Fear of Hip Dysplasia! :(

**LabLover19** · 10-25-2011, 11:48 AM

Hi Everyone,

As many of you know, I recently adopted Lexy from a shelter. She is a couple of years old and was in good health when I picked her up. Luckily, she has adapted very well to her new surroundings and has fit in with our family like a charm. I am a bit worried now, however. She has been taking an extra couple seconds to get up from a laying position and I have even noticed a little limp for the first few minutes. I read that this may be a sign of hip dysplasia. We have an appt with the vet this week to check her out, but I was wondering if anyone here has ever dealt with that and would be willing to share some insight or tips on rehab? Thanks!

June & Lexy

**javasmom** · 10-25-2011, 12:26 PM

It could also be a symptom of an ACL tear (which are very common in labs).
Good idea to get her checked out by a vet...be sure to have a drawer test/tibial thrust test done and have the knees examined thoroughly. ACL tears are sometimes mistakenly brushed off as being early stages of HD.

**BlkLabLuv** · 10-26-2011, 01:14 AM

Originally Posted by javasmom

It could also be a symptom of an ACL tear (which are very common in labs).
Good idea to get her checked out by a vet...be sure to have a drawer test/tibial thrust test done and have the knees examined thoroughly. ACL tears are sometimes mistakenly brushed off as being early stages of HD.

Ditto....How old is Lexy?

**LabLover19** · 11-02-2011, 03:23 PM

Amazing news!!

Turns out that sometime in the last 1-2 weeks, Lexy pulled a muscle in her leg, which is what lead to the limping. The muscle was pulled more severely than an average pull, which is why the limping persisted. She is tender in the area, although not in great pain, thank goodness. The vet ordered an increased amount of walking/exercise to prevent the pull from stiffening and limping to persist, leading to God-knows-what problems in the future. I have found a way to come home during my lunch hour (maybe a 90-min. break.......) to help achieve this.

Thanks again for all your support and feedback, we really appreciate it!

June & Lexy