I Want To Talk About Hips

I'm going to write about this just once more this side of the time when I will be considering health test, because I need too to clear my head. I'm still convinced that Meerah's left hip is poor, and I don't just mean maybe a score of 12 or so, I think there is an issue that is unfamiliar territory for me in this female line.

I'll go through the causes of H.D one by one, this brings me to just one conclusion further on. 

Exercise - I always follow the guidelines of walking a puppy for 5 mins per month of life, if anything I do less. Free running and fun is always better than route marches, which I don't do anyway. Until recently Meerah was walked with the old dogs, that included Loki, so it was a plod rather than the madness that she may have experienced with Beti or Orin and Siska. 

Feeding - Overfeeding and improper diet can add to the severity of a dog who is already prone to H.D. Lack of balanced in essential nutrients can disrupt proper joint development. I have to confess, this time I did it differently, I fed her on Royal Canin, which is usually out of my budget, but I honestly can't see that this large breed puppy food would have caused any issues.

Trauma - there has been nothing, no knocks, no bumps that would be significant enough to worsen or accelerate the development of hip dysplasia.

Genetics - Hip dysplasia in dogs is predominantly a hereditary condition, meaning it's passed down through genes, therefore dogs inherit a predisposition to developing the condition from their parents. We all know that GSD's are one of the breeds more prone to hip dysplasia, but when we have bred from generations of scored animals we hope for decent hips. Sadly mother nature occasional likes to through a curveball into the mix and we can be confronted by an animal with H.D from low scoring lines. (as I had with a puppy I sold in the "A" litter) So if I'm right, then the cause has to come down to the general makeup of the individual animal and fecking bad luck! 

Now don't get me wrong, Meerah is not lame, Meerah is not crying out in pain, Meerah is full of fun and happiness and is a pleasure to share a life with, but what I have noticed I can't unsee. Firstly there is the constant stops and starts in the field, this could be due to discomfort and instability in her hip joints, dogs are good at finding their comfortable positions, though she doesn't bunny hop. Following resting after a walk she has a stiffness when getting to her feet, her front takes most of the strain, and then she has stiffness for the first few paces, something I would only expect to see in an older dog. On noticing these issues I have tried to flex the joints, when I have tried with the left hip she is guarded and will yelp. As a reminder, Pano (growing pains) affect long bones not joints. 

So there we are, that's where we stand, Meerah is currently playing tug with a toy with Beti, she's happy, they are both happy though the seriousness for the future for Beti and UAP is frightening, but I refuse to let it spoil her life. I've never found myself in such a position, though I don't have X-ray vision and therefore have to wait and see, but I am considering the future. Even the thought of re-homing Beti traumatises me, it simply will never happen, I have adapted my lifestyle and routines for her benefit, so there is no reason why if there is an issue with Meerah that we can't do the same for her needs. To be honest my experience was that Blade managed with H.D far better than when Loki's front mobility was poor. I do think they need more strength in the front than in the hindquarters. 

It may well have to be back to the drawing board for the Blanik line ... and I'm already looking at prospective males for next year for Siska. I would look for totally different bloodlines to the M litter,  not one parent is usually responsible for abnormalities, it's combinations that need to change. (unless it is an abnormality that repeats itself in multiple progeny from one parent) I have some ideas, but of course it's far too early for anything other than window shopping so to speak, and as I've also said, maybe, just maybe one day there's the change of another Orin pup too.