This article originally appeared on my ongoing series of articles for Flexcin International, Inc as Does FlexPet Help Canine Hip and Renal Dysplasia?
At Flexcin, we’ve created an “Ask the Expert” feature where pet owners can ask their health questions to me, Dr. Patrick Mahaney. I enjoy the opportunity to have this forum to help your canine and feline companions live the best possible quality of life.
Recently, I received a question from a concerned caretaker with a dog having somewhat of a double whammy of health concerns with both hip and renal dysplasia. Although the general pet loving community is fairly well aware of hip dysplasia, we often don’t consider that other organ systems may form improperly too.
You see, dysplasia refers to an underlying developmental abnormality that prevents normal functioning of a body part or organ system either during the juvenile or early adult life stage. Withhip dysplasia, the hip joint does not properly develop, which leads to arthritis and eventuallydegenerative joint disease (DJD, which is the progression of arthritis. Learn more about hip dysplasia and arthritis/DJD in the Top 5 Most Common Reasons Your Pet May Develop Joint Pain.
With renal dysplasia, the kidneys do not develop correctly and ultimately end up functioning improperly. As the kidneys are vital organs that detoxify the blood, malfunctioning kidneys permit the buildup of toxins that make a pet very sick. Kidney malfunction can be determined through routine blood and urine testing. It’s best to catch this disease early before a pet starts to show clinical signs of illness, such as increased water consumption/urination, decreased appetite, vomiting, lethargy, and others.
You see, dysplasia refers to an underlying developmental abnormality that prevents normal functioning of a body part or organ system either during the juvenile or early adult life stage. Withhip dysplasia, the hip joint does not properly develop, which leads to arthritis and eventuallydegenerative joint disease (DJD, which is the progression of arthritis. Learn more about hip dysplasia and arthritis/DJD in the Top 5 Most Common Reasons Your Pet May Develop Joint Pain.
With renal dysplasia, the kidneys do not develop correctly and ultimately end up functioning improperly. As the kidneys are vital organs that detoxify the blood, malfunctioning kidneys permit the buildup of toxins that make a pet very sick. Kidney malfunction can be determined through routine blood and urine testing. It’s best to catch this disease early before a pet starts to show clinical signs of illness, such as increased water consumption/urination, decreased appetite, vomiting, lethargy, and others.
You see, dysplasia refers to an underlying developmental abnormality that prevents normal functioning of a body part or organ system either during the juvenile or early adult life stage. - Dr. Patrick MahaneyThe diagnosis of hip dysplasia makes your dog more likely to need long term pain management. The additional diagnosis of renal dysplasia requires the pain management protocol to be created specifically to reduce further harm to the kidneys. The use of NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs) for pain relief should be minimized due to the negative effects they have on kidney and other organ system health. Other types of pain reliving drugs, like synthetic opoids (Tramadol, etc) and GABA analogues (Gabapentin, etc) are safer bets, but still need to be used under the guidelines of your veterinarian. Chondroprotectants ("joint supplements") like FlexPet can help to promote joint health and reduce the reliance on side-effect causing medications. Weight management is also important, as a body that carries around less weight, will experience less stress on the joints. Additionally, activity should be modified to include less-traumatic exercise (walking, hiking, swimming, etc.) instead of running, sprinting, and jumping. A consultation with a veterinary physical rehabilitation specialist can yield a helpful perspective on an appropriate combination of modalities (including massage, acupuncture, laser therapy, and other techniques) to keep your pooch comfortable. Thank you for reading this article. Your questions and comments are completely welcome (I’ll respond). Please feel free to communicate with me through Twitter (@PatrickMahaney) and follow my adventures in veterinary medicine by liking Patrick Mahaney: Veterinarian Acupuncture Pain Management for Your Pets on Facebook.