Is Your Dog Suffering With Hip Dysplasia Or Arthritis? - Is Your Canine's Hip Dysplasia or Arthritis Causing Your Pet Physical and Emotional Disadvantages?

Hip dysplasia and arthritis are very popular among dogs. One reason why so many of us are opting for dogs with these illnesses is that they bring so many emotional advantages to our elderly dogs. However, just as we would do with an illness when we get older, we should take care of our dogs to provide them a comfortable life as we can. And joint care is an important area where a dog can get afflicted.

Hip dysplasia and arthritis in dogs is a type of degenerative disease caused by laxity in the muscles, tendons, and joints. Dogs can be affected from the moment they are born or as late as 30 days following birth. In some instances, puppies can even get afflicted as early as 5 weeks following birth!

Symptoms of hip dysplasia in your dog are fairly obvious. It is visible that the hind legs of the canine are progressively laxer. When they are not lax, they will look like they are crouching. As the disease progresses, the muscles supporting the joints will lose tone, weakness, and spasm.

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How does hip dysplasia get its name? This disease produces laxity in the hip joint. When the joint is not held in an optimum position, it, in return, gives way to the dog’s weight too. This will turn out to be a debilitating disease that will reduce your dog’s mobility.

There are different ways for you to deal with this disease. With the joint being affected by hip dysplasia, the inflammation resulting from the condition will worsen. This will surely be the reason why you are helping your dog. The disease should be treated as soon as possible, or else it will cause your pet a lot of discomfort.

Some of the ways to treat hip dysplasia is by having your pet wear dog boots instead of ordinary shoes. These boots will keep the friction off the joints, which will help reduce pain and discomfort from hip dysplasia. Also, help your dog lose weight by reducing his or her calorie intake. And make sure that your dog gets plenty of exercises.

Like I said before, hip dysplasia is inherited. It is passed on through genes. If one of your dogs has hip dysplasia, it does not mean that the disease will be passed on. Because the disease is genetic, it is difficult to control, but there are ways we can do to reduce its effects.

One way to reduce the severity of hip dysplasia is by breeding dogs that do not have the disease. However, this is not always possible, and you will have to make do with what you have. On the other hand, there are ways to treat the condition as long as it is detected early. Once the dog reaches that age, surgery can be performed and the dog can be saved. Make sure you keep old pets comfortable and make sure that hip dysplasia is detected as early as possible.

Hip dysplasia is a disease that commonly affects certain breeds, like the Dalmatians. If you have a dog that you think might be affected, you can have it tested by using x-rays. Remember that hip dysplasia can also be found in other kinds of breeds, but not as easily. Remember to monitor your dog’s hip dysplasia and take it to the vet at the earliest. Better yet, have your dog undergo preventive therapy.