Walkin" Wheels Wheelchair for Dogs

Dogs get sore backs about as easily as people do. The problem is that when a dog can no longer walk it is considered a catastrophe. Sometimes the dog is even put to sleep. With a dog wheelchair, the fact that a dog can’t use his back legs becomes no more than an inconvenience.

A wheelchair can enable your dog to run and play again, get the exercise he (or she) needs, and live a happy, healthy life. The Walkin’ Wheels wheelchair is designed to help animals with hip and leg problems including degenerative myelopathy (DM), hip dysplasia, arthritis, paralysis, slipped disc, soreness, spinal and neurological problems, surgical recovery, and more.

A Walkin’ Wheels dog wheelchair from HandicappedPets.com can be shipped next day, requires only approximate measurements (the cart wizard does all the work), folds flat, comes fully assembled, and is adjusted, without tools, to fit your dog, or any other dog. In some cases, such as for animals under 20 lbs or over 100 lbs, some customization may be required.

Hip Dysplasia in Dogs

The more I think of this subject the more amazed I become. Here we veterinarians have about 24 institutes of higher learning all with teachers teaching genetics that offer degrees in Veterinary Medicine. Also there are college level professors of some of the greatest human institutions of learning who apparently lived with genetics and many of whom must have had a dog of their own with Hip Dysplasia and no one I have heard of suggested that a problem that started with a reported dominate trait in a German Shepard dog spread as through the wind to all breeds of dogs. Unbelievable. I, too am in that designation of ridiculous ignorance.
Archeologists claim there were dogs in Mexico born without hair 6,000 years ago. Some interested parties went to Mexico and combing the villages found 10 hairless specimens and the result was a new bred. That’s how a genetic trait spreads and not like some bacterial or virus disease. I want to shout it for all to hear and to cry over. I think of the sadness of veterinarians who had to euthanize so many thousands of cases of dogs in such pain that living with it was asking too much.
I recall one dog brought in for euthanasia and I asked if I might perform surgery as an experiment at my expense. The owners were willing. I went to work as a carpenter with hammer and wood chisel and removed the heads of the two femurs from both hind legs. I recall helping that huge St Bernard to his feet as he recovered from the anesthesia and that dog walked better with his back legs after that brutal surgery than before surgery. He lived out a normal life and when his end came the owners permitted me to perform a post mortum. That dog had two opposing flattened bony areas covered with cartilage with what appeared to me to be joint fluid.
It was as I have said elsewhere one breed that seemed not to be susceptible to Hip Dysplasia until years after all other dogs had had it reported and that was the Greyhound. The reason to me was that the breeders were for years only interested in breeding fast dogs and believed to do that the pregnant bitches had to be run while pregnant for the puppies to be fast. The exercise of running while pregnant flushed the toxic substances from their systems without affecting their puppies as the other breeds failed to do.
I believe we in my profession should be ashamed and immediately identify the substance(s) responsible. When that answer is found we will be ahead of the human medical people who may be permitting non-exercising pregnant humans to be bearing babies who will be born to suffer one or more of the problems without answers such as Autism.
In the veterinary field there are breeding programs to eliminate the problem which in actuality are programs to produce individuals resistant to the causative agent.

Displazija kuka | Klinika za kirurgiju, ortopediju i oftalmologiju, Veterinarski fakultet Zagreb

www.vef.hr|| webmail|| Linkovi

Tražilica

28.09.2013, 23:05

Trenutno gledate: Displazija kuka

Displazija kuka

Displazija kukova predstavlja abnormalan razvoj zgloba kuka, najčešće obostrano. Javlja se u različitim stupnjevima nestabilnosti, promjena okolnih mekih tkiva, malformacijama glave bedrene kosti i zglobne čašice te degenerativnim promjenama. Liječenje može biti konzervativno ili operacijsko.

