New article just posted on the main website http://www.thelabradorsite.com/health/hipdysplasia.php How to improve your chances of ensuring that your puppy is free from hip dysplasia
Re: Hip dysplasia: improving the odds Thank you for posting this link Pippa, and for writing the interesting and informative article. The more we can raise awareness of all potentially avoidable health issues - the better!
Re: Hip dysplasia: improving the odds Hi Pippa, All very useful, thank you. I have a question about speed of growth as we have Riley on Puppy food as that was what he was on when he came to us but not specifically large breed puppy food. I understand they have lower levels of protein so that growth isn't too rapid. I'm very careful about how much he gets each day. Is there any rule of thumb for growth rates/weights? I know there's much debate about what to feed your lab but assuming we stay with a dry feed while he's a puppy should we really be on a large breed specific recipe? Thanks as always Barbara
Re: Hip dysplasia: improving the odds Hi there It is a long time since I fed kibble but yes, it is probably a good idea to buy a brand of puppy food that is specifically for dogs which are in the labrador size range once adult. The main difference is probably in the size of the chunks, but it is possible that food intended for smaller dogs may be a little protein richer. You can't really set rules of thumb for growth rates because no-one can predict the size your dog is genetically programmed to reach as an adult. There is wide variation even within one breed. You really need to be guided by the appearance of the pup. Nowadays most experts agree that puppies should be slim, and not the roly poly puddings we used to think of as healthy. So even a young pup should have a waist of sorts, and by four months old, most healthy pups are beginning to look a little bit 'gangly' if that makes sense. Pippa
Re: Hip dysplasia: improving the odds Thanks Pippa, He's definitely not chubby so that's ok and I think we will change him (gradually) onto big breed food. I've erred on the lower side of the feeding range given as we're training with treats. He'll get weighed again at the vets in a couple of weeks so I expect that will help us work out if he's getting enough food. Barbara
Re: Hip dysplasia: improving the odds Well we came back from holiday in the wilds of Canada which was amazing, the only downside was not having Riley with us he'd have loved it although the bear we saw might have thought he was a snack! We found a significantly bigger dog than when we went away, he's starting to get lovely long legs although I'm sure his body will catch up at some stage. His weight at the vet at 12 and a half weeks old was 9.3 kgs and they said he was neither too fat nor too thin even though the in-laws thought I was being stingy so increased his food a bit while we were away. We're starting the change over to large breed puppy food now so hopefully that'll suit him.
Re: Hip dysplasia: improving the odds Hi All, We've been lifting Riley in and out of the car while he's been growing and I'm wondering when it's ok to let him start taking on more impact on his joints by jumping in general and in and out of the car in particular? He was weighed a few weeks ago and he's 21kgs now which is frankly quite heavy for lifting all the time, especially if he wriggles ! Cheers Barbara
Re: Hip dysplasia: improving the odds Hi Barabara The purists would say wait until the dog is one year old before allowing it to jump. In theory there may be some risk of damage to his hips to let him jump before this age. However, we all have to live in the real world, and whilst I would not want to 'advise' you to do anything that might harm Riley, I can tell you what I might do if it were my dog, bearing in mind that I have a bad back. . It is probably a good idea also to check with your vet. If this is a normal car tailgate or side door (not a truck or very high 4X4) and if lifting him were putting me at risk of a back injury (which at 21Kgs it may well be doing) and if Riley's parents had good hips, and if he is slim for his height (not carrying much fat) I personally would not worry about him jumping in and out of the car now assuming he is around 8 to 9 months old now? Lots of 'ifs' I know, but an overweight dog, or one with unknown parental hips would be a higher risk. So would a higher jump, I would not for example let a very young lab jump in and out of the back of my truck which has a very high tailgate, I would probably work out some kind of step or ramp. I should probably add that there will probably be plenty of experienced lab owners that would not agree with me. It isn't an easy decision for you to make. Giving the vet a ring might put your mind at rest.
Re: Hip dysplasia: improving the odds Thanks Pippa, We've got a normal estate car so it's kind of middling in height. Both his parents had good hips and he's not overweight (still got his waist although he's starting to fill out a little and get less gangly). I'm 20 weeks pregnant so am really thinking about not picking him up if I don't have to. I'll check with the vet and see what he thinks but thanks for your opinion, always appreciated Barbara
