Adopting puppy with risk of hip dysplasia
Hi, I am about to adopt a 9wk old male Vizsla puppy from a farmer in Iowa. I'm not interested in hunting, showing, etc., I just want an energetic dog who can keep up with me during long distance runs. However, I know that this puppy's parents were only just a year old when the litter was born. So, they are too young for OFA certification and I've heard that 1 year old is too young to breed. The parents are registered with the AKC and the breeder says the puppies come with health guarantees, but I'm just concered about hip dysplasis since the parents aren't (can't be, I guess, yet) OFA certified and they were so young when the litter was born. I just want my dog to be healthy so I can enjoy many years of running with him. Do I have anything to be worried about? |
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Dog with problems walking
When I came home from work yesterday, Sparrow(6yo female neutered mix breed), who stays in my basement with access to the crawl space under the house, was having trouble going up the stairs. She seemed sick - hot nose & depressed. She has a knot midway up her tail about the size of a quarter. Her hindquarters are slightly swollen and tender. Her behind was dirty with dust, some fecal matter, and little black dots that looked like flea eggs (she doesn't have fleas - she's on med from the vet.) It seemed she had been dragging her bottom on the ground. My gut feeling is that she may have been bitten by a spider or god forbid a snake (in my basement?!!) but I'm also worried that she's hurt her back. She can still walk - even jump on the bed - but she is not moving correctly. She is still eating and drinking. She's not any worse this morning, but no better. She's not limping, but she acts stiff - is not moving her hind legs with ease, but I don't see where they look out of whack. For example, when she goes up steps, she just goes one step at a time, very slowly and carefully when she usually bounds & skips steps. It doesn't look like she's knuckling over, and her feet and legs look normal. Another thought after babying her this morning - she has had trouble in the past with her anal glands being blocked. Usually I try to massage & expel them when I bathe her. I haven't noticed her dragging her butt, which usually happens when her glands are filled and need expelling, but is it possible this could be the problem? Or constipation?
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