Oscar is a gorgeous 5 month old Labrador who presented to Dr Jaime for assessment of his unusual hindlimb gait, which included a ‘hip swivel’ and occasionally ‘bunny hopping’ his hindlimbs.
We decided to do some x-rays to investigate the cause of the problem. We diagnosed Oscar with a very common genetic condition called hip dysplasia, which is a laxity of the ‘ball and socket’ joint of the hip. Left untreated, this can lead to severe pain and early onset of arthritis.
Due to us detecting Oscar’s hip dysplasia at a young age, he was eligable for a procedure called ‘Juvenile Pubic Symphydiodesis’, also known as JPS. It involves creating deliberate damage to one of the pelvic growth plates, while allowing the rest of the pelvis to continue growing normally. This improves the fit of the ‘ball and socket’ joint, and will considerably improve Oscar’s quality of life into adulthood.
Excitingly, MHVC is one of the only general practice clinics in Perth offering this procedure!
If you are concerned about the way your puppy is walking, it is very important to bring this up with one of our vets as early as possible. This can sometimes allow these types of minimally invasive procedures to be done prior to your puppy’s growth being complete, and ensure they remain pain free well into their adult lives!
Thanks for being a such a sweetheart Oscar!