Konzervativno liječenje je rezervirano za pse s blagim promjenama, bez znakova bolnosti, koji tek povremeno imaju poteškoća u kretanju. Za uspjeh takvog liječenja presudni su ograničenje aktivnosti i smanjenje tjelesne mase psa, uz primjenu analgetika i protuupalnih lijekova te fizikalna terapija.

Metoda operacijskog liječenja određuje se ovisno o namjeni (stupnju aktivnosti) psa, a na raspolaganju su:

1. Ostektomija glave i vrata bedrene kosti (FHO),

2. Trostruka osteotomija zdjelice i

3. Tehnika umjetnog kuka.

Ostektomija glave i vrata bedrene kosti (FHO)

Ortopedija

• Puknuće prednjeg križnog ligamenta


• Osteosinteza pločom


• Intramedularni čavli


• Vanjski fiksatori


• Displazija kuka


• IščaÅ¡enje kuka


• IščaÅ¡enje patele


• IščaÅ¡enje lakta


• OCD lakta


• Izolirani processus anconeus


• Fragmentirani koronoidni izdanak


• OCD ramena


• Upala tetive bicepsa



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Hip Dysplasia - Is Your Dog Predisposed?

Hip Dysplasia is frequently a painful crippling genetic developmental orthopedic disease. The sloppy breeding of two dysplastic parents is mainly the cause for the disease to be so rampant. Most often found in larger breeds, smaller breed dogs are also susceptible of receiving the defective genes.

What is Hip Dysplasia?

Hip dysplasia occurs in the “ball and socket” joint of the dog. When the “ball” does not fit tight in the “socket,” it causes friction, inflammation, cartilage damage, and pain. It can and does often lead to arthritis so crippling, surgery or euthanasia are the only options.

There are two types of hip dysplasia: acute and chronic. Acute (early) is usually observed in young dogs, noted by severe pain in the hips and lameness. In the acute stage, symptoms can last from a few weeks to months.

Chronic (late) commonly appears in older dogs. However, it can appear in dogs less than a year old. The dog appears in pain, has less range of motion of their hips, plus, arthritis has usually set in, and is progressing.

What Signs Should I Watch For?

Lameness or limping after exercise or walks, waddling/swaying gait, difficulty standing up, stiffness especially on cold, damp days, moodiness, unenthusiastic to move, protective of hip area, and decreased range of motion around hips are a few signs to watch for.

How is Hip Dysplasia Diagnosed?

Your veterinarian can diagnose it through a physical examination, PennHIP x-ray, CT scans, and/or ultrasound.

The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends the hip-extended ventro-dorsal view x-ray. With that, your veterinarian can get a frontal view of the hip joints and pelvis. This procedure is most widely used by veterinarians as the view also allows for an judgment of if there is arthritis and the amount of present.

How Will My Dog Be Treated for Hip Dysplasia?

Depending on the degree of damage, there are a number of options. They include: weight loss, change of diet, physical therapy, limited exercise, anti-inflammatory medications, pain medication and surgery.

In severe cases, where the animal is severely crippled beyond hope, euthanasia is at times recommended.

How Do I Prevent My Dog From Hip Dysplasia?

Before purchasing a dog, make sure the breeder is reputable! Ask for a copy of all documentation that the parents are PennHIP x-rayed and OFA certified.

Feed large breed puppies, food customized to their needs. Feeding high protein, over supplemented food, can invite problems later on.

Do not over feed your dog.

Do not let them jump in and out of your vehicle, especially SUVs and trucks. Provide a ramp.

Limit excessive weight bearing exercise. Swimming is a great way to exercise any dog, especially at risk breeds.

Do not allow at risk breeds to jump on and off furniture, decks, porches, etc.

Do not allow at risk breeds to jump for balls, toys or Frisbees.

Have your puppy x-rayed when they are around six months old.

