...roblem: We have a 3year old rottweiler who was born with Hip Dysplasia. It is getting worse and I would like to know whether you recommend surgery or treatment with medications, such as cosequin ds, rimadyl, etc.

When the mdication does not work anymore, I recommend surgery. I woould have to see him and the x-rays to tell you for sure but I usually do surgery when the meds don't work. Good luck, vetcare

...een treated for Hip Dysplasia since he was about nine months old. For a while he was taking Rimadyl and then the vet added Cosequin too. One day I asked if there was something else besides the prescripted Cosequin as a supplement. She told me that I could go to the health food store for a fraction of the cost. Sam has been taken off the Rimadyl and now takes Etogesic (400mg) each day. I have the same question. Is there a non-prescription replacement for the Etogesic/Etodolac that would provide the same benefit for him? Thanks!

No, sorry. vetcare

...ed with her arthritis and Hip Dysplasia. Initially the drug made her feel well and she moved around a lot better than she had for a while. My question is, what are some of the complications of etogesic? LAst week we stopped the tablet because we noticed her abdomon was swollen. She can't be pregnant, she has been spayed. She doesn't appear to be in pain. We wondered if this was a side effect, and if so, will it relieve itself, or will she need to see the vet? Thank You!

A swollen abdomen is not a side effect of etogesic and I recommend that you bring your pet to the vet for a check. A swollen abdomen can be a clinical sign of many serious diseases and a vet should examine your pet. Good luck, vetcare

...rthritis in his rear left leg, or has the beginning stages of Hip Dysplasia. My vet suggested cosequin..he is 67 lbs. What is his dosage, so I can order from PetCareRX. Thanks

Cosequin is excellent for arthritis. Buy the Cosequin for large breed dogs 500mg glucosamine/chrondrotin. The dosage for your pet is on the side of the bottle. Good luck, vetcare

... Hip Dysplasia. My husband and I are trying to decide what we are going to do for her. We are looking into THR. Do you recommend this surgery? We are so attached to her and we want to help her. Some tell us to put her down for her own sake. Please help with anything you know and have experienced with this. She is a golden retreiver and weighs 41 lbs. at 5 months. We are really having a tough time with this. Thank you.

I recommend that you consult with an orthopedic surgeon before even considering euthanasia. vetcare

...been diagnosed with Hip Dysplasia the vet recomends surgery . i feel realy bad ,i dont want to see my little buddy in pain but i can't afford to have the opperation at this time i am planning on it as soon as i can but in the mean time he is still very active and it seems to only bother him once in awhile is ther any thing i can do for him until i can afford the surgery. i thank you for any help you can give me thank you richard and buster whitman

I recommend that you ask yor vet about anti-inflammatories such as rimadyl. I also recommend glucosamine chrondroitin. vetcare

...ce about 10 days ago and then again yesterday. My answer never gets posted. I have bulldogs. Main question is my female had pups in January and was due for heat in June, but missed. Is this normal? What could be causing this? Second, one of my males weighs 67 lbs and is developing arthritis and/or Hip Dysplasia..what is his dose of cosequin? Thanks Heather

I answered your questions 2x look again. Sorry if you are having trouble finding the answers. Vetcare

...king somewhat odd at times. Seems to keep his two back legs close together.After, he is moving around he seems fine. He is going to be a big dog - already 70 lbs - and someone said that sometimes dogs like that have trouble with everything working good since they are growing so fast. My vet doesn't seem to think there is a problem. Said he might be having leg cramps and gave him a med to take. Should I get him x-rayed this early in the game? And, if he would have Hip Dysplasia - how much is the surgery for something like that? thanks, Connie

I recommend that you have an x-ray done to be on the safe side. Your pet may just have a conformational problem unrelated to hip dysplasia but I would have it checked out. It would not make sense for me to comment about $. It depends on what needs to be done surgically, where you live and who does the surgery. Good luck, vetcare

...plasia so they took him off predisone and he is taking etogesic which is helping him but buddy has very bad allergys and he is taking allergy shots but meen while he is scraching his face and bitting his paws he was on benadryl and now hes on hydroxyzine. but he is still tearing him self apart what can I do am I making this poor boy suffer. any help you can give us he is 98lbs. thank you

Some pets with severe allergies need cortisone. There is a new product out called Atopica. This is used for certain allerges. You may want to talk to your vet about it. vetcare

...ped an ACL tear of the right hind leg. She also has severe Hip Dysplasia per x-rays taken by our vet. I know there are two surgeries available, TPLO is much too expensive for our pocketbook and the other is to stitch the ligament back which our vet can do. TPLO would be at our State University Vet School. In your experience is it worthwhile to put her through the surgery which could cause her left hip (the worse one) to go out? I don't want her to suffer more than she is now. She is a very active dog and with all of this happening to her she still wants to run and play. She is kept inside at all times only outside to go to bathroom. I know that it is a long recupe period.

If your vet feels confortable fixing the knee and you feel confortable with your vet then I do not see where the problem is. It should be fixed unless you will have more problems on your hands. Vetcare

... dysplasia?Do Labs tend to get this type of problems at the age of 2

It is possible to see arthritis and/or hip dysplasia in a 2 year old lab. The most common clinical signs are limping especially after exercise. If you notice then then I recommend a vet visit. Your vet may want to take x-rays to confirm a diagnosis. vetcare

...nosed with a tumor in the abdomen. She vomits bile about 3-4 times a week and the usual hairballs almost daily. the vet said because of her age and our financial situation that exploring it further such as surgical intervention would probably not be the best idea. however the cat seems to have okay days and we hate to just have her put down. My question is how do we know if she is in pain? She is losing weight but continues to eat constantly. She also has Hip Dysplasia so I thought she might have arthritic like discomfort. Is there anything we could give her for pain? and as far as her vomiting the only thing she is on is reglan twice a day which obviously isnt working. I know you will probably say she needs to go back to the vet but we absolutely do not have the money at this time. any suggestions? Lisa

I am sorry about your pet. The best advice I can give is that when your pet stops eating, you know it is time. vetcare

...is 11 years old and was diagnosed in 1994 with Hip Dysplasia. He has limited mobility and has been on Rimadyl for years. Is this the best I can do to make him comfortable and mobile? Thank you for your consideration and response. Roy

Rimadyl is excellent but you may want to talk to your vet about adding glucosamine with chondroitin. This is an excellent supplement formulated for the joints. vetcare

...th Hip Dysplasia. She is taking glucosamine pills & rimadyl, but it's getting worse. What else can we do?

Maybe she is a candidate for surgery. I recommend that you see an orthopedic surgeon for a second opinion about surgery. vetcare