Hip xray

[karkarw12]

Hi there, this is my pug's xray taken recently, at 11months.

I would really appreciate if anyone with the appropriate knowledge and expertise can take a look and tell me what you see.

Thank you so much for your time.

K

[Margot49]

Oh, bless you, Karla.  Been there/done that too but probably not as many as you.
Just feel so sorry fir the dogs from these irresponsible breeders.  Long story, but after months of research, finally got a devastating diagnosis of MD in one of my Sheltie lines, 3 that were being shown.  Pulled every one of them and had them spay and neutered.  My puppies were always sold on spay/neuter contracts so we stopped it there.  Was a BIG blow to one of my breeding lines. :-(.

[shannon781]

I'm not sure of the stage off the top of my head, but it is fairly  advanced radiographically speaking. Like I said before, the head of the femur is barely being covered by the hip, but I don't see an obvious amount of DJD (degenerative joint disease-bony changes). What we see radiographically does not always match up with how the dog is acting/feeling. He is definitely a candidate for surgery..you can have it performed at any time, but it is up to you whether you would like to fix things now or wait until he is more uncomfortable. You can manage his pain, if any, in the meantime. It is something that will never go away and will get worse with time, unfortunately. Some animals progress very rapidly and other can go almost their whole lives without showing they are uncomfortable despite what the xrays look like. I could not tell much from the view for the knees, but I'm sure there is a lateral view that your vet could see things better.

[Misfits4Me]

Oh Yes, I understand the owner is VERY committed!! I commend her for that! I wouldn't let him go anywhere either, but you know me----  Always end up with very sick, disabled, psychologically damaged, aggressive, everyone else's throw aways, etc., ones! I have often wondered how these dogs seem to find me????

I guess I've NEVER had a normal dog! Are they fun to have?????  :)   Karla

[Margot49]

Karla is right but the owner seems committed to this puppy now.  I would be at that Pet store in a flash.
This is probably genetic and more poor puppies and buyers will suffer.
We finally got pet stores around here to stop selling puppies.

[Misfits4Me]

Welcome to the forum.......You might ask your Vet about starting a good Joint supplement for your guy.....Also, omega 3 oils would help.....Make sure you are feeding a high quality diet which I'm sure you've already looked into, but wanted to throw that out there.....

I personally would have a blood panel run to look for any other underlying conditions........

The majority of pet store puppies (95%) come from "Puppy Mills".....They are notorious for a life of ill health & unfortunately the puppy & it's new owners suffer a lifetime of pain! The puppies present well (At the store) as they are fed Sugar water ever morning to make them hyper! When it wears off they are fed more......

Please boycott these places! Don't not shop for food, toys, treats, etc., at these stores.....This industry is a nightmare and should not be supported....

For those reading this, Google--"Puppy Mills" and see the horrors that these dogs (Mainly the parents) must endure for their lifetime!   Karla

P.S. If the miller's stock refuse to breed or can't reproduce for any reason, they are drowned in the local pond or shot in the head if the miller wants to spend money on a bullet!  So, so horrific!!!!!!!  

[karkarw12]

Thank you.  To answer your question: no, my brother saw him in the pet shop window and just wanted to bring him home. He's the most beautiful pug and a surprise addition to our family. I don't see the point in contacting them. At least not now or anytime soon. I love my dog, and no matter what problems he was bred to come with, I don't regret him one bit. He may feel unwell or be in pain at times, but he has an incredible spirit and is so happy in our home. He is showered with love and showers every one of us with love too. I can wholeheartedly say that he is lucky to have found us (just as we are so lucky to have found him) as we don't overlook anything when it comes to his health and well-being. If anything we are over-cautious (our vets, nurses, groomers, and dog "maintenance" bills will attest to that) and we don't hesitate to do what is best for him - (we get as many evaluations and opinions from as many experts as we can and do our research based on the all the information). My concern is always with him and his health, so coming to this forum, I'd rather focus on my dog and the problems and questions at hand.

[Margot49]

I am so sorry for you and the dog.
I do have a question.  Dud you contact the person you got this pup from?

[karkarw12]

Thanks for your reply shannon781.

I'm not sure if you're a vet, but are you able to say what stage it is at? Is it really bad? And what, in your opinion, is the prognosis? Do you think he's a candidate for surgery?

I'm also worried about his knees. He has got hind legs that are skinnier and longer than those of most pugs I've seen, and for a period of time he was overweight (>10.8kg). We noticed one day that he was limping and not really placing any weight on his left hind leg when walking, standing, etc., which is why after about a week, we took him to the vet and had the x-ray done. We were told that his knees are bad too (I'm not sure if that can be seen in this scan). He's been on an obesity diet since then, and after 5 months, he's down to a healthy 9.4kg.

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your time and input.

[shannon781]

The dog definitely has hip dysplasia of both hips. They don't sit in the acetabulum (hip joint) nicely and lack coverage. Half or more of the femoral head should be covered by the acetabulum and your dog has less than half on both sides.

[Margot49]

I didn't try the link but am wondering why you had hip x rays taken at such a young age

[karkarw12]

Sorry I added a photo, but it's not showing up.  Here is a link to it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cestkarina/10945462505/lightbox/