popping hip

[Gwen]

We just noticed today that Molly's left hip pops when she walks (you can feel it pop in and out and hear a dull thud-like sound when she moves). DH said he's noticed this before. She doesn't limp, has an apparently normal gait and shows no signs of pain, even after a long walk.

 

We got her from rescue at 10 wks - she was abandoned at a roadside, so we don't know her history. She'll be 9 months on Friday. Of course, our worst fear is hip dysplasia. We're making an appointment with an orthopedic vet ASAP. From what I've read, it's best to have it treated before symptoms appear so that all options are available.

 

What are the odds that it could be something other than dysplasia? Or is that most likely the problem? I know we won't know for sure until xrays are done. I appreciate anyone that has opinions of treatment and advice on what to look for/ask the vet. I'm reading old posts on this topic as well.

 

TIA

[AK dog doc]

You need the Xray for this. It *sounds* like Ortolani's sign, which is an indicator of dysplasia, but you very definitely should have hip films done. Even if the physical exam is conculsive, you still need the films to asses the full extent of what's going on in there. They can't give you all options without that information. The things to ask about are what medical and surgical options they have available, costs of each (to you AND the dog) both of doing them and of NOT doing them, and what complications there might be. If you are considering surgery ask about risks, recovery time, aftercare and "bail-out" (the fallback or salvage) procedures if there's a complication of surgery. Also, think about what your expectations of this dog are. This is a young animal, with (one hopes) many years ahead. If you intend for her to be an amble-down-the-lane, lie-at-your-feet sort of dog, that's totally different than if you intend her to be a backpack-for-three-days, go-biking-with-you sort of dog. The lifestyle you intend her to have makes a difference to the value of any given approach. If this was my potential trial-winner, I'd have a lot more incentive to fork out for the total hip than if it were my cuddle-on-the-couch dog.

 

Good luck, and I hope it turns out not to be serious.

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Just idle curiosity here - what, roughly, causes that creepy popping noise? I've heard it once in a pup that was severely affected and I could just imagine that poor dog's femoral ball snapping in and out of the socket - it's not REALLY like that though, is it?

[Gwen]

Thanks for the wonderful advice Doc - I knew I could count on you.

 

I've done some more reading on this (realizing we won't know for sure until we meet w/ vet & have films) and it seems that TPO is treatment of choice for puppies. This, or any other tx for that matter, is something we're willing to do. We just want to most effective, complete results. Is this usually the best option for puppies, in your opinion?

 

While we're not a super active family and she's a companion, we don't want her to live a life in pain if it can be avoided. She is energetic and I don't want her to be restricted. Although we try to avoid it since she's still developing, she is a jumper - she just loves to jump around. We were hoping for flyball in a few months, just as a way to channel her energy.

 

Thanks again for the great advice. It will help tremendously when we meet with the vet. I'll keep the group posted on things.