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Does your dog have hip dysplasia?
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Healthy, normal hips in a dog.
What exactly is hip dysplasia? Some have explained it as “improper growth,” others say it means “bad development,” but basically, the ball of the thigh bone and hip socket are not held together normally. Certain large breed dogs are prone to hip dysplasia, but it can strike any size dog at any age.
Does your dog exhibit signs of hip dysplasia? Some symptoms include:
- Rear leg lameness
- Swaying or wobbly gait
- Discomfort while walking or running
- Reluctance to walk up stairs or jump in the car
- Difficulty standing up
- Crying with outright pain
Can something be done to prevent it?
Genetics gets blamed, but holistic veterinarians are using natural remedies with pregnant mothers and newborn puppies, with great success. Diet is key! (see “Do you know what’s in Fluffy’s food?”), and large doses of vitamin C are proving to change the statistics when administered during pregnancy or once puppies begin eating solid food.
Why vitamin C? Though all animals produce vitamin C naturally in their liver (humans do not), dogs and cats don’t usually produce enough, and vitamin C is necessary to produce collagen, which is the main constituent in tendons, bone, cartilage, muscle, and connective tissue. Since vitamin C is water soluble, it is not stored in the body and is easily depleted by any form of stress. Sodium ascorbate in powdered form has been used with startling results.
What can you do? First, find a holistic veterinarian in your area by going to the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association’s website at www.ahvma.org or to www.holisticvetlist.com
Second, ease in to some natural remedies that have worked for others:
- Ark Naturals SEA MOBILITY chews with sea cucumber, MSM, glucosamine, and spirulina
- Crystal Star AR EASE FOR ANIMALS
- Vibrant Health JOINT VIBRANCE powder with glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, collagen, Hylaluronic acid
- Winston’s JOINT FORMULA
- Green-lipped mussel extract
- Shark Cartilage
- Homeopathic remedy, Rhus tox
- Anti-inflammatory herbs boswellia, tumeric, licorice, devil’s claw, alfalfa
- Chiropractic, acupuncture, and acupressure treatments
For more information read:
The Nature of Animal Healing by Martin Goldstein, DVM
Natural Remedies for Dogs by Martin Zucker
Complete Healthy Dog Handbook by Betsy Brevitz, DVM
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