German Shepard Hip Dysplasia?

The only way to fix hip displaysia is through surgery, but it wont last for how whole life (the surgery)
Walking is good for the muscles but can be difficult for him, try taking him for a short walk and see how he goes, don’t push him and let him go at his own pace

Best of luck xx

A glucosamine supplement such as Glyco-Flex III or Cosequin DS Plus may help. It takes 6-8 weeks to see the improvement. The vet can prescribe Rimadyl for pain. Give milk thistle with Rimadyl to protect the liver.

You need to have him taken to the vet and have his condition analyzed. This would require him to stay in during the day (just to sedate him and make sure he’s okay) and get X-rays done. They will give him a shot of anesthetic, and then need to lay him on his back to position his hips to get the right angle (but they will explain this to you) there are several things you can do besides just surgery, it’s managable, but unfortunately not curable. He might be placed on medication; Glucosamine or Chondroitin for the pain and to lubricate the joints or if needed, he can be given surgery for a hip replacement of other procedures. Sadly though, it is not permanent.

I wouldn’t advise at THIS point that you take him for a walk, as you don’t know how much pain he’s in, and the weight causes even more pressure. Speak to the vet about having a diet plan for him, AND an exercise schedule that is easiest on him, and helps him bring his weight down with little pain as possible. Depending on whether the condition is mild, or severely advanced…you need to know that FIRST before you make any decisions.

I’m sorry that you’re having to go through this. I know the heartache and worry it causes of having to watch them in so much pain. My eldest Golden has mild hip dysplasia that he was diagnosed with two months ago, and I’ve become very very protective over him, even if it doesn’t seem to be causing him as much struggle as your new boy obviously seems to be going through. I hope the vet can help you and him as much that is needed. Please remember though, it’s not a death sentence, and with the medication, treatment and even lifestyle changes, he CAN still live out the rest of his life with more quality than he does now.

Take him for a thorough check up at your vet. They will be able to recommend long term pain management for this poor boy. Also, try to find a homeopathic vet in your area. I was taking my dog to an acupuncturist and many of his clients were dogs with HD who were managing it very well with his assistance. Shame on the old owners for not telling you.

There is such a thing as hip dysplasia, but no such thing as a German Shepard. My breed was developed to HERD sheep in the German boundary-patrolling way, so its real name translates as German Shepherd Dog, with GSD for short.

Unless you are feeling comfortably rich, my advice is to return the pooch and get your money back.
It will be tough on the pooch, as the unethical-by-my-standards vendor will merely leave it untreated and try to pass the problem on to some other muggins.

If you choose to keep the pooch, first step is to provide very soft bedding for it – preferably something like a 2″ thick foam-plastic baby mattress that you can move from room to room, as dogs like to be able to SEE their pet human.
Second step is to pay your vet to xray him to determine just how bad the damage is, and which operation is most suitable, how much it will cost, what YOU will have to do during the recuperation period and how long that recuperation will need you to stay home, and how long that remedy is likely to last. Then ask for a bottle of one of the compounds that “oil the socket joints” – they don’t cure the problem, but they do reduce the abrasion slightly.

You then decide whether that expense (don’t be surprised if one of the recommendations costs $5000 or more) and time is possible for you,
OR
whether to keep using the compound until the dog is again in so much pain that he tells you it hurts to get up , it hurts to lie down, it hurts too much to climb into your vehicle – whereupon you have him put to pain-free sleep forever.

In the first group below, click
Links, then
Diseases_&_Disorders, then
Hip_Dysplasia
to find out the sorts of things your vet will rush through telling you.

As for his size: He is probably one of the Yank deviations that the North American KCs register as GSDs without checking whether they actually fit the International Standard of the GSD (see http://www.fci.be/uploaded_files/166g01-en-sv.doc and ignore what the AKC, CKC, etc invented – breeders, handlers & judges there all ignore them!)
He is WAY beyond the allowed size range for a male GSD. The ABSOLUTE LIMITS of size for GSD males are:
59-66 cm & 30-40 kg (23¼-26 inches & 66-88 lbs)
60-65 cm (23¾-25½ inches) to be considered for Class One.
Height is measured to the withers vertically above the elbow.
I don’t know how much over the 26″ height limit he is, but he is 27 lbs over the maximum weight allowed for a genuine GSD – that’s 31% more than a GSD is allowed to be, 35% more than the ideal medium weight.

You do not state what coat length he has. The GSD should be in the same hard, lean, wiry condition as a champion marathon runner. If he has the proper short coat, you should be able to see the muscles working over his ribs when he is trying to run around. But when he is rested you should see no more than maybe the rear edge of his very last rib. If his coat is more than 3″ long over his shoulders & withers, you will need to train your fingers to feel whether he is hard or fat. Don’t use a pet GSD or a show GSD as your model – they are SURE to be over-weight. You want a FIT WORKING GSD to learn from, one that patrols sheep all day or patrols a military camp all night, or is kept fit for police & security guard work.

Take as much weight off him as you dare. Perhaps 330 gms or 12 ozs a day if you are feeding lean meat. If you insist on using kibble-mucks, try about 3/4s of the recommended amount. maybe as littke as 2/3rds for a while. Those are only guesses, as we cannot tell how much energy he will burn off despite his sore joints – the dog’s rib-condition IS your best guide, at his stage in life, but you DO want him to become thin, not stay “padded” or OBESE, over the next 2 months.

And feed him twice a day, although the meals don’t need to be identical sizes. My adults get their main meal at night, with just a snack for breakfast.

Do NOT take him for walks. Dogs are stoic, and so a dog that ADMITS that it hurts to stand up or lie down is in VERY severe pain. His supplier was very cruel to leave him untreated for the last 6 or so years, and was IGNORANTLY cruel to let him get overweight.
Just allow him to move around as much as he wishes. If he still enjoys car rides, periodically take him visiting with you so that he gets a change of scents. Always make sure that you never take him further from his bed or the car than you can CARRY him when he hurts too much to walk back..