dalmatian with possible hip dyslpasia?

sadhbhc15

My sister was given a dalmatian pup about a year and a half ago by another family member who bought it from what I suspect to be a very bad breeder (no papers, no hip scores for parents, pup not vaccinated, etc.). Now my sister has owned dogs previously and has done a fantastic job rearing this fella - he's very happy, active, strong and healthy. The thing is she and I have both noticed that when he's in a slow trotting motion his hind quarters look slightly awkward, as if he's lifting his hips off the ground and swinging them ever so slightly. I should point out that this doesnt limit him whatsoever and he shows no sign of pain. Also, it only seems to be evident in a slow trot. She bikes with him quite often and when he's trotting quickly beside the bike, he looks very comfortable and can easily do 10 miles without a bother. Also any time he's been to the vet for vaccinations, neutering, etc. the vet didnt think he had a problem with his hips (he didnt do an xray though, just felt around the hip joint). I suppose I'm just looking for any other dalmatian (or large breed owners) to find out if this is normal?
Thanks.

Paul91

i was asking something similar myself recently, you can get info from http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/313 this is the UK Kennel club, but from what i know the scorring for Ireland is performed in the UK

this is also quite interesting http://www.bva.co.uk/public/documents/BMS_hip_2010(1).pdf it gives the mean scores for each breed - Dalmations seem to be pretty good as a breed

YOURFACE!

We have a GSD with hip dysplasia (We got her from a shelter so we had no way of checking her hips). Before she was diagnosed, I had heard her hips clicking every so often and I mentioned it to the vet. He did a small test to see the pain threshold (it looked like) and she had quite a bit of sensitivity on her right side. We had her xrayed anyway just to be sure. It turned out that she has quite bad dysplasia so she is on meds for the rest of her life and will be re xrayed in March to see how things are going and to see if she is a candidate for a hip replacement. Like your sisters dog she didnt show any signs of pain at all running and playing around.

I would get your sister to bring the dog to the vets to have him checked out, even for peace of mind.

sadhbhc15

Thanks for the info. That's interesting YOURFACE, I'll encourage her to bring him to the vet again. Don't think she has him insured though, any rough idea of how much xrays cost?

jen_23

Oh I'd advise getting him insured just in case hip dysplasia is diagnosed.
I think because it's life medication it will be covered by the insurance.

mymo

sadhbhc15 wrote: »

Thanks for the info. That's interesting YOURFACE, I'll encourage her to bring him to the vet again. Don't think she has him insured though, any rough idea of how much xrays cost?

I had an issue with my dog limping for a while, vet suggested if it kept up to go for an x-ray, and told me he thought hip scoring was about €180 but the ordinary x-ray for injury probably was a bit cheaper. Think it depends on the vet, ours doesn't have the equipment so calls around for prices. Might be worth getting a few quotes.
As for insurance, they won't cover for anything related to previous vet visits(before policy). Be sure to read up all the conditions on the policy before you sign and chat to your vet. Not sure if they'd cover hip scoring.

YOURFACE!

I would definitely have your sister take out insurance for him. The insurance company would want to see clinical notes from your vet showing the full history of the dog so to prove that the dog hasnt been treated for it before. Well thats what Allianz asked us for. I think the xrays cost about €180 if not a bit less, (we had her spayed the same day and didnt get a break down of costs). As MyMo says shop around as it is expensive!

popppy

The insurance is a must before she gets him checked out.......
I have a lab x and from a yr old had diagnosis of hip dysplasia, he wasn't exactly in pain, tho did end up on metacam for a time befor ehe had a hip replacement op. A vet flies over from UK once a month (ish) to Cork to perform op......pretty specialised surgery. So my little fella is as good as new, he;s still on Arthriaid for slightly dodgy other hip ! So you can see why I too would be recommending the insurance.
A good tell tale sign of HD is when the dog runs, it looks like a rabbit running, ie moves back legs together at same time.
Best of luck to your sis and her pooch.
Aisling

boardbrowser

As other posters suggested, get x-ray done. also, chat with the vet about the amount of aerobic exercise he is currently getting. 10 km run next to bike seems very excessive to me for such a young dog. Has she been exercising him in this fashion for very long?
his plates and joints haven't fully developed until the age of 1 year so excessive aerobic exercise of that nature could be a contibutiong factor to the problem.
It might very well be a genetic disorder but stress on developing joints with that degree of exercise might be the case.
I fear i learned that lesson the hard way with my own dog but the jury is still out with the vets on the matter.

sadhbhc15

Thanks for all replies. He doesnt seem to have that rabbit style of running with both hind legs working together. As regards the 10km cycle - he's 2 years old but she's had him a year and a half. He's been biking with her with the last 5/6 months (with vet's approval), gradually building up to around 10km maybe twice a week. He is hugely energetic and LOVES this form of exercise. It doesnt appear to fully tire him out even, and I've never ever seen him express any form of pain or discomfort during or after this activity. As I said in my OP, it's a very slight abnormality and to my knowledge it doesnt bother him..