Hip dysplasia is a developmental joint disease. This degenerative joint disease’s symptoms can often be spotted early on in puppies as young as two months old and in young dogs up to 2 years old. Dogs with hip dysplasia have a ball and socket that don’t fit or develop properly. Over time they can rub and grind instead of sliding smoothly. Hip dysplasia has serious symptoms including pain and mobility problems. Fortunately, with some home treatment, you can make your dog more comfortable at home and improve their overall quality of life.
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Signs and symptoms of hip dysplasia in dogs
- Difficulty sitting, lying down, and climbing stairs.
- Limping in the hind legs
- Avoiding exercise and playtime
- Protective of their hips and hind legs when grooming and bathing
- Signs that they’re in pain and stiff joints
- Swaying when standing or walking
- Bunny hopping while running
If your dog is showing any of these symptoms, it is likely that he has hip dysplasia. The best thing to do is to take them to the veterinarian for a check-up before confirming that they have hip dysplasia. An x-ray of the hip and hind legs will be all that is needed to diagnose this condition.
Home treatments for hip dysplasia
If your dog has hip dysplasia, your vet may recommend a total hip replacement. However, this is an expensive operation. The cost of surgery by a veterinarian to treat a dog diagnosed with hip dysplasia in the United States, is around $5,000 per hip. Also, suppose your dog is older or has underlying medical conditions, surgery can also be too risky in that case.
There are many home remedies to choose from for a natural and non-surgical approach to hip dysplasia in dogs.
#1 Weight Management For Hip Dysplasia In Dogs
The heavier you are, the more stress your dog’s joints are put on, and the more pain your dog will experience when moving. so managing your dog’s weight is one of the best ways to treat hip dysplasia in dogs. This is particularly important if you have a larger dog breed, such as a German Shepherd or Golden Retriever who are more prone to hip dysplasia. There are several ways to limit your dog’s weight:
- Low-intensity exercise
- Healthy diet
#2 Exercise Restriction
If your dog is in extreme pain when walking, you will need to limit their movement and activities to protect their joints from further damage.
- Use ramps to block stairs. Prevent your dog from running up and down the stairs.
- Choose a better route. Choose to allow activities on soft grass to reduce the damage to your dog’s joints from hard surfaces.
- Low-intensity exercises. Exercises like swimming are a great alternative to long walks. They cansupport the ball and socket jointsand help your dog get fitter and fitter without damaging or straining the joints.
#3 Joint Supplements for Hip Dysplasia in Dogs
Joint supplements packed with Omega-3 fatty acids are a powerful and natural home remedy that will decrease inflammation and pain associated with hip dysplasia and arthritis in dogs.
#4 Physical Therapy For Hip Joints
Lying down for long periods can make stiff joints more painful, and your dog may find it challenging to get up in the morning. Physical therapy will help stimulate blood flow to the back legs and hip joints, reducing inflammation and stiffness while reducing pain caused by hip dysplasia in dogs. General physical therapy includes:
- massage
- Acupuncture
- Underwater hydrotherapy
- Cold laser therapy
- Heat therapy
Heat therapy is an easy and medication-free way to relieve some types of arthritis stiffness and pain. And also, heat therapy works best when combined with other treatment modalities.
PetieTec home use heating therapy braces provide concentrated heat to specific areas of your pup’s body, to reduce pain and accelerate the natural healing process for your dogs.
√Veterinarian approved
√No side-effects
√Easy to use
