when I sent them the records I was sending them the "best information available." I was planning to get them the digital images after I'd had a specialist review them and I told them I am going to a specialist for further diagnostics. I had no idea they were going to have the poor quality PDFs reviewed and probably should not have provided any records to them until I'd followed up with specialist.

Thankfully, they are a kind couple who indicated they would review any other tests I have done and want me to send them and their vet the digital images. They indicated they have had no problems with any other dogs from Baxter's mother (and father) and Baxter's mother was retired after her third litter this year (which I agree is a good practice). 

I noticed this evening Baxter is limping again this evening. I let him run around a little bit today after days of taking it easy and I am unsettled. 

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

My Wally, who is now nine, was diagnosed with hip dysplasia when he was about a year old. The orthopedic vet who we saw was Dr. Nick Trout at Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston, author of the book, Tell Me Where It Hurts. Based on the condition of Wally's hips, Dr. Trout recommended a conservative approach with no surgery. He suggested these "treatments," and we have followed all of them:  1) Wally takes Dausequin with MSN daily, 2) We keep him very lean, partly by making 1/2 cup of green beans a part of each meal, so that he feels full without too many calories, 3) He gets lots of exercise to keep his muscles strong, 4) We discourage jumping, because of the hard landing on his hind legs. So, when we play ball, we throw the ball past him to allow him to run and retrieve it without catching it in mid-air, 5) We lift him out of the car (unless it's our van which is lower to the ground), but allow him to get in on his own, 6) We try to limit his stair climbing in the house, 7) We take him swimming as often as we can, 8) He takes 2 Fisol fish-oil capsules every day, and 9) He sees a chiropractor every month. So far (and thankfully), besides walking a bit like Marilyn Monroe, you would never know that he has "bad" hips. I hope that you are able to find the right approach for Baxter, so that he can live happily without pain.

[Tina McNerthney]

Laurie:

Thank you for sharing Wally's story. It sounds like you take fantastic care of him and have done everything you can with diet, exercise, prevention. 

I'm seeing some themes here: 1) Dasequin with MSN 2) health diet and keep weight down 3) Exercise not involving high impact activities, like swimming. 4) Limit stair climbing and climbing in general.

Baxter has that swagger you describe...I like your comparison to Marilyn Monroe's hips! 

I will get the Dasequin and start preparing some greens for Baxter (we humans have been eating more of them, too, so we'll all be in in together. 

Thanks for all the tips on how to modify activities! I am glad that Wally is nine and doing well despite early diagnosis of hip dysplasia!

[Stella]

If it hip dysplasia swimming may be contraindicated. A dysplastic joint is unstable (this is what creates the arthritis) and swimming is not good for unstable joints. It is safer, and better, to have them walking through water - so walking along a shoreline or on an underwater treadmill.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Hi Tina, Just checking in. I'm sorry to hear this but you're doing the right thing by seeing a specialist, the sooner the better.  Finn was diagnosed at the same age as Baxter. After a play session, he would lay down and couldn't get up.  It took a day or so for him to get back to normal.  After several episodes, I contacted a specialist. A good orthopedist will give you insight on the range of treatments appropriate for your boy.  For example, Finn's HD is mild.  I could see that his hip sockets are shallow so the head of the femur doest quite fit, but there were only small arthritic changes. Surgery was not recommended as an option for FInn although it might be for Baxter…and it can be very successful.  But for what it's worth, here's my program with FInn.  Most of it is common sense:

Dasaquin daily (it seems to have helped a lot)

Rimadyl for pain/inflammation.  Since we've changed our exercise program, we only use this sparingly and on an as needed basis.  Regular use has some nasty side effects.

Regular exercise is important but we take shorter walks now (like a mile not 2) or we take rest sessions. We avoid long walks on concrete because that makes him sore.  Grass or dirt paths are better.

Shorter play dates. Running and jumping etc. is fine but really rough play (like body slamming which he loves) is out. When the dogs get that excited, we usually leash them up for a time out or go for a short walk.  Also, I find that if he's been running or playing hard, I always walk him out to cool down (like with a horse).  I used to just put him in the car and take him home but when he got up from laying down - that's when he'd be the sorest.

