Do Golden Retrievers Have Hip Problems?

When you bring a dog home, including the Golden Retriever, you have to be careful about some of the different health problems that they may have along the way.

It is a bad idea to assume that the dog will come into your home with no issues, but knowing which health problems are most likely is going to make a difference. 

One condition that you may want to look into before purchasing this dog is hip problems. 

Do Golden Retrievers Have Hip Problems?

Golden Retrievers are more likely to have hip problems, including hip dysplasia, than other breeds. This can affect their mobility, cause pain, and decrease their quality of life. Getting your Golden Retriever from a reputable breeder and taking them for regular visits to the vet will help reduce the effects of hip problems in your Golden.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the hip problems that this dog breed can have and some of the things that you can do to provide them with relief if they do get the condition. 

Golden Retrievers are an active breed of dog. 

They like to spend an hour or more running around with their owners and they were bred to be as active as possible most of the day. 

This is part of the charm that comes with this type of dog and you need to be ready to run and jump and play as much as possible before you bring the Golden Retriever home. 

Because of all this running and other motions, the Golden Retriever is a candidate for an increased risk of hip problems. 

This can cause a variety of issues for the dog as they get older and may even cause some pain

The pet owner will need to be on the lookout for some of the potential signs of hip problems so they are able to provide some of the relief to their dog as soon as possible. 

Hip dysplasia is a common condition for Golden Retrievers and other dog breeds. 

There are different things that can cause hip dysplasia depending on the dog. 

Being active and not being careful at the same time may cause it. 

And if the parents of the dog had hip dysplasia, it is more likely that the dog themselves will have the condition as well. 

No matter what was the root cause of the hip dysplasia, it is going to have the same types of side effects for the dog to deal with. 

They will have a loss of mobility, lots of pain any time that they try to move around, and even an impaired gait. 

If the hip issue is not taken care of properly, it may cause enough pain that the behavior and the mood of the dog will change. 

Since the Golden Retriever is often an active and friendly dog, you will quickly notice when they get depressed and snappish to those around them. 

Untitled design 4 Do Golden Retrievers Have Hip Problems?

What are the Signs of Hip Dysplasia in My Golden Retriever

Hip dysplasia is not a fun disorder for your dog to enjoy. 

It is going to slow them down and can make it almost impossible for your Golden Retriever to run and enjoy their lives. 

When the dog has this condition, they will find that their mobility is lower and they will not be able to stay active. 

Any time they move, it will cause a good deal of pain, especially if the condition is allowed to continue. 

The hip dysplasia is often able to get bad enough that running and even walking will start to become painful. 

Over time, without the right treatment, your Golden Retriever may even have trouble getting up from a sleep position.

Due to the pain, the dog may start to resist some types of movement. 

And the playtime that they have with others is going to be too painful so they will not do this. 

The lack of activity for this active dog can add weight to them, which is going to make hip dysplasia even harder to work with. 

The condition can make the back sensitive to the touch, so the dog will want to be left alone. 

This will all lead to the dog feeling bad and can cause anger and depression for some dogs as well. 

There are a number of signs that you can look for to determine whether your dog is having some problems with their hips and then you can take them to the vet to see if hip dysplasia is a condition that you need to worry about.

Some of the signs that your dog is suffering from hip dysplasia include:

  1. The dog starts to hobble or walk with an irregular gait
  2. The dog flinches when you touch the lower back or the area of the hip
  3. They whimper and struggle when it is time to climb stairs. 
  4. The dog is not keen on getting out of bed and would rather stay there than go play outside. 
  5. They start to slow down or go with a limp on their favorite walks
  6. They are trying to keep some of the weight off of one of their back legs. 

You will find that hip dysplasia is not a fun thing for your dog and when it starts to progress, it is going to turn that happy and vibrant dog into a diminished creature who does not want to leave their bed. 

What Can I Do to Help My Golden Retriever When They Have Hip Dysplasia?

If you are worried about your dog having hip problems, including hip dysplasia, then there are a few things that you can do to help out your dog. 

When you find out that this is a concern, you will want to run out as soon as possible to help them. 

But you need to work with your vet to make sure you are choosing an option that is going to be safe for your dog, rather than one that has horrible side effects or does not work. 

Once you notice that your dog is in pain and seems to struggle with walking and running, you need to get them in to see their vet as soon as possible.

They will be able to do an examination on the dog to see if there is a concern and it will often include an x-ray so the vet can see more about what is going on. 

Usually, the vet will work to see you as soon as possible. 

If it is going to take a few days to get the dog in, consider Winston’s Joint System and Winston’s Pain Formula for your dog. 

These are good alternatives to use for a short time to help with inflammation to reduce some of the pain that your dog has. 

It may even be something to add to the long-term plan for treatment, but that will be up to the decision of your vet. 

You should monitor the weight of your dog when you start to notice that they are having trouble with walking.

Obesity and all that extra weight is going to make hip dysplasia worse. 

If the dog is not able to move around as much from the pain, it is easier for them to gain weight.  

You may need to offer them some low-impact exercises like swimming and eliminate some of the treats to help keep the calories in line. 

You need to also remove as many of the physical stressors as you can from the life of the dog. 

Do not make them do more work than they need to.

Replacing the stairs with a ramp if the dog needs to go up the stairs will be a good option. 

You can also consider a padded dog bed and a gel bed that will keep the joints happy and prevent them from getting harmed in the process. 

Low-heat heating pads or a fleece hot water bottle may provide a little bit of comfort here too. 

Just make sure that the heat is not on too high as you go. 

Taking Care of Your Golden Retriever

Hip dysplasia may be a common health concern for the Golden Retriever.

Making sure that they have the proper nutrition and taking it easy whenever they have an injury that can affect their walking and running can be ideal. 

If the dog has parents who have suffered from hip dysplasia in the past, then you may want to take some extra precautions to make sure that the dog is not going to get hurt in the process and that they can avoid the same fate. 

Working with the vet will be one of the best ways to come up with a plan that will keep your dog safe and ensure that they are able to run and jump and have fun, even when they are older

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