Senior German Shepherd Mix Hip Pain: Dislocated? (Vet Answered)
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Small Animal Veterinarian
Dr. Karyn is a small animal veterinarian originally from Australia, now based in the UK. She holds degrees in Veterinary Science (2010) and Zoology. When not helping pets, she tends to her 5 cats, 5 dogs, and garden!
The Question
My dog (12 yo) seemed to injure his back left hip a couple weeks ago. He’s been resting a lot and slowly getting better. When I feel both sides, on the injured (left) side, I feel the joint more easily than the right side. The right side feels like more muscle covering the hip. Does this sound like a dislocated hip?
Quick Info about Brewsky
📹 Vet's Video Reply (scroll down to see text answer)
Hi Allison, Thanks for writing in. A dislocated hip is a pretty unique and recognizable injury, and not one that would be getting any better on its own. When dogs dislocate a hip, it’s usually the consequence of a major trauma, and they are unable to bear any weight on the affected limb. However, Brewsky (I love this name!) is a large dog made up of breeds that are known to suffer from hip and joint issues, and arthritis is pretty common as they get older. The fact that you’ve noticed a loss of muscle mass on the injured side tells me that he’s not using the leg very well, and I think it’s time to get him assessed at the vet. If he’s not already, now would be a great time to look into starting Brewsky on some joint supplements (I’ve included a link below to an article), but I believe he’ll at least need some anti-inflammatory pain relief, but he might also require x-rays to see what’s going on inside the joint. In the meantime, keep him rested, only going out to the toilet. Hopefully, your vet will be able to get him in for an examination soon. All the best, Dr Karyn https://www.dogster.com/dog-health-care/best-joint-supplements-for-dogs