 A bi-yearly publication of the Central Illinois German Shepherd Dog Rescue Spring-Summer 2002
CANINE HIP DYSPLASIA Canine Hip Dysplasia is a condition caused by a congenital instability
or loose fit of the hip joints. As the condition progresses, osteoarthritis
or "degenerative joint disease" of the hips occurs, leading
to intermittent lameness, stiffness and pain. Hip dysplasia has a hereditary
basis which is why it is more prevalent in certain breeds. The inheritance
is influenced by multiple genes interacting with environmental factors,
such as rapid weight gain as a puppy. The clinical signs of hip dysplasia are lameness, reluctance to rise
or jump, shifting of weight to the front legs, loss of muscling over
the rear limbs, and pain when the hips are manipulated. Not all dogs
with hip dysplasia visible on x-rays show clinical signs. Dogs may
show clinical signs at any age or stage of development of the disease.
Many dogs are painful at 6 to 8 months but recover as they mature.
Some dogs with very dramatic changes on x-rays do not show any lameness
or pain until later in life. As the arthritis progresses over time,
dogs may show clinical signs similar to people with arthritis such
as lameness after unaccustomed exercise, stiffness after prolonged
confinement, and worsening with cold weather. Sedentary behavior can
exacerbate the condition by contributing to the further muscle atrophy
and increasing weight. Recommended treatments for hip dysplasia vary with the age of the
dog, condition of the hips, and severity of clinical signs. Treatment
protocols involve surgical options, anti-inflammatory medications,
weight-management, nutritional supplements, and physical therapy. Immature
dogs (less than one year) with loose fitting hips, but no arthritic
changes may be candidates for a Triple Pelvic Osteotomy or TPO. This
procedure involves cutting the pelvic bone in three places and rotating
it to stabilize the hip joint and in many cases prevents osteoarthritis.
Immature dogs with osteoarthritis present have advanced disease and
are treated medically as needed. Mature dogs with hip dysplasia who are not showing clinical signs
do not need surgical treatment. These dogs need to maintain an ideal
body weight. The ribs should be easy to feel, and the dog should have
an obvious waistline. In obese dogs, weight loss alone may alleviate
clinical signs. Mature dogs with hip dysplasia may benefit from nutritional
supplements for improving joint health. These products include glucosamine,
condroitin, often along with magnesium and Vitamin C. Supplements available
from veterinarians (such as Cosequin) are dosed and flavored for dogs.
It is very important to encourage regular non-traumatic exercise to
develop good muscle mass supporting the hips. Controlled leash walking
and swimming are good choices. Mature dogs with occasional lameness can be treated with anti-inflammatory
drugs such as aspirin (preferably enteric-coated products such as Ascriptin)
or prescription NSAIDS (such as Rimadyl). A veterinarian should be
consulted regarding dosing, possible side effects, and any drug interactions.
These should always be given on a full stomach and discontinued if
there are any gastrointestinal problems (vomiting, diarrhea, or decreased
appetite). After the lameness subsides, slowly increasing the exercise
program should be attempted; if lameness recurs, exercise is decreased
and the medications are administered again. When medical therapy does not provide pain relief and reasonable function, the dog is a candidate for one of two surgical procedures to reconstruct the hip joint. The femoral head and neck osteotomy (FHO) involves removing the femoral portion of the hip joint. The joint heals with fibrous tissue and in many cases allows a more pain free existence. The total hip replacement involves replacing the hip joint with a metal and polyethylene prosthesis. This procedure results in the most normal limb function in large dogs. The procedure is expensive because of the implants and the technical requirements of the surgery. It also is subject to complications such as infection at the implant sight, and requires intense follow-up care.
