Hip pain is a common problem in dogs that are arthritic or that suffer from hip dysplasia. The condition often becomes worse when the dog stops using the leg, resulting in muscle wastage. This means that the dog has less muscle to support the joint, which starts a vicious circle of lameness leading to further lameness. There are a number of techniques that can help to make your dog more comfortable, including physiotherapy, non-medicinal pain relief, and painkillers. Learn about these techniques so that you can help relieve your dog’s hip pain. 1 Learn about dog massage.[1] Massage is a recognized therapy with beneficial effects that is advocated and practiced by veterinary physiotherapists. 2 Know when massage should not be done. a broken or dislocated hip an infection in the joint a skin infection If you suspect any of these conditions, take your dog to visit your veterinarian right away. These are ailments that need immediate medical treatment by a professional. 3 Get your dog on his side with the bad hip exposed. This shouldn't be too hard as he'll likely lay on this side anyway in an effort to keep weight off the affected hip. When you touch the area, you may notice that it's stiff and tense even when it's not being used. This is a good sign that massage can be effective.[2] As long as the skin or bone isn't broken, massage can help alleviate your pup's pain. However, if you notice any skin issues or if your dog is audibly in pain, skip the massage and go straight to your vet for a physical assessment. 4 Massage your dog's hip with the flat of your palm. In a rocking motion, apply pressure with the heel of your hand, working upwards towards the heart. Slow and gentle movements are soothing; hard and fast movement stimulates. For pain relief, one motion every five seconds is ideal. Massage the affected limb for 10-20 minutes, two to three times a day.[3] An animal with hip pain will have tense, stiff muscles. The tension in the muscles compresses the joint, making inflamed surfaces rub together, causing further pain. Massage not only helps the muscles to relax, but it also stimulates the release of endorphins – a natural painkiller with a similar chemical composition to morphine. 5 Work upwards from the extremity. To make sure you're massaging the hip correctly, imagine massaging fluid back towards the heart. Working the opposite direction forces blood to pool which can lead to swelling and reduced mobility. It also feels better for your dog to stretch the muscles up instead of forcing them down.[4] 1 Consider using passive mobilization. Passive mobilization is similar to stretching. Passive mobilization of a hip joint involves gently stretching the affected hind leg backwards, away from the head. Passive mobilization uses gentle limb extensions with the aim of keeping muscles conditioned and joints mobile.[5] The theory behind passive mobilization is that pain restricts the movement of the leg, but then the hip joint becomes stiff, and this leads to a further loss of movement, and the vicious cycle continues until the joint becomes chronically painful and stiff. 2 3 Lay your dog on his good side. This will likely be the position he's most comfortable in anyway. Laying on the opposite side takes the weight and pressure off the bad hip. 4 Begin pushing the thigh backwards.[7] Do not force the movement, and stop if the dog gets uncomfortable. You're not trying to improve his flexibility, you're trying to stretch the already taut, stiff muscle. 5 Try to do this for two ten minute sessions a day. This helps keep the joint supple and relieves pain.[8] Mobilization is the action of passively extending a limb with the aim of keeping the muscle conditioned and the joint mobile. The theory behind mobilization is that pain restricts the movement of the leg, but then the hip joint becomes stiff, and this leads to a further loss of movement, and a downward cycle of under-use established. 1 Start your dog on NSAIDs. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are prescription painkillers that reduce inflammation. They work by inhibiting the "bad" COX-2 enzymes that mediate joint inflammation, whilst they have smaller effects on the "good" COX-1 enzymes that maintain blood flow to the kidney and stomach lining. In short, they can reduce your dog's pain and inflammation. These drugs have a high safety margin when used correctly and are less likely to cause unpleasant side effects such as gastric ulceration and bleeding disorders when compared to other painkillers. NSAIDs that are often prescribed by veterinarians are meloxicam (Metacam), carprofen (Rimadyl), and robenacoxib (Onsior).[9] The maintenance dose of metacam is 0.05mg/kg by mouth, with or after food, once daily. The oral suspension contains 1.5mg/ml; a typical 30kg Labrador requires 1ml daily on his food. 2 Give your dog aspirin. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) can provide mild to moderate pain relief. If no other pain relief is available, a healthy dog may take aspirin at the dose of 10mg/kg twice a day, with or after food. Aspirin commonly comes in 300mg tablets, so a typical dose for a 66lb Labrador would be one tablet twice a day with food.[9] However, long term use is associated with gastric ulceration, especially when given on an empty stomach. This happens because aspirin reduces blood flow to the gut lining, stomach, and kidney. Buffered aspirin may help with this problem, but aspirin should still be used sparingly in a dog. If your dog requires frequent doses to control its pain, ask your veterinarian to examine your dog and prescribe one of the safer NSAID’s. Aspirin should never be given in addition to an NSAID medication. When combined, both drugs are even more likely to cause gastric ulceration with serious consequences, including sudden death. 3 Consider acetaminophen.[9] The dose is 10mg/kg by mouth, twice a day, with or after food. Most tablets are 500mg and so a 66 pound Labrador can take a maximum of three-fifths of a tablet twice daily. If in doubt, always give a lower dose. For small dogs, only use the children’s suspension to avoid overdosing the dog. 1 Use heat.[10] A simple method is to use a wheat bag – the sort you heat up in a microwave. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to heat the bag, and with the dog lying down so that the sore hip is accessible, rest the warmed wheat bag over the hip. Leave it there for 10-15 minutes, and then follow with some passive movement exercises. 2 Ask your veterinarian about Transcutaneous Nerve Stimulation (TNS). This treatment involves the application of a small electrical current to the skin in order to numb sensory nerves and block pain transmission. It does this by stimulating delta fibers that release enkephalin in the spinal cord, which in turn reduces sensitivity to pain.[11] Veterinarians often administer this type of treatment after surgery to help with the pain, but the effects only last for about an hour. 3 Find a veterinarian trained to provide laser acupuncture. Veterinarians who are trained in traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (TCVM) can provide laser acupuncture treatments to your dog to help relieve hip pain. The laser stimulates the release of your dog’s body’s own pain relieving chemicals. Ask your veterinarian for a referral if you are interested in this treatment option.[12] Should a pet undergo knee surgery if the vet also found a hip problem? This depends on the type of hip problem. Sometimes having a bad knee places an extra strain on the hip as the dog shifts its weight differently. If the hip is sprained because of this, then correcting the knee problem also helps the hip. Also, altered weight bearing can put extra pressure on the hip and, under certain circumstances, potentially causes early arthritis as a secondary problem in the hip, so corrective knee surgery is of benefit. Ask a Question About this wikiHow Reader Success Stories Original article and pictures take http://m.wikihow.com/Relieve-Hip-Pain-in-Dogs site
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