If a dog is ill, one often asks oneself whether one should put him out of his suffering. Putting yourself to sleep is a difficult step that should not only be well thought out, but is also very difficult.
Whether and when euthanasia is an option for hip dysplasia – we cannot make this decision for you. Nevertheless, this article should help you to consider alternatives.
In a nutshell: Hip dysplasia – when does my dog have to be put down?
Hip dysplasia is basically no reason to put your dog to sleep.
There is today many treatment, therapy and surgical methodswhich enable a dog to live an almost symptom-free life despite hip dysplasia.
Euthanizing is always the last resort when the dog is suffering excessively from an illness and there is no improvement in sight.
Causes and symptoms of hip dysplasia
A hip dysplasia, or more precisely Canine hip dysplasia (HD) is one genetic malformation of the hip joints. The hip joints do not grow properly and can take on unnatural deformations.
Good to know:
Hip dysplasia affects the hip and hind legs. In the case of the shoulder and front legs, one speaks of elbow dysplasia, the symptoms of which are very similar to HD.
It comes with time osteoarthritis of the hip joint. are there increasing pain and discomfort the consequence for the four-legged friend.
This can become noticeable in everyday life by the fact that the dog no longer wants to walk far, shows an unstable gait pattern and sits down more often.
He also often lames or howls with uncontrolled movements, for example when romping or playing.
However, hip dysplasia does not necessarily have to be inherited. Also too much exercise as a puppy can be a cause.
Other causes are one improper stress on the jointsfor example by frequently climbing stairs or a wrong dietwhich encourages the dog to grow too quickly and leads to an abnormal development of the skeleton.
overweight also leads to overuse of the joints and can cause your hip dysplasia.
What is the life expectancy of a dog with HD?
Hip dysplasia can be associated with great pain and a massive restriction of movement, but it does not have to be.
There are many dogs who have severe hip dysplasia that are untreated until old age get along very well.
Accordingly, the life expectancy of animals with HD is not necessarily shorter than that of healthy dogs.
Nevertheless, you should not take hip dysplasia lightly, but we are far from putting it to sleep at first.
How can I help my dog?
Nourishment
Whether your dog has already been diagnosed with genetic HD or is showing the first signs of other causes, the key word is prevent.
If your dog already has hip dysplasia, it is avoiding obesity particularly important. Extra pounds promote the progression of the disease. In healthy dogs, a balanced diet can definitely prevent HD caused by being overweight.
Vitamins A and E and unsaturated fatty acids are good for the joints. Cartilage-building dietary supplements such as muscle meat powder are also very suitable.
Joint-gentle movement
Regular exercise is good for the dog. Moving him only to the bare minimum because of HD is the wrong approach.
However, the focus should rather be on longer walks lie than with short sprints. Climbing stairs and jumping, for example into the trunk, should be avoided.
How much exercise is good for my dog on HD?
This question cannot be answered unequivocally and depends on the progress of the disease.
Exercise is basically always good for the strengthen muscle building. You should, however, on one smooth and steady movement pay attention instead of short and heavy loads.
However, if your dog is visibly in pain, you should not to forcebut rather consult a veterinarian.
treatment, therapy and surgery
One professional physical therapy can help build muscles and strengthen joints.
The regular allocation of suitable feed supplements can be supportive.
If the dog already has advanced hip dysplasia, which is associated with great pain and restricted movement, one may develop hip surgery under consideration.
However, hip surgery is associated with enormous surgical costs. Surgery may involve implants, anesthesia and hospitalization depending on the size of the dog over 5,000 euros costs.
So when is euthanasia an alternative?
It always depends on the individual case. Despite HD, a young dog can live just as long as healthy dogs with appropriate therapy, nutrition and exercise.
If the progress is unstoppable despite all measures and your dog is only sufferingeuthanasia should definitely be considered.
Of course, whether an operation makes sense also depends from age and the other health condition of the four-legged friend.
Since the costs for an operation are very high, it is not easy for everyone to pay for it. Animal health insurance companies often refuse to provide benefits if the breed concerned is well known for dysplasia.
Conclusion
The diagnosis of hip dysplasia is no reason to think about putting your baby to sleep.
Only at an advanced stage and when all other options have failed should you consider taking the step.
An operation is then another alternative. However, sometimes this no longer makes sense due to the age of the dog or the costs are beyond the scope of the owner.
What are your experiences? We look forward to your comment.