Hip Dysplasia And Golden Retrievers
A common disease that is found in dogs of practically every breed is hip dysplasia and this disease is growing by the numbers. Before, hip dysplasia, which is a poor formation of the hip joints, was commonly found in older dogs but younger dogs are being prone to it as all. Hip dysplasia is a serious problem that can severely limit the physical activity of your Golden Retriever. Hip dysplasia is a disease that is inherited by the Golden from its parents and it gets worse with age.
In Golden puppies, the signs and symptoms of hip dysplasia is almost impossible to detect until the pup has reached the age of nine months. Even when taking your Golden to the vet, the vet might ask you to return once the Golden has reached a certain age because then only can you see the symptoms.
The most common symptoms of hip dysplasia are the crippling or the inability to properly walk but these symptoms may vary according to the dogs. As the dog gets older, the symptoms get better because the joints are more stable and the inflammation decreases and makes the muscles become stronger. Thought that, Golden Retrievers are likely to develop arthritis at an older age if they have developed hip dysplasia when they were younger.
Despite having hip dysplasia, Golden Retrievers still live a long and healthy life but though that, they aren’t fit for breeding because as mentioned earlier, his dysplasia is inherited. You vet can provide your dog a prescription to help your dog control his weight and control the disease and decrease the pain so that your Golden Retriever enjoy life as normal as possible. Hip dysplasia symptoms can’t be seen until a few years of age for the Golden Retriever. This is when the muscles start to wear down and the damaged hip muscles start to become more noticeable. As the Golden Retriever pup grows, his healthy and active puppy years can change to become a painful and suffering experience for the Golden due to arthritis.
Surgery can help ease the pain of hip dysplasia. A good thing about Golden Retrievers is that they have a high threshold of pain and therefore, won’t show signs of being in pain though pain is present and can be seen through the limping and slow pace of walking for your dog. When Golden Retrievers suffer from hip dysplasia, they aren’t aware of it that is why you have to help them in anyway possible. With help from you, your dog can go through life feeling better and won’t feel the hurt present at all.
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Oct 24, 2008 | | Tips