Suspected for a while my 11 month old lab bitch had hip problems just felt something wasnt right. Took her into the vets today and he confirmed something definitely wasnt right as in a certain position he could move the hip. As shes a working dog I was just wondering if she can still be worked if it ends up being mild or if she has surgery would she be able to work after
There are too many factors to be able to give a definitive answer on that one. Many dogs do manage to be active with hip dysplasia - some managed medically and with physio or hydrotherapy. Others have surgery. I believe that the surgery does have a good record and is probably the best option for a young dog with their life ahead of them, if the vet believes it would be appropriate. But I think you probably need a more definitive diagnosis than just your regular vet saying that he can't move the leg or hip in a certain way before you assume it's hip dysplasia. I've been given some pretty poor advice by vets who weren't specialists in the area concerned. If you wait 1 month more, you could get her hip and elbow scored under the BVA scheme at 1 year old - and that way also have some x-rays to take to a vet to discuss hips... Or you could ask your vet for a referral to an orthopaedic specialist for their opinion and have them examine her too.
