1st May 2006

My Labrador has developed a slight limp, which is proving problematic. Can you help?

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Question:

My two-year- old male Labrador has developed a slight limp on one of his rear legs. He tends to compensate when he runs at speed, but does not have a problem when he is walking. He had a hip score done about three months ago, resulting in a ‘one score’. However, my veterinary nurse thinks there may be a slight click coming from the top of the thigh joint. Have you any idea what the problem might be? If the joint is worn or damaged, is it possible to rectify this?

Answer:

If the hip score that you had done was actually one out of the total of 113 then, radiographically, your dog does have very good hips. However, the problem with hip dysplasia (HD) is that it’s not as simple as good X-rays indicate good joints. There are plenty of dogs that have evidence of very severe HD on X-rays, but are clinically sound – and vice versa. The problem that you describe – your Labrador being sound when walking, but lame when running – is quite common in dogs with HD. The treatment for any dog with arthritis is threefold:

1) Weight management is essential and if a dog is already a little on the heavy side, a weight-loss diet will need to be introduced. Your local veterinary surgery will be able to advise about the most appropriate diet and will probably already run weight-watching clinics.

2) Exercise is required to ensure that the joints do not seize up – but it is very important not to overexercise, as this can make arthritic joints worse.

3) Treatment of the pain to enable exercise and prevent joint seizure is very important. It will also be of benefit to give your dog glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate. Supplementing the diet with these components of articular cartilage helps to reduce wear and improves mobility. Both the anti-inflammatory/painkillers and the joint supplement can be supplied by your vet.

Finally, if the hip joint does not respond to these types of treatment, the final solution is surgery. Hip replacement, though expensive, is now a common procedure and a very successful treatment in appropriate cases.