Vet advise

[dlfl]

My young vet says my 4 month old pup has bad hips and needs to be neutered at 6 months. No x-rays just a mobility test. Wants him to be on puppy food till a year old also. This seems to be questionable to me but wonder what others think? He has put him on SnoviG3 suplement, which I think is a good idea.

[big steve46]

I think you need to get another opinion from an experienced Vet who has experience in properly evaluating hips.

[Karen]

I agree with BigSteve. And I also don't understand how neutering is related to hips. Quite honestly, I'd leave the dog intact for 2 yrs, even if his hips are bad. Give him a chance to more normally develop physically (go through puberty with the hormones necessary to trigger the close of the growth plates on schedule), and then neuter once physically and mentally mature.

And by all means, have preliminary hip x-rays done by someone experienced in evaluating hips if there's a question.

[big steve46]

I should have added that the poor young vet's advice on neutering is so typical of the brainwashing they get in Vet school. Feeding puppy feed for a year is sort of silly also.

[Karen]

Yeah, I feed puppy food for as long as it takes to go through the first 8 lb bag of whatever the breeder fed and wean them over to adult food.

[highcotton]

If the pup is severe and already showing clinical signs you may have a problem. If the pup is not showing signs, you should get another opinion IMO. It is difficult to evaluate hips at 4 months of age.

I hope K9 notices this thread. She has some recent experience in evaluating pups at young ages.

Charles

[kninebirddog]

First I would seek another vets advice

A pup at 4 month old is still growing and untill about the 6 plus months there really is still quite a bit of growing

I ahve x rays of 12 through about 4 month old pups which my vet and I were not at all impresed with

now proof will still be in the pudding after the OFA results But I took the same pups back a couple months later and redid the x rays and there was quite a bit of frowing and they developed that 1 looked real good one looked good and one was good to fair ...again I am still waiting for the final results which will not be for another year but i am happy with the last pictures

As for puppy food...Get him on to a quality adult food...

as for nuetering...I would hold off on that also..Dog Dr can help more there but with hunting dogs and sporting dogs it is highly suggested NOT to nueter at young age ....PLease to a search as to the why ...they explain it beter but that can elongate bones when done at to young of ages which can potnetially lead to othe issues

[wems2371]

as for nuetering...I would hold off on that also..Dog Dr can help more there but with hunting dogs and sporting dogs it is highly suggested NOT to nueter at young age ....PLease to a search as to the why ...they explain it beter but that can elongate bones when done at to young of ages which can potnetially lead to othe issues

My vet got to me before I found this forum and wealth of knowledge. I spayed my gsp at 6 months. She is now 15 mos old, and has been experiencing occasional minor bouts with paneosteitis (growing pains) for the last 4 months, which I have a high suspicion is due to the early spay. While it is minor and should be something she will outgrow--I will never spay before 2 years old again!

How is the early neuter suppose to improve your puppys condition, or did the vet say? Denise

[ezzy333]

I am sure the neutering was just his way of saying the dog shouldn't be bred so get it neutered before he becomes a potential breeder. Tat is the common rheteric that is out there and it is rather recent that the downside of early neutering has come to light. You can't pick up a magazine that doesn't have an ad or an article suggesting the dogs all need to be neutered. And the vets have been taught the same thing.

Ezzy

[Brittguy]

While some dogs with CHD live a normal life and you would never know they had a problem except for x-rays,my limited experience with dogs diagnosed at such an early age is that it progresses to a sever condition before they are very old.In case you haven't thought about it I would be talking to the breeder to see if you could get an adjustment.

[dlfl]

Britguy,
That is not a problem with the breeder. I may get one anytime I wish. I just want to do what is best for my pup that he may experience what he was breed for as long as he can.

[ezzy333]

Before I got in any kind of a bind over this I would wait till there is an x-ray to see whats really there. Though I may be wrong it kind of sounds like a young man trying to make n impression.

Ezzy

[kninebirddog]

Britguy,
That is not a problem with the breeder. I may get one anytime I wish. I just want to do what is best for my pup that he may experience what he was breed for as long as he can.

What I would do is wait till at least 7 months of age...then have x rays done and send in to OFA for a PRE LIM evaluation

Then you can figure what to do from then

Borderline and Mild a dog may Never show any clinical signs

moderate it maybe latter in life before any signs May show

severe can show up more in younger dog...even pups but ...After what X rays I had done with my vet the amount of growth and how much the bones change even at 4 month of age ..your not going to get a full idea of what is going on...unless it is extremely bad then you might get some idea but it can change

As for PENN Hip also...at 4 months old ..I wouldn't take that as a finished result as the bones are still growing so....again wait until after 7 month of age


even waiting till 1 year old would be better fro PRE LIMS

then if there is something going on contact the Breeder

[dog dr]

I agree with BigSteve. And I also don't understand how neutering is related to hips. Quite honestly, I'd leave the dog intact for 2 yrs, even if his hips are bad. Give him a chance to more normally develop physically (go through puberty with the hormones necessary to trigger the close of the growth plates on schedule), and then neuter once physically and mentally mature.

And by all means, have preliminary hip x-rays done by someone experienced in evaluating hips if there's a question.

good advice

[prairiefirepointers]

I think your young veterinarian is a hack. Dropping news like that on you without doing any xrays to provide conclusive evidence to substantiate his/her diagnosis is irresponsible, immoral, and bad practice. I am curious.. Is your vet a man or a woman?

IMO women make far better vets than us guys. I will ONLY vet with a woman veterinarian. They are a little more cautious, take things more serious, and also more compassionate. JMO.. Good Luck, and seek another opinion.

BTW.. I know that there are MANY great vets all over the country who are men.. However, for my personal reasons I feel the way I do about having a woman vet for my dogs.

[romeo212000]

There is a reason that most breeders who offer a health guarantee on the hips require the dog be around 24 months when they are checked for hip displaysia. There is no telling how a dog that young is going to develop. You should have seen my youngest GSP when she was a pup. Her gait didnt look especially good but as she grew and developed so did her hips. I have had the vet keep an eye on it but he says all looks good. Sounds like this guy is fresh out of school and is spewing the bull crap shoved down his throat that a dog should be neutered so early. I have no idea what neutering has to do with hips, but I know you can do more damage by nuetering early than by waiting if there were any to be done. Find another opinion, find another vet. He obviously doesn't understand sporting breeds.

[dlfl]

Thank you all!
You have confirmed what I was thinking.

[kninebirddog]

Over in Texas there is a vet that he was doing surgery was telling me had to be done on dogs by 12 weeks of age


Well After I just did these x rays on My pups and then again later....I really quetion the surgery he ws talkig about to prevent Hip Dysplaisia Juvenile .....Something I will have to look it up again


As for Why OFA waits till 2 years there are some dog that will start to show some Arthritic changes that will look fine at 1 year and at 24 months there will be a slight thinning of the edge of the hip socket

that is one big reason they wait till the 24 month to look for arthiritic changes