Almost any joint can be impacted by arthritis and degeneration in the dog, but the most common complaints usually stem from the hips, knees and lower back. \u00a0In a prior article, we discussed the knee or stifle, with the most common condition occuring there being cruciate ligament disease<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n The hips in the dog are very similar to our own, just oriented in a different plane, really as if we were down on all 4 limbs, walking around, instead of being upright. \u00a0The hip joint is really where the ball or head of the femur, interacts with the acetabulum or cup of the pelvis. \u00a0It is really like a ball sitting and rotating, perfectly fitting inside of a cup. \u00a0This cup and ball junction forms the hip joint and the ball of the femur is held in place by a centrally located ligament, called the ligament of the head of the femur. \u00a0This keeps things in place, preventing the ball from jumping out of its socket. \u00a0Being a joint, this entire unit is then encapsulated by a joint capsule, containing joint fluid inside to improve lubrication and reduce friction. \u00a0The ball and socket are both covered with cartilage, which protects the bone underneath and helps to absorb forces, not to mention glide smoothly. Friction is the enemy of joints. With more use and stress to a joint, inflammation increases. \u00a0As the inflammation rises, the joint actually begins to produce less joint fluid in the long term and with this comes more friction and heat. \u00a0Over time, that level of inflammation rises further and soon, cartilage degenerates and bone is impacted, leading to the development of arthritis.<\/p>\n When we are talking about the hip and arthritis, there is really two forms; general arthritis and hip dysplasia. \u00a0It is important to discriminate between the two. Hip Dysplasia is a hereditary condition, genetic. \u00a0It is more evident in larger breed dogs, including the Labrador, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd and a few other breeds. \u00a0Hip dysplasia is a genetic condition where the ball of the femur and\/or the acetabulum (cup) of the pelvis are not formed properly. Often times the ball is not as round as it should, being more oblong in shape. In other cases, the acetabulum or cup is rather shallow, not being able to contain the head of the femur very well. \u00a0Hip dysplasia is diagnosed when the dogs are young, often with the initial clinical problems being evident before the dogs are 6 months old.<\/strong> \u00a0Essentially, it is a young dog condition.<\/p>\n On the converse side, we have generalized hip osteoarthritis, which is typical arthritis impacting the hip as the dog ages. \u00a0Really no different than in humans. In most cases of generalized hip arthritis, the initial diagnosis may be in the age range of 4-5 years of age in the larger breed dogs. \u00a0It is important to distinguish between the two, as often we have a diagnosis of ‘hip dysplasia’ but our pet is actually aged out and is more in the group of generalized arthritis.<\/p>\n When it comes to actual, true hip dysplasia, we are often limited in options dependent on how bad the hips are deformed. \u00a0In many of these cases, we can assist these patients over many months or even years, but all too often, the only true solution is a hip replacement. \u00a0However, with generalized arthritis, our options of therapy to assist in managment for that patient, are greater, especially if we intervene at an early stage.<\/p>\n The lower back in dogs is just a prone to problems as it is in humans. \u00a0In this region, the most common complaints are discospondylitis and spondylosis.<\/p>\n The vertebrae in our backs are numerous and separated from each other by discs, which really are like fluid filled donuts, taking concussion forces and allowing the vertebrae to flex and move. \u00a0In certain situations, those discs can rupture or herniate, in which case the fluid outpouching can then put pressure on nerves or even the spinal cord. \u00a0Certain breeds that have longer backs, such as Beagles, Dachsunds and Basset Hounds are more susceptible to this condition. \u00a0Any breed is really susceptible, especially with age related degeneration to the discs themselves. \u00a0Clinical signs don’t always include back pain, but more so the pain is involving a leg due to sciatic nerve impingement or even more notably, the pets often drag a rear foot or a whole leg, or usually both legs. \u00a0In many of these cases, especially if advanced, surgery is the only viable option in order to attempt decompression.<\/p>\n Spondylosis is really a form of arthritis of the lumbar vertebrae. \u00a0What happens here is actually similar to any other joint. \u00a0The cartilage surface begins to breakdown due to wear, tear and inflammation. As this condition progresses, bone spurs begin to form and can actually bridge the gap between vertebrae, connecting to the next one down the line. \u00a0This bridging then leads to limited range of motion and contributes to significant back pain in some cases. \u00a0If the condition gets severe enough, nerves can be compromised and with this function is impaired.<\/p>\n In many cases of both hip and back problems, many of these pets are on pharmaceutical medications each day to control clinical signs. \u00a0The most common type of medication utilized as a first option are NSAIDs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. \u00a0This group of medications can prove helpful in managing discomfort and pain, improving quality of life, especially in the early stages, but they are limited in their function and can have significant side effects, along with requiring frequent bloodwork monitoring. \u00a0As the conditions progress, we start to utilize medications such as steroids or even narcotic medications. \u00a0As a veterinarian, I would often prescribe the NSAID medications, but rarely had a need to employ the steroids or narcotics, unless it was a really advanced case.