There is a lot of advice out there about when puppies should be permitted to jump, or run with owners, or begin training for certain activities. All of this advice stems from the idea that hip dysplasia, a common and debilitating joint disease in dogs, can be prevented or caused by our actions.
None of this is true. Hip dysplasia is the mis-growth (dysplasia = dys; wrong; plasia: molding (or in modern language, growth)) of the hip joint resulting in the femoral head (a rounded bone joint at the top of the thigh) not fitting tightly in its socket.
Exercise can neither cause nor prevent this. The disease in congenital - meaning inherited.
A puppy with normal hips can play and jump and do whatever and be fine - just as children with normal joints can play and jump and even do organized sports from a very young age and be fine. A dog with hip dysplasia, as it grows and exercises, because of the laxity of the joint, will be constantly stretching the ligaments that attach the pelvis to the femur, this will exacerbate the preexisting disease and cause lameness.
Exercise did not cause the disease; it, in combination with growth, caused the symptoms of the existing disease.
This is a huge distinction, and one that owners of puppies need to be made aware of. All of the dos and don'ts of exercise in puppies are predicated on this fallacy.
The next fallacy is that we need to wait until the dog gets older to treat hip dysplasia or that hip dysplasia is inevitable. Because hip dysplasia is a disease of growth, fixing it can be done as puppies grow. In fact it is cheaper, and better for the puppy to fix the disease before movement, weight, and age take their toll on the joints, causing osteoarthritis.
A puppy at 10-16 weeks can be sedated by a qualified veterinarian, palpated for hip laxity, and radiographed utilizing the PennHIP method, this will produce a solid understanding of that puppy's future chances of disease. This method is far superior to the current OFA standard (Adams, Dueland, et al JAAHA 1998)
If a puppy is found to have hip dysplasia, a surgeon can stop the growth of certain parts of the pelvis to change the pelvic shape; this allows better contact with the femoral head. The surgery goes by the lengthy and unhelpful name of Juvenile Pubic Symphysiodesis (JPS). This surgery, unlike not allowing puppies to jump until they are a year old, can actually halt hip dysplasia from occurring in the first place. This surgery (in conjunction with full hip replacement) is considered to be the most effective surgical treatment for hip dysplasia*. A randomized trial of the method showed that 75% of treated dogs showed no signs of degenerative joint disease two years post op. **
Waiting until the dog is older and showing symptoms signs the dog up for a lifetime of pain, disability, drugs, blood tests (to make sure the pain killers aren't destroying the liver and kidneys) and impaired function. Stopping the disease early involves foresight, a veterinarian able and willing to recommend early diagnosis and intervention, and an owner willing to invest today to save the dog's health and their money in the long run.
No one solution fits all cases, of course, Some dogs are born with such congenitally abnormal hips that they lack a joint altogether. These dogs, while likely to benefit from the same early intervention, will likely never have normal hips, and may need more proactive surgery to hopefully avoid a life of reactive pain medication and impaired function.
Like everything else you read on the internet, please take this with a grain of salt. Check the resources provided here, and speak with your own veterinarian. But, be aware, that as I have grown older, I have noticed that more and more veterinarians seem to be falling further and further behind on the latest research. Demand that your veterinarian be up to date on recommendations. Demand that they earn those higher and higher fees that we all pay with better and more up to date information and research. It's the least that we can do for our dogs' futures.
* Bergh and Budsberg, Veterinary Surgery, 2014
** Patricelli, A. J., Dueland, R. T., Adams, W. M., Fialkowski, J. P., Linn, K. A. and Nordheim, E. V. (2002), Juvenile Pubic Symphysiodesis in Dysplastic Puppies at 15 and 20 Weeks of Age. Veterinary Surgery, 31: 435–444. doi: 10.1053/jvet.2002.34766
Please join the conversation on Facebook. Also, you may have noticed the PayPal button on the top right of the page. I have tried over the years to use ad revenue to pay for my blogs, and have failed, so, I am trying a radical new idea. No more ads. If you like what you read, and think it is worth it, drop me a few bucks now and again - if not, no worries - I hope you come back and read us regardless.
No comments:
Post a Comment