Breeds Genetically Predisposed to Hip Dysplasia include but are not limited to:

Afghan Hound
Airdale
Akita
Alaskan Malamute
American Eskimo Dog
American Staffordshire Terrier
Australian Cattle Dog
Australian Shepherd
Beagle
Bearded Collie
Belgian Malinois
Belgian Sheepdog
Belgian Tervuren
Bernese Mountain Dog
Black and Tan Coonhound
Bloodhound
Border Collie
Bouvier des Flandres
Briard
Bullmastiff
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Chinook
Clumberland Spaniel
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Curley Coated Retriever
Chow Chow
Doberman Pincher
Dalmatian
English Setter
English Springer Spaniel
English Shepherd
Finish Spitz
Flat Coated Retriever
Field Spaniel
German Shorthaired Pointer
German Wirehaired Pointer
Golden Retriever
Gordon Setter
Giant Schnauzer
Great Dane
Great Pyrenees
German Shepherd
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
Irish Setter
Irish Water Spaniel
Irish Wolfhound
Keeshond
Komondor
Labrador Retriever
Mastiff
Newfoundland
Norwegian Elkhound
Norwegian Buhund
Norwegian Elkhound
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Old English Mastiff
Old English Sheepdog
Otterhound
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Pointer
Portuguese Water Dog
Puli
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Rottweiler
Saint Bernard
Samoyed
Shiba Inu
Siberian Husky
Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier
Standard Poodle
Standard Schnauzer
Tibetian Terrier
Vizsla
Weimaraner
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

Bottom line: Hip Dysplasia is a painful, debilitating, disease. Do your homework, educate yourself on what to look for, take necessary precautions, use common sense but, most importantly; enjoy your dog!

Hip Dysplasia

Posted by admin on Jan 27, 2012 in Health | 0 comments

Introduction
“Ranger has been running funny and has had trouble getting to his feet after a nap,” Sally told Dr. Jones when she brought the two-year-old family pet for his annual checkup. She described Ranger’s bunny-hopping gait and reluctance to climb stairs; after a thorough physical exam, Dr. Jones suggested hip x-rays for the big dog.
The x-rays confirmed the suspicions: Ranger had mild hip dysplasia, a malformation of the hip joints that causes arthritis. Dr. Jones outlined the options: surgery, drug therapy, an exercise regime, nutritional therapy, chiropractic treatment, or acupuncture. Surgery was not indicated in Ranger’s case, Dr. Jones said, but the other therapies could be used in combination to reduce the pain and inflammation and keep the dog comfortable.

The diagnosis
“Your dog has hip dysplasia.” A dreaded diagnosis that confirms an owner’s worst fears, these words conjure up feelings of guilt (why did I buy my puppy from a pet store?) or betrayal (I thought mixed breed dogs were healthier than purebreds, or I thought Bosco’s breeder certified her stock against genetic diseases). But neither response is productive or appropriate. The job now is to develop a treatment program for your dog.
The facts about canine hip dysplasia appear simple. Hip dysplasia is a polygenetic disease, one that is caused by several genes, with an environmental influence. Thus some dogs that are predisposed to the disease by their genes will not develop it if the environmental factors are missing from their lives.
The hip joint is a ball and socket arrangement in which the femoral head (the ball) of the thigh bone (the femur) fits into the acetabulum (the socket) of the pelvic structure. The assembly is held in place by ligaments and muscles. Malformation of either the femoral head or the acetabulum, laxity in the ligaments, and poor muscle condition all contribute to the pain and ultimate arthritis of the disease.
But the disease is not as simple as this description implies. A dog can be dysplastic in one or both hips, can have a shallow socket and a normal ball, a malformed ball and normal socket, a shallow socket and malformed ball, a misaligned joint, loose ligaments, or a combination of these structural problems complicated by environmental factors such as rate of growth, level of nutrition, and exercise. Fast-growing puppies of large breeds are more at risk, even if both parents had excellent hips, because their bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments may grow at different rates. Other factors include abnormal forces during weight-bearing that can stretch and tear the joint capsule, fracture the acetabular rim, or otherwise deform the joint.

