FAQ series:
How to avoid Hip Dysplaisa in your dog
Two words that can strike fear in any owner: Hip Dysplasia.
You don't have to fear hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia or other joint problems for the most part when you get a puppy/dog from a reputable breeder that does all the normal clearances for that breed as long as you are also doing your part. Yes, you have a very big role to play in your dog being healthy and strong into old age too.
There are many factors that go into HD, with the 2 biggest causes are overweight and over exercised, especially in growing puppies.
DO: Feed your dog a healthy home made or super premium kibble (see some of our suggestions HERE) but the worst thing you can do is over feed your puppy/adult dog. It is especially harmful for puppies to grow up on joints that are still developing and can cause wear on them, which directly causes HD.
DON'T: Feed the amount of food suggested on the bag. Just like people, food intake needs vary greatly, dogs have different needs from other dogs. The amounts which is commonly given on the dog food bag may not be optimal for your dog. You may need to feed more or, many times, quite a bit less than what is suggested.
DO: Keep your puppy slim and trim and where you can always see his waist when you look over the top of him. If it's hard to find a waist and your pup looks like a "tube" from shoulders to waist, it's time to cut back on the amount of foods and treats given. See the illustrations below, you may need to adjust the amount of food your dog gets from week to week, depending on rate of growth, activity levels, etc. You may need to refer back to these images from time to time over the lifespan of your dog to make sure he is maintained at a healthy weight.
DO: Watch the amount and size of treats given to your pup. Healthy treats are great and make reward based training very easy to do, but take into account the amount given in a day when you are feeding as well. Treats should always be small and healthy like a small piece of cheese, apple slices, or bananas if your dog likes them. Small sized homemade treats are also a great option.
Exercise is very important for a healthy dog, but while they are puppies, they do not need a lot of exercise. Very short walks, even just up and down the driveway are usually plenty for new puppies. Over exercising can and will cause hip dysplasia.
DON'T: Force exercise your puppy until he is at least 1 1/2 to 2 years of age. This includes jogging, throwing tennis balls or toys for long periods or with the competition of another dog, or running with the dog either on or off leash, such as a bike ride, etc. Puppies don't really know when they've had "too much" of a fun activity, so when they are chasing the tennis ball for more than a few throws, that ends up being a "forced" activity. It's really up to you to tell your puppy when he's had enough. While these practices are fine with older dogs over 2 years old, it can and will cause HD in growing dogs. The growth plates are "open" and still growing until the dog reaches maturity which is around 2 years old in Golden Retrievers. This is also why the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals doesn't give permanent clearances until they are at least 2 years of age. Over exercising while the growth plates are open causes arthritic changes in the joints, such as hips and elbows. You can read about growth plates and the impact of too much joint stress on puppies HERE. Once your dog is over 2, you can pretty much do all exercise and activities within their ability with out long term harm.
DON'T: Allow puppy free access up and down flights of stairs until he is over 1 1/2 -2 years old. Either use baby gates to keep a puppy from going up and down on his own or confine him to the downstairs only. You can carry the puppy up and down while he is little or use the collar or leash to have him go gently and slowly up and down. If you have a house that requires him to go downstairs to get out of the house, such as an upper deck with a flight of stairs to get down to the yard, take extra caution, especially when the steps may be wet.
DO: Swim your dog and puppy for no or low impact exercise! Swimming is a really great way to exercise your pup with out too much worry about stress or impact on the joints. If they are getting tired, be sure to stop and take the rest of the day off.
DO: Supplement with Vitamin C. Higher doses while the growth plates are still open and lower doses for the lifetime of the dog. Vitamin C is an excellent supplement to give to help avoid raising a puppy that becomes a dog with HD. The joints in the body are connecting bones together with cartilage, which includes the hips and elbows, of course. If the cartilage becomes damaged, arthritic changes begin to take place, which is basically the definition of HD, arthritic changes in the hip joint. The only thing that can repair the cartilage in the body is collagen. The only way of improving collagen production in the body is with added Vitamin C. Yes, it's true that dogs can produce some Vitamin C in the body, but only up until they are 40 lbs. and not nearly enough to repair any damages that may have taken place. This discovery that Vitamin C can help reduce the occurrence of HD in dogs was made by Dr. Wendell O. Belfield in the 1970's by comparing dogs who had HD with the x-rays of humans who had died of scurvy. His clinical studies are very interesting and impressive, you can read about it HERE. Vitamin C has many benefits to the dog including helping to boost a dogs immune system, fight off bacteria and virus as well as a powerful detoxifier, which can help avoid diseases like cancer. The benefits of Vitamin C are numerous enough that we recommend it be given for the life of the dog. HERE is a link to a couple of brands we recommend and amounts that should be fed for a Golden Retriever.
DON'T: Spay or neuter your dog until they are at least 1 1/2 to 2 years of age. There have been many studies recently to indicate that early spaying/neutering can not only increase the occurrence of cancer in dogs, but also greatly increases joint disease (hip and elbow dysplasia as well as torn cruciate ligaments in adult dogs). One of the largest studies done was at UC Davis Veterinary School in California. While the findings apply to all breeds and mixed breeds, Golden Retrievers were the breed in particular that were studied. One of the findings was that Hip Dysplasia had a 100% increase in males that were neutered at a young age. You can read the study HERE, it's a quick and very informative read. We suggest that females are allowed to go through at least 1 heat cycle (keeping them under lock and key while in heat of course!) and males not be neutered until they are closer to 2 years of age, or older if possible.
DON'T: Spay or neuter your dog until they are at least 1 1/2 to 2 years of age. There have been many studies recently to indicate that early spaying/neutering can not only increase the occurrence of cancer in dogs, but also greatly increases joint disease (hip and elbow dysplasia as well as torn cruciate ligaments in adult dogs). One of the largest studies done was at UC Davis Veterinary School in California. While the findings apply to all breeds and mixed breeds, Golden Retrievers were the breed in particular that were studied. One of the findings was that Hip Dysplasia had a 100% increase in males that were neutered at a young age. You can read the study HERE, it's a quick and very informative read. We suggest that females are allowed to go through at least 1 heat cycle (keeping them under lock and key while in heat of course!) and males not be neutered until they are closer to 2 years of age, or older if possible.