Should I worry about hip problems?

[stonydell]

I've been reading BW all day. Have used BW before as a great resource but today was the first time I've really "dug deep." All the talk about hip problems has me worried, though.

Penny is our nearly 1 y.o. Boxer and our first purebred. My parents gave her to us as a gift, neither of us knowing about the dangers of BYBs. The past year has been an education. Penny has had serious seasonal allergies and a few months ago, we found out she has a heart murmur. :( This is when I really started to worry. The vet was helpful, though, in directing us on how to keep her safe, heart-wise. But since she came from a BYB, and I don't know her parents' health history (I know the BYB didn't test either), I'm concerned about hip problems now. Other than have her tested as she gets older, what can I do to prevent problems now? Also, exactly how common is HP in Boxers? In other words, what are the odds that my Penny will have hip problems later in life?

 

[lafsalot]

Films to dx and/or rule out hp are usually done while the pet is heavily sedated or under anesthesia so that the hips can be properly manipulated and xrayed. If you haven't had Penny spayed yet, this would be the time to have it done. Good luck - Cathy

 

[Jan]

You could have her hips xrayed. Make sure that she doesn't get too much exercise. They should never get forced exercised until they are at least 18 months old and no jumping. They should only get short leash walks, but they can have as much free play as they want. You can also give supplements like Glucosamine, chrondrotin, and MSN.

 

[boxer]

HD is common enough in boxers that it is something that needs to be screened for prior to breeding - but I don't know of any studies available to tell you exactly how common. Plus, the odds for your particular dog developing it would tend to be dependant on her particular genetics.

While HD definitely has a genetic component (hence the screening prior to breeding) it is thought that there is an environmental component as well. So yes, you should definitely avoid heavy exercise during the growth/developmental period up to around 18 months, and if you're into things like agility, a boxer shouldn't start jumping or weaving until it is at least two years old.

Diet can help too. IMO a raw natural diet is best (and there was a thread on here recently about the miraculous change someone witnessed in their 'arthritic' collie dog since switching to raw). You can add supplements to kibble that are supposed to be good for joints, although personally I am always wary of supplementing unless there is a dietary deficiency or an established need (ie. for an actual problem).

As for the x-rays, yes you could get that done. But bear in mind that she is only a year old, so x-rays done now could tell you if she is already dysplastic but if can't tell you that she won't become dysplastic later in life. To be "cleared" of HD, x-rays need to be taken when the dog is mature (over 24 months).

 

[Erica&Riley]

I'm kind of confused when people post things on here about limiting a pup's exercise until its mature. How do you stop a boxer pup from exerting its energy...I couldn't even imagine how my pup (9 mos) would be if she wasn't allowed to "release" her energy by running and playing with other dogs. I have never taken her running on-leash but I take her to the dog park quite frequently (several times a week). I live in an apt with limited room so I viewed taking her to the dog park as only being fair to her as leash walks didn't really tire her out. I know the times that I didn't take her to the park where she can run around she'll run around my apt and go crazy anyway!

Does anyone else have any opinions on this? I can only think that a person would go insane if they had pup that wasn't allowed to run and play until it was tired.

 

[boxer]

It's not about stopping puppies from running and playing, it's about limiting heavy and especially repetitive types of excercise that can put excessive strain on still-growing and developing joints. That would certainly include running on a leash, and also the sort of jumping that is over objects or from heights. Playing off leash is generally fine - because the dog can (and usually will) stop, pause or slow down whenever it needs to.

With that said, people do need to watch the amount of exercise a puppy is getting when playing with other dogs, and ensure that the pup is taking periodic short rests. There's a difference between 'releasing energy' and strenuous exercise too. I would think an hour or so playing at a park most days is fine, but you just need to watch your pup and make sure she doesn't over exert herself trying to keep it up after she's tired.