Hip Displacia?

My 16 month old chocolate lab, has started limping on her left hind leg. Mostly, after being immobile a while. If I am doing anything, she is ready to go, and shows no sign whatsoever, running, hunting and playing. I am scared to death, she is the smartest dog, I have ever owned, and just like a family member. Took her to vet a couple weeks ago, and he gave her some muscle relaxers, and said to keep her still for a week or so, but thats impossible. Wondering if anyone else has experienced this, and what you did?

Has she been diagnosed as dysplastic (x-ray of hip), or are you just worried.

Just worried. The vet said if there was no improvement in 3 or 4 weeks, we will x-ray.

Sometimes after a 3-4 day bird hunt my dogs limp around for days. Stepped in a hole, tore a pad, thorns... Here's hoping its something like that.

There are a few things that can cause rear leg lameness.

The cause can be anything from a thorn to a CCL injury.

Does she pick her leg straight up? When sitting does she kick the effected leg out to the side?

These are signs of a CCL injury.

If it's a hip....

Did your pup come with a hip guarantee? Where parent's hips certified though OFA?



If it's not a thorn or injured pad my next thought would be a CCL injury.

Hopefully she'll heal up in a day or two and it'll be nothing serious.

Sitting or laying she does nothing different. No hip guaranty. I didn't even get papers with her. Had her spayed. She jumps up on the furniture and bed,(she sleeps with the wife and me) with no issues. I can open the back door to the truck, tell her to load up, and she rockets in. I have heard so much about hip problems, and this is going on the 3rd week, not worse but no better. It's not the pad.

So when does she limp?

Does she bring her leg straight up when she does limp?

You probably won't know unless you have a x-ray to rule out hips. If it's a CCL injury you can't always tell with an x-ray.

She just limps, kinda gives to it. Most noticable when she first gets up from a nap. Then, after she moves around it goes away. I kinda figured x-rays were the only way to tell for sure. I am just worried, never had a dog with this much heart. Will find sheds, retrieve anything. Had her trail my deer this year.

Does she have a sway to her rear, when she walks?

I am a firm believer animals are animals and they are extremely hardy. Dont worry yourself too much unless it doesnt get better in a few weeks.

I have not noticed any sway in her hind end, as she walks.

I have one with bilateral hip dysplasia.
What I saw in her gait, was a slight sway from side to side in the rear when walking.
I don't see it when at any other time, than the walk.
She is not in pain, or lame. Ortho vet said to do everything with her, I had planned to do.
That in some studies, 7 out of 10 dogs never needed surgery. They were able to do medical management with them, and some didn't even start that until 5 or 6 years old. So for now its keep her weight down, and keep her exercised. I do have her on WinPro Mobility.

Thanks for that info Kindall. We took her to the vet, 3 weeks ago, and he said the same thing about the weight, she had gained 4 lbs., since last seen, 70 to 74. Where do you get WinPro Mobility?

Its a little different than most of the other joint supplements.
It was recommended to me by the owner of my pups grandsire.
She's a research microbiologist at the National Animal Disease Center.
So I trust her judgement more than the average Joe.

https://winpropet.com/products/mobility

This is the other one she recommended, if I didn't want to go with the WinPro
https://www.elements.dog/collections/joint-care