How to know and Treat Beagle hip problems!

Ever since you brought home your cute little beagle, has he become your absolute favorite? And just as you care for your own health, your beagle health is also of utmost importance… And one important concern is Beagle Hip Problems. So find out how to detect and then treat Beagle hip problem now…

How do you know if a dog has hip dysplasia?

Hip dysplasia is a genetic disease affecting Beagles. To understand hip dysplasia and the resulting arthritis, you need a basic understanding of how the dog’s hip joint is affected. The hip joint is comprised of a ball and socket that forms the attachment of the hind leg to the body. The ball portion is the head of the femur and the socket is located on the pelvis. In a normal hip joint the ball rotates freely within the socket. The bones are shaped to perfectly match each other with the socket surrounding the ball. To strengthen the joint, the two bones are held together by a strong ligament. The joint capsule, a strong band of connective tissue, circles the two bones to provide added stability.

Hip dysplasia is linked to abnormal joint structure and a laxity of the muscles, connective tissue, and ligaments that would normally support the dog’s hip joints. As the disease progresses, the articular surfaces of the two bones lose contact with each other. This separation of the two bones within the joint causes a drastic change in the size and shape of the articular surfaces.

Most dogs who eventually develop hip dysplasia are born with normal hips, but due to their genetic make-up the soft tissues surrounding the joint develop abnormally. This leads to the symptoms associated with hip dysplasia. The disease may affect both hips, or only the right or left hip.

The symptoms of hip dysplasia cause afflicted dogs to walk or run with an altered gait, similar to a bunny-hop. They begin to resist any movement that requires full extension or flexion of the rear legs. They will experience stiffness and pain in their rear legs after exercising and on first rising in the morning. Climbing stairs becomes difficult if not impossible. Some dogs will limp and are less willing to participate in normal daily activities, including walks they formerly enjoyed.

It appears that the amount of calories a dog consumes, especially during its fast-growth period from three to ten months, has the biggest impact on whether or not a dog genetically prone to hip dysplasia will develop the disease

Ref: http://www.dogshealth.com/blog/1837/hip-dysplasia-in-beagles/

What is the treatment for hip dysplasia?

The best way that you can fight hip dysplasia is to work on preventing it.  First of all make sure that your pet is exercised regularly and maintains a healthy weight; obesity in your dog will only exacerbate the problem further.

Secondly, it is widely believed that a regular Vitamin C supplement will help to prevent or at least slow down the progression of hip dysplasia in your dog.  It is important to start your puppy on vitamin C as early as possible and even before it has been weaned when you can.  Hip dysplasia will begin to develop immediately and can be literally crippling to your pet even before they have reached one year of age.

Use vitamin C with sodium ascorbate or another form of buffered vitamin C, as plain ascorbic acid may cause an upset stomach.

Use the following daily dosage guide when supplementing with vitamin C.

For un-weaned puppies (Use the vitamin C pediatric drops or tablets that you would use for humans)

Small – Medium breeds

For the first ten days use 50mg, and then from ten days until weaning use 100mg.

Large – Giant breeds

For the first ten days use 75mg, and then from ten days until weaning use 150mg

Ref: http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/hip_dysplasia.html

Beagles are the ultimate joy, and now that you know about Beagle Hip Problems you are all set to be the equally caring owner! Now you are all set to deal with any eventual Beagle hip problem!