Definition of Caretaker:
Background on Jonah: From the Caretaker: Jonah's caretaker tells us, "If I were in the position to have more than one dog permanently, I would say that Jonah may very well be the dog I would be looking for. Jonah's personality is gentle, sweet, and he thinks he's a big lapdog. He loves going for walks and riding in the car. He also loves to chew on bones! Despite having lived at the rescue his whole life, he will give you notice that he needs to go outside. He loves running around playing, but spends equal time rolled up in a ball sleeping at your feet (or on the couch next to you, if you let him). He comes when you call him and will sit when you tell him to. What more could someone ask for?" UPDATE: Jonah was adopted on March 16, 2002. Volunteer Needs
E-mail us at and let us know when you would be able to volunteer your time. Feel free to e-mail us if you have any questions about volunteering. A few hours every week or even once a month can make all the difference in the world to one of our dogs. Sabrina's Story Sabrina had her surgery on August 23, 2001. During surgery prep, some additional lumps were found and we decided to go ahead with a radical mastectomy and spay. Seven lumps were removed in addition to her hysterectomy. Unfortunately three of the masses were found to be cancerous, yet, even as time passed, no metastases were found. She was healing up well and was in very good spirits. We believed she must have felt better after having so much disease removed after years of medical neglect. At this point, we were optimistic that she would heal
up and have many years of healthy life left. After beating cancer, old age, and major surgery, Sabrina had developed a new disease: Spinal Stenosis. This degenerative disease continues to crush her spinal column and will eventually cause her to lose sensation in her rear legs and possibly lose control. This means, unfortunately, that she will only be with us for a short time. We want to thank everyone who has been so very generous to Sabrina and her needs. We still welcome anyone who would like to help spoil her through treats, etc... Sabrina sends her thanks and love to all those persons who have helped her so far. She will be living with us at the rescue (we've "adopted" her!) for as long as she is comfortable and happy. Thank you for your generous gifts to Sabrina's surgeries and kind thoughts as she now completes her life in a loving environment that is as comfortable as we can make it for her. Short term: Other education projects include: Long Term: In February 2002, Michael, along with Beatriz, his lovely wife, have helped continue our community outreach. We have begun nursing home visits with our dogs at Manor Care. This project was facilitated by Manor Care's resident physical therapist Mary Keenan. It has been greatly rewarding and we've made many new friends like Doris and Josh. We thank Mike and Beatriz, and Manor Care's Mary Keenan, for initiating this outreach. We hope to increase the magnitude of involvement as this wonderful project continues. To see more community outreach activities that we have participated in, see out Education page at https://www.gsdhaven.org/education.html. Carmi was
rescued by Setter Rescue shortly before her own family was going
to shoot her. Her family was going to do this because they didn't
want her anymore. A couple of our volunteers became obedience buddies
with her (taking her to obedience class and training her). These
volunteers even showed her to prospective adopters at Petsmart. After
our volunteers asked if they could "puppysit" Carmi over
a weekend, we knew what was coming. After rearranging their home
furnishings for Carmi's optimum comfort, Carmi found her forever
home with them. Angel is a white Shepherd that was adopted by a wonderful couple! They fell in love with Polar (our large, male, white German Shepherd) at a display we had at Petsmart. However, when they came to the rescue for a visit to advance the adoption, they met our sweet, relaxed, Angel. They realized then that, though Polar was loving and huggable, his energy was bigger than their apartment home could handle. Angel is now a spoiled, loved little girl in her new home. Rex was abandoned by his family. He is a large and beautiful boy that was admired by many at the rescue for his manners and cleanliness. He was adopted by a family with another dog to keep him company. His new dog-friend is quite a bit smaller than he is, but their temperaments are similar in that they are both happy-go-lucky and true charmers. Rex's new home is also a place where he will have children to play with. We were very happy about this because he was so good with the little ones that he met. Pictures...pictures...pictures If you have adopted from us, send us your pictures! We would like to post them on the Alumni page! https://www.gsdhaven.org/index.html#alumni Webside Chat There have been numerous additions to the website in the past months. Most notably is the change in url from http://gsdrescueme.tripod.com to our current address of https://www.gsdhaven.org. We hope this investment in our own domain name will make it easier for you to reach our website, for you to remember our website, and for you to tell others the url to our website. We have added a Training page (https://www.gsdhaven.org/training.html) that gives a listing and description of the training classes offered at All Creatures Animal Hospital. These classes are taught by our own rescue President, Elizabeth Leifer [Note: as of May 2002, Elizabeth Leifer is now Elizabeth Riddle]. You can sign up for these classes at All Creatures Animal Hospital at 2001 Linview St. in Urbana, IL. You may also phone All Creatures Animal Hospital at 217-328-4143 for information on classes. To find out more about All Creatures Animal Hospital, visit them on the web at http://www.allcreaturesah.com. You can take a look at our Education page (https://www.gsdhaven.org/education.html) where you'll find a listing of educational events that the Central Illinois German Shepherd Rescue has been involved in lately. Check out our Events page (https://www.gsdhaven.org/events.html) to see what's happening in the future. March 27, 2004If you have any suggestions about the website or its contents, contact the Webmaster at: . 
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