fourleg.com

Hi Laurie,
I want to ask you about weightpull training.
Have a patient who has a C and a D hip [European Grading]. Its a 1½ year old doberman. She has been here for training in the waterwalker for a while.
I would like to know a little more how much this type of exercise affects the hips and if it is not recommended to a dog with bad hips?

Hope you can give me more scientific knowledge about this.

Kind regards
LW

Hi L!

Okay, so dogs with bad hips do very well with specific exercises. Essentially anything that targets the gluteal muscles.
The water walker is beneficial as it helps with general conditioning and is low impact. Then you want to add specific hip exercises.
You can find my protocol here (skip to the portion that talks about building gluteals)…
https://www.fourleg.com/media/THE%20HAPP ... ROGRAM.pdf

There are some research papers too, but here’s a review paper I found.

Vet Surg. 2012 Jan;41(1):2-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-950X.2011.00928.x. Epub 2011 Dec 8.
Canine hip dysplasia: reviewing the evidence for nonsurgical management.

Kirkby KA1, Lewis DD.
Author information
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To systematically review the evidence available for nonsurgical management of hip dysplasia (HD).
STUDY DESIGN:
Literature review.
METHODS:
Databases (Pubmed, Veterinary Information Network) were searched for clinical studies on nonsurgical management of HD in dogs. The evidence in each study was reviewed and assigned a score (I-IV) based on previously reported levels of evidence.
RESULTS:
Fourteen articles were identified that met the inclusion criteria, including 3 Level IV, 4 Level III, and 7 Level II studies. Methods of nonsurgical management reviewed included: activity restrictions, weight management, acupuncture, modulation of joint disease by polysulfated glycosaminoglycans, mesenchymal stem cell therapy, and extra corporeal shock wave therapy.
CONCLUSION:
Weight management is an effective and important component of managing dogs with HD and associated osteoarthritis. Techniques that modulate the progression of joint disease may also be beneficial for treating dogs with HD. Further studies are needed to investigate other methods of managing HD such as hydrotherapy and physical rehabilitation.


Best of luck!

Laurie