<\/p>\n More so, I opted to incorporate ‘alternative’ options, not just including herbs but also the diet and recommending exercise for the patient. \u00a0Many of these pets are sedentary in their lifestyle, which encourages weight gain and overall stiffness of the joints. \u00a0If we could alter the diet, make it more clean, less processed, higher nutritive value, then the patient would actually lose weight, which would take stress off of those joints and improve quality of life.<\/p>\n I feel herbs are very beneficial in these cases, not only for nutritive capabilities but more so their medicinal effects. \u00a0Inflammation is the main factor we are attempting to balance, as in these patients it is at a higher level, which is contributing not only to their pain but joint degeneration as well. \u00a0The medications mentioned above target pain, really, impacting the actual inflammatory process on a restricted level. \u00a0They also have moderate side effects ranging from upset stomach to organ failure, not too mention their high cost.<\/p>\n Many herbs can assist us in better management in these cases, reducing or even eliminating the need for those medications. \u00a0In reality, through the use of herbs we accomplish several things. \u00a0First, we help to balance the inflammatory process and reduce discomfort. \u00a0Second, we impact cellular health, which may aid in healing, strength and even metabolism, which then impacts energy and even weight. \u00a0More often than not, with the proper use of herbs, the patients feel better overall, their discomfort is more managed, less pain and more energy overall.<\/p>\n When it comes to herbs, obvious ones such as Curcumin or Boswellia can help us to balance that inflammatory response and improve comfort, however, we cannot forget about the many others. \u00a0Herbs such as alfalfa, spirulina and various medicinal mushrooms also have anti-inflammatory benefits, but also provide beneficial nutrients for cellular health and even aid in moisturizing the body to an exent, which is a problem as we age.<\/p>\n In our patients, the most common formula that I would use is our Cur-OST SA<\/a><\/span>, which incorporates several herbs not just to address inflammation but support overall health. \u00a0We would use this formula in almost any case of joint conditions and experienced good results in a high majority. \u00a0In those patients that are larger, heavier body weights such as the large breed pets, the Cur-OST SA Pure<\/a><\/span> is a another option as it allows for a lower dose, but does not provide the overall health balance as seen in the Cur-OST SA. In those pets that also have allergies, we would utilize our Cur-OST SA Total Suppor<\/a>t<\/span>, to aid in balancing the inflammation response, but also address underlying gastrointestinal issues which may be contributing to both the allergies and joint concerns.<\/p>\n In all of these cases, a cure is not the goal, and rarely achieved even with surgical intervention. \u00a0What we are trying to do is improve quality of life and reduce or better manage discomfort, as well as some of the cellular processes which may contribute to the condition. \u00a0I do believe, that with proper management utilizing diet, exercise and herbal therapy, many of these patients can do extremely well.<\/p>\n Thank you.<\/p>\n Tom Schell, D.V.M.<\/p>\n Nouvelle Research, Inc.<\/p>\n www.nouvelleresearch.com<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Our canine companions are not immune to joint concerns, but like us, they often live with day to day discomfort and pain. They want to go, jump, play, but are limited in what they can do. The hips and even back are main sources of problems, creating moderate pain, limited range of motion and creating a modest dependence on pharmaceutical medications just to keep them moving. Their problems are very similar to ours, as humans. We have choices and options which may provide a higher level of quality of life. All we have to do is understand the process and see the possibilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2524,"featured_media":670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"enabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":null,"stick-header-meta":null,"header-above-stick-meta":null,"header-main-stick-meta":null,"header-below-stick-meta":null,"astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[196],"tags":[1164,234,1201,241,205,203,758,383,720,1200,1202,204,312,501,1203],"class_list":["post-417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-small-animal-articles","tag-alternative-therapy","tag-arthritis","tag-back","tag-boswellia","tag-cur-ost","tag-curcumin","tag-diet","tag-dogs","tag-herbs","tag-hip","tag-hip-dysplasia","tag-nouvelle-research","tag-pain","tag-tom-schell-d-v-m","tag-yin-deficiency"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Hips and Pain in Dogs<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"X-ray](\"https:\/\/nouvelleresearch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/images_shutterstock_41961568-176x300.jpg\" "\\"X-rays")
Lower Back Conditions in Canine Companions<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Therapy Considerations for Dogs with Back and Hip Pain<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n