Treatment
Surgery is a viable option for dogs with severe dysplasia. In these severe cases, veterinary surgeons can replace the hip with an artificial joint. However, most dogs require relief from pain and a moderate diet and exercise program to reduce the effects of the disease. John Cargill and Susan Thorpe-Vargas wrote a multiple-part series on hip dysplasia in Dog World in 1995 that covered the disease from diagnosis to surgical intervention. Although geared to breeders, the series had some useful information for the pet owner who discovers that his dog has hip problems. MedVet Review, a newsletter published by MedVet in Columbus, Ohio, also has some tips for management of the dysplastic dog.
Many dysplastic dogs are overweight, so a reducing diet is in order if the dog’s weight is causing undue pressure on his hips. Enforced rest is the simplest therapy for short-term relief, according to MedVet, and swimming is the best exercise because it can strengthen the muscles around the hips without causing pain from weight-bearing. MedVet recommends 15-20 minutes of swimming two-to-five times per week for relief.
Like humans with an injury, dogs with hip dysplasia may compensate for the loss of rear end motion and the pain involved in weight-bearing exercise by shifting balance, a disturbance that can cause spinal problems. Range-of-motion stretching exercises can help prevent muscle atrophy and keep the joints flexible. Chiropractic treatment may help relieve the stress of the disease on the spine. Owners of dysplastic dogs can learn to do stretching exercises from their veterinarian or a chiropractor.
Drug therapies are helpful to deal with pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, naproxen, adequan, and cosequin have been proven effective in many cases. A dose of aspirin or other drug is often helpful before a bout of exercise. However, since aspirin is not tolerated by some dogs and can cause internal bleeding, and determining proper doses of naproxen can be difficult, doses should be prescribed by a veterinarian who has examined the dog, not by the dog owner. Some dogs respond well to phenylbutazone, but this drug can suppress bone marrow formation.
Corticosteroids should not be used to treat arthritis because they have adverse effects on cartilage and other unacceptable side effects.
Although no scientific studies have been done on the effects of acupuncture on hip dysplasia, anecdotal evidence attests to the potential for its successful use to relieve pain and promote natural healing, according to Cargill and Thorpe-Vargas in the October 1995 Dog World.
There are cases in which surgery is necessary. If the dog does not respond to the chosen therapies and continues to be in pain, a veterinarian may recommend one of the following surgeries:
• Triple pelvic osteotomy, a procedure to stabilize the joint and prevent degenerative changes that accompany weight-bearing stress on an abnormal hip;
• Femoral head excision to prevent bone-on-bone friction; or
• Total hip replacement.
The decision on type of surgery is based on the age of the dog, the progress of the disease, and the general health of the animal.
Sally and Dr. Jones decided to use a combination of therapies for Ranger. She could take him swimming a couple of times a week, learn to do the range-of-motion exercises, try a course of adequan treatment, keep him from climbing stairs and jumping (no more agility class or open obedience), and have him examined by a chiropractor. Dr. Jones would examine him again in six months and prescribe changes in the protocol if necessary.
Like most dogs with mild hip dysplasia, Ranger has good days and bad days. Sally has learned to accept his limitations and to relax about the diagnosis – while often painful and sometimes debilitating, mild-to-moderate hip dysplasia in the young dog can be successfully treated without resorting to surgery.
Norma Bennett Woolf

How Hip Dysplasia In Dogs Is Diagnosed

Young, large breed dogs such as Labrador retrievers, St. Bernards and Great Danes are prone to develop a condition called Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD). So are some of the smaller breeds such as beagles, bloodhounds, Brittany spaniel’s and bloodhounds.

CHD is a very serious disease that can cause the dog to suffer a great deal of pain and even become lame. While most dog experts will admit that it cannot exactly be determined what causes canine hip dysplasia, they will tell you that genetics plays a big part. If your dog’s parents suffered from canine hip dysplasia, it is likely your dog will develop it. However, there are other factors. For example, older dogs can develop this condition due to osteoarthritis. It can also be caused by overfeeding the dog high-protein and high calorie foods, and by prolonged inactivity or obesity.

