My 8-year-old Rottie Tyson has sore hips. I am unable to take him on long walks anymore and a simple walk around the block has him whimpering in pain later at night. He's getting heavy and needs to exercise, but I do not want him getting injured.
What am I to do ?
-Marissa
Experienced Advisor Deepa Gopinath says:
July 27th, 2008 at 07:00 AM
Hi there. Firstly, you need to have it confirmed that the hips are really the problem. Rottweilers are predisposed to having hip dysplasia and this is certainly a possibility but they also commonly get torn cruciate ligaments in their knee joints as well as spinal problems such as disc disease. Pain around the hindquarters can be any of these things. I would advise having him examined by a vet who may then wish to do x-rays to investigate the source of the problem. It is important to confirm the cause of the pain as treatment options vary. If hip dysplasia with secondary hip degenerative joint disease is indeed the problem, the options are surgery (total hip replacement) or conservative management (hydrotherapy, pain meds prescribed by your vet, supplements such as glucosamine and rest). Hydrotherapy or swimming is quite helpful to re-build the muscles around his hips without impacting on the joints. Spinal disease and cruciate ligament disease have different treatment options. I would also re-assess his diet and maybe reduce the amount he is fed or put him on a low calorie dog food as he is currently unable to excercise. I hope that helps and good luck!
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