I have a few philosophies around pain in dogs and pain in general, particularly the pain of osteoarthritis.
Hip dysplasia – which begins as an anatomical abnormality, ends in arthritis of the hip joint. So our end game is always going to be – how do we manage arthritis?
I am guessing you will have heard the old saying ‘move it or lose it’.
But I don’t think we have really explored the value of movement.
Sometimes our natural instinct with pain, is…if it hurts, then don’t do it.
And if you’re in pain…move it or lose it can sound offensive or even cruel.
Without a doubt in my mind…’it’s hard to get strong while you are still hurting’.
Pain management is going to be a central part of the management plan of your dog if they hip dysplasia.
The goal of pain management is to enable your dog to live a full life.
And dogs are designed to move.
They love to move.
We’re not meant to coach them in the art of being a lounge lizard!!
Now…I know we don’t get to enter into our dog’s internal narrative. But I think we can safely assume that they all get super excited when the hat, shoes and lead come out and we ask them if they would like to go for a walk.
You know your dog is in a bad place if they don’t get up and wag their tail.
So, yes, it’s OK to walk your dog with Hip Dysplasia.
In fact, it is essential to maintaining their mobility.
Crucially, exercise is closely linked with weight management.
Did you know that the single most effective pain management for arthritis was not a drug…it’s weight management?
If your dog can only manage a short distance, start small and build up.
Better still, exercise your dog in water. Swimming is a low impact aerobic activity that can really give your dog a great workout and help them maintain a healthy body weight.
Walking in water, up to the level of the shoulder, takes nearly two thirds of the body weight off those joints.
Inertia is the enemy of mobility and while it may be a battle to get your dog moving, get moving you must.
If you would like a low impact exercise plan for your dog, please don’t hesitate to contact me at New Life Vet. If your dog has hip dysplasia and you would like to know more about our research in this area please CONTACT US and we can start talking about solutions for you and your dog.
