# I am concerned about rear legs/hips on Bella



## vtecjun (Apr 25, 2011)

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this question, but here goes.

We have a 2 year old female, roughly 60lbs. She has always "sat" on her hip when she sits. I never thought much of it other than she looks goofy when doing it. Recently it seems that she is having a hard time getting up from a nap, like she is struggling a bit with her rear quarters. We go on regular walks and she never makes any sounds that would indicate she is in pain.

Any advice or experience with similar situations would be appreciated. Thanks


----------



## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

Pit bulls won't show pain to much if none at all. You should have her hips checked by the vet and see whats going on. Could be displaysia (hips) or patella (knees) issues. I am having a foot issue with my girl Bella  She still wants to run on it and has now been on strict crate rest since last Wednesday. She is going to get an X-ray on Thursday to see whats going on. These are tough dogs and they act like pain or discomfort don't phase them. Is Bella over weight at all? Also, what kind of food is she on? You could get her some glucosamine/chrondrotin supplements and start her on it. Depending on what type of supplement you get it can work wonders for dogs with joint and dysplasia issues. Dog food never has enough of glucosamine in it. First things first though.....start with a trip to the vet and get an Xray done on her back end


----------



## vtecjun (Apr 25, 2011)

She is not over weight from what I think. We just started both of the dogs on Blue Buffalo grain free dry food last week. We have tried a few different foods in the past so hopefully this food works well for both dogs.

I want to take her in to the vet soon, choosing a vet is the hard part for me. I have read so many things about good vet vs. a vet that missed something very important. 

Does anyone in the Seattle/Tacoma area have any good suggestions for a vet?

Thanks again for all the help!


----------



## 9361 (Jun 25, 2009)

best of luck with her and her vet visit. When my dog tore her acl's she didn't even act like anything was wrong with her!She just limped.


----------



## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

Sounds like she could have hip dysplasia and not because of the hip sitting but because she is having a hard time getting up. Only x-rays will give you the full picture. Find a good vet and have it looked at.


----------



## vtecjun (Apr 25, 2011)

I am going to call a few different vets tomorrow to get an appointment made to look at her. She seems to be doing better today, she was not doing very well yesterday after my wife took her for a pretty lengthy walk. Today she didnt do any strenuous activities.

I have a friend that has some glucosamine that she has used for her dogs when healing from an ACL injury. I am going to start giving her some of that while we wait for the vet.

Blue_Nose_Bella - I hope your appointment on Thursday with your Bella goes well.


----------



## Kathleen (Apr 3, 2011)

lol, she is just too damn cute (love the last pic)

Good luck! Keep us posted.


----------



## MoPulldogs (Dec 30, 2008)

I've got some friends out that way that use Dr Erickson at

Value Pet Clinic Inc 
12925 SE Kent Kangley Rd Unit 101 Kent,WA 98030 map 
(253) 638-8833

You can post on the APA Weight pull board that are a lot of PNW pullers that post there


----------



## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

vtecjun said:


> I am going to call a few different vets tomorrow to get an appointment made to look at her. She seems to be doing better today, she was not doing very well yesterday after my wife took her for a pretty lengthy walk. Today she didnt do any strenuous activities.
> 
> I have a friend that has some glucosamine that she has used for her dogs when healing from an ACL injury. I am going to start giving her some of that while we wait for the vet.
> 
> Blue_Nose_Bella - I hope your appointment on Thursday with your Bella goes well.


Thank you! I appreciate that  she is actually doing great and walking pretty normal again but we are still keeping our vet app. Your Bella is adorable ! Also try fish oil in her diet it has alot of health benefits not just for skin and coat but also for inflammation in joints. Flax seed oil also has the same affect and is less smelly . Keep us updated on her.


----------



## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

For joint supplements these are great and cheap, I find them at my feed stores but you can order them online too.

Glucosamine 2.5 lbs for about 25-30 bucks
Su-Per® Glucosamine HCI For Horses

MSM for joints $17 for 1lb
Su-Per® MSM ULTRA PURE

here is the main site
Gateway All Natural, Organic, and Holistic Health Care Products For People and Animals Of All Kinds Bulk Order Page.


----------



## vtecjun (Apr 25, 2011)

performanceknls said:


> For joint supplements these are great and cheap, I find them at my feed stores but you can order them online too.
> 
> Glucosamine 2.5 lbs for about 25-30 bucks
> Su-Per® Glucosamine HCI For Horses
> ...


Are those things that would be good for both of my dogs, or are they just good for dogs that have joint issues?


----------



## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

It depends on the age of the other dog, I would not give this to puppies if they have no issues but adults are fine.


----------



## vtecjun (Apr 25, 2011)

So we went to the vet today for an exam, he seems to be leaning towards torn ACL in both knees. Obviously we have to wait and see after they do the X-rays next week. On the insides of her knees you can feel a small "bump", he thinks that could be bone build up from having torn her ACL. We are going to look at the hips as well in the xrays when she is under.

Anyone have any experience with this type of injury?


----------



## vtecjun (Apr 25, 2011)

Well the vet confirmed his diagnosis with the X-rays today. She has torn ACL in both knees. Hips look great, but the knees will need surgery to repair.

2 different types of surgery and both are out of my budget.

Does anyone have any advice as to alternative methods to help this type of injury. If I cant get the surgery there must be something that will help.


----------



## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

Nothing will fix torn ACL's but you could save up and get one knee done at a time and also check the prices of multiple vets by calling around. It is painful to have the torn ACL but you can manage it with pain medication till you can get it fixed. I have had many clients who have had the surgery done and they heal up good. I also have seen dogs not get fixed and they live in pain. My mom's dog has a torn ACL and they are not fixing it and it drives me nuts! That poor dog is in pain everyday and getting older, she will be crippled before her time.

Some dogs can recover if they have a partial tear, with crate rest but it takes a long time. It still has the possibility of tearing all the way but you might not have to have surgery if it is a partial.

Your dogs sounds like it is blown all the way and that is a bummer. Take some time and save the money for the surgery, you and the dog will be thankful


----------