The symptoms of CHD include a difficulty or stiffness when the dog gets up or climbs uphill, You may also notice it using only its front legs when it attempts to rise, that it has a waddling rear limb gait or is reluctant to jump, climb stairs or exercise. If your dog has hip dysplasia, it may also have a very short stride due to pain in its rear legs.

Diagnosing Hip Dysplasia In Dogs

After your veterinarian watches the dog walk and performs a general physical examination, he or she will do an orthopedic evaluation to determine how the dog can best be treated. One of the things your vet will do is flex and extend the dog’s hip joint. If your dog does have CHD, it will probably tolerate the hip flexion but abduction will cause the dog to experience pain. After your vet performs the physical examination and orthopedic evaluation, he or she will use and x-ray to confirm the diagnosis and evaluate the severity of the disease. For the X-ray, the dog will probably be laid on its back with its legs extended.

X-rays are used to confirm the diagnosis of hip dysplasia because its symptoms can also be those of other conditions that resemble hip dysplasia in dogs. This includes lumbar-sacral spinal problems, a ruptured cranial cruciate ligament, osteochondrosis, panosteitis, degenerative myelopathy and hypertrophic osteodystrophy.

If The Diagnosis Is Confirmed

If the x-rays confirm that your dog does have CHD, the treatment will depend on several factors, not the least of which is finances. This is because surgery may be an option but will be expensive. In fact, if the problem is really severe, the recommended surgery might be a total hip replacement.

If you catch the hip dysplasia early on, the recommended treatment will probably be anti-inflammatory or analgesic drugs to help with the dog’s pain combined with changes to its exercise and eating. The drugs are usually given for only a short time to help the dog stay active while you are making changes to its lifestyle. These changes usually include weight control and good exercise management. In other words, you will need to restrict the dog’s exercise and keep its weight at a recommended level.

What is Hip Dysplasia?

The Dysplastic Hip Joint

Hip Dysplasia is a terrible genetic disease because of the various degrees of arthritis (also called degenerative joint disease, arthrosis, osteoarthrosis) it can eventually produce, leading to pain and debilitation.

The very first step in the development of arthritis is articular cartilage (the type of cartilage lining the joint) damage due to the inherited bad biomechanics of an abnormally developed hip joint. Traumatic articular fracture through the joint surface is another way cartilage is damaged. With cartilage damage, lots of degradative enzymes are released into the joint. These enzymes degrade and decrease the synthesis of important constituent molecules that form hyaline cartilage called proteoglycans. This causes the cartilage to lose its thickness and elasticity, which are important in absorbing mechanical loads placed across the joint during movement. Eventually, more debris and enzymes spill into the joint fluid and destroy molecules called glycosaminoglycan and hyaluronate which are important precursors that form the cartilage proteoglycans. The joint’s lubrication and ability to block inflammatory cells are lost and the debris-tainted joint fluid loses its ability to properly nourish the cartilage through impairment of nutrient-waste exchange across the joint cartilage cells. The damage then spreads to the synovial membrane lining the joint capsule and more degradative enzymes and inflammatory cells stream into the joint. Full thickness loss of cartilage allows the synovial fluid to contact nerve endings in the subchondral bone, resulting in pain. In an attempt to stabilize the joint to decrease the pain, the animal’s body produces new bone at the edges of the joint surface, joint capsule, ligament and muscle attachments (bone spurs). The joint capsule also eventually thickens and the joint’s range of motion decreases.

No one can predict when or even if a dysplastic dog will start showing clinical signs of lameness due to pain. There are multiple environmental factors such as caloric intake, level of exercise, and weather that can affect the severity of clinical signs and phenotypic expression (radiographic changes). There is no rhyme or reason to the severity of radiographic changes correlated with the clinical findings. There are a number of dysplastic dogs with severe arthritis that run, jump, and play as if nothing is wrong and some dogs with barely any arthritic radiographic changes that are severely lame.

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals

http://www.offa.org/hd_info.html

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