Change in diet.  The specialist recommended Science Diet Joint and Mobility prescription food but because of what I've learned from Karen and the Food Group, I declined. I switched FInn to Acana because, besides all of its other good stuff, it contains glucosomine/chondriton and appropriate Omega6/3 ratios.  It's also important to keep their weight down so that there's not additional stress on their hips.

I use a massage technique I was taught a couple times a week and when we've been out in the cold, I'll sometimes put heat on his hips when we get home.

I don't know how much any of this helps but he's 5 now and hasn't shown any additional arthritic progression. Last week Finn had his annual exam and the vet could pull his hind leg out straight and flex it without Finn showing any discomfort.  He said most "normal dogs" don't have that good a range of motion.  I had to smile when he asked "We both saw those x-rays right?" If/when Finn's symptoms worsen, we'll seek out other treatments but so far, we've managed better than his original prognosis.

So keep us posted on what you find out with Baxter and good luck.  Definitely contact your breeder.  They need to know. 

[Tina McNerthney]

Cheryl:

Thank you for your very thoughtful reply. I have read a lot about Dasequin and, after reading your and Finn's story, I am going to get Baxter on it. Do you have to have a prescription or can you buy it online or elsewhere? If you have a great source, please share it with me.

I agree with you on the Rimadyl. Our vet prescribed it and we cut the dose in half and only used it when the limping was bad.

I never thought about the notion of "cooling down" and will do that from now on after Baxter's run around at the dog park. He doesn't do too much wrestling or rough play but I'll also watch that.

Baxter is on the grain free Fromm formula but I will look into the Acana because of the supplements it contains that are good for hips and joints.

I am going to take Baxter to a specialist to see what will be best for him and will keep everyone posted.

I am so glad to hear that Finn has not gotten any worse and that early intervention and attention to detail on your part has helped stave off progression on his symptoms. You are a good dog parent!

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

OK here's some interesting info.  I get Finn's Dasuquin through his vet.  You don't need a prescription for Dasuquin but it is meant to be a veterinarian-sold product only.  I see that it's available online through a number of outlets ( Amazon, 1-800-PetMeds, and Chewy.com) at a lower price but I have also seen complaints that the product sold is expired or close to its expiration date. I have spoken directly with Nutramax Laboratories and they say sales online are not allowed, they do not sell to online outlets, and they have a team trying to determine if these are really Dasuquin products and shut internet sales down (????).  Hmmmm…..

This year, in addition to Dasuquin and Dasuquin MSN, Nutramax launched Dasuquin Advanced: Glucosamine Chondroitin Sulphate plus 3 antioxidants to combat inflammation and Omega 3. All 3 formulas contain ASU.

http://www.nutramaxlabs.com/media-center/item/501-nutramax-laborato...

Finn is stil on the original Dasuquin but I may talk to his vet re: the Advanced product.  Let us know what you find out.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I just wish they would make one without flavoring. :( I think it would help JD so much, but he can't tolerate the animal flavoring. 

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I wish too, for JD.

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

Karen, I take the "human version" of Dasuquin ASU, which is called Cosamin ASU. They are capsules made by the the same company- Nutramax labs. I just checked the label, and 2 capsules of Cosamin ASU is very similar to the dosage in the Large dog chews of Dasuquin ASU.... maybe an option for JD? 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Lori. I actually bought the Cosamin ASU but the amounts/proportions of the various ingredients seem too different between that and the Dasuquin ASU. 

2 capsules of the human one contain 750 mg of Glucosamine, 400 mg of Chondroitin, and 200 mg of ASU. 

One of the large dog chews contains 900 mg of Glucosamine, 350 mg Glucosamine, and only 90 mg of ASU. :(

I guess I could try it anyway. 

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

Yes, the proportion is a little different, but I have to kinda wonder if that would be OK since it's not by much. I would do more reading about the ASU first since that's the biggest difference.

On a side note, I was skeptical about trying it since regular glucosamine/chondroitin supplements didn't do anything for my osteoarthritis. But, I have noticed a HUGE difference in my hands and back- even with the changing weather! :-)