Author Topic: Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD)  (Read 8664 times)

Offline MirandaS

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Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD)
« on: October 10, 2007, 03:05:03 pm »
Hello,

My name is Miranda and I'm here for my puppy Boomer.  Boomer is a 6 month old Bernese Mountain Dog who was recently diagnosed with Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD).  He is currently pulling through the battle but the vet has said to keep him "quiet" but he is still only 6 months old.  I am looking for any advice on exercise for my young pup.  The vet said only to take short short walks, but as many of you know he has way to much energy for that to be all he gets.  I suggested trying water therapy but she said that would be to much movement.  Any suggestions?  I figured swimming would be great because there is not any impact and he could get lots of energy out.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated!  Thank you!
« Last Edit: October 11, 2007, 03:44:49 pm by MirandaS »

Offline RMSChloe

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Re: Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD)
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2007, 06:01:05 pm »
hi, sorry to hear about your pup. my pup is just recently recovered from HOD. she had it for 3months, and didnt walk at all for those 3. later twards the end of her disease when she started to feel a little better and would move on her own, i held her in a kiddie pool and let her paddle as much or as little as she wanted. i wouldnt suggest just throwing em in and letting him go at it lol, but then again, if i would have done that with mine she probably would have drowned on me. its good that hes older though, it means theres less of an amount of time for him to have to deal with it. it usually stops around 7 or 8 months old. when it comes to exercise though... no forced exercise is the way to go. meaning, if he gets up and wanders on his own, perfect, but dont try to stand him up or anything like that. does your vet have him on any medications to help with the pain, and did he talk to you about his diet, and what to do with fevers and such?
Shes not a dog... shes a Great Dane!

Offline Bhima and dad

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Re: Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD)
« Reply #2 on: October 11, 2007, 08:05:54 am »
Bhima, my 5.5 month old Bernese Mountain Dog, was diagnosed with HOD last week. Within 48 hours starting last Saturday, he went from a happy active puppy to being unable to walk, unwilling to eat, and running a 105.8 fever. After x-rays, a sharp vet diagnosed HOD. He is on Tramadol for pain, an antibiotic (Clavamox), and an anti-inflammatory (Deramaxx).

Five days later, he is now doing much better. The fever is gone, and he is alert and eating. BUT, he cannot bear weight on any of his legs and is still bed-laden. He is starting to crawl a little, but only just enough to pull himself away after urinating. He opens his mouth to yawn and does not appear sensitive near the bone growth plates anymore (but that might be the Tramadol).

I'm not sure what to expect from here on. How soon should I try to help him walk? How long is this likely to last? I've read everything I can online about HOD, but I'm looking for first-hand experiences. The vet had him on IV liquids for the past few days, and they tried walking him around their office. I'd appreciate any advice on what to expect or how to help him. He hasn't pooped in 6 days. How did your bed-laden dogs handle this? He is eating (boiled rice and beef, and cottage cheese), but nothing is coming out.

Thanks in advance.
David

Offline MirandaS

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Re: Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD)
« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2007, 08:58:17 am »
Hi David,

I completely understand what you are going through.  Boomer did not walk for a week and then it was one step at a time. 

As far as the eatting, I have personally found then when my dog has runny stools that rice helps to solidify him.  Maybe try something different for food.  We feed Wellness puppy food.  This might help Bhima go poop.  I also made an efford to carry Boomer outside about every 2 hours and held him to go potty so he could atleast keep some dignity and potty outside instead of in his bed/kennel. 

We did not try to force Boomer to walk at all, he just started walking on his own when he was feeling better. 

I know it is patience testing but they are worth every moment that you have to spend by their side comforting them...carryin g them...and just loving on them. 

Good luck!
Miranda

Offline MirandaS

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Re: Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD)
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2007, 09:35:38 am »
hi, sorry to hear about your pup. my pup is just recently recovered from HOD. she had it for 3months, and didnt walk at all for those 3. later twards the end of her disease when she started to feel a little better and would move on her own, i held her in a kiddie pool and let her paddle as much or as little as she wanted. i wouldnt suggest just throwing em in and letting him go at it lol, but then again, if i would have done that with mine she probably would have drowned on me. its good that hes older though, it means theres less of an amount of time for him to have to deal with it. it usually stops around 7 or 8 months old. when it comes to exercise though... no forced exercise is the way to go. meaning, if he gets up and wanders on his own, perfect, but dont try to stand him up or anything like that. does your vet have him on any medications to help with the pain, and did he talk to you about his diet, and what to do with fevers and such?

I'm glad to hear that your puppy is doing better!  It is so hard isn't it! 

Boomer is currently on Rimadyl for the pain, and we have some non steroidal meds for inflamation.  He does not seem to be suffering from the fevers any longer. He is three weeks out from his initial diagnosis so he is getting better at a very quick pace! 

He is currently on Wellness Puppy.  But we are looking into changing to a puppy food specific to large breeds to lower the protein.  We are also looking into some more natural foods such as rice and chicken.  Any suggestions!?

Thanks for all your support!

Offline MirandaS

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Re: Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD)
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2007, 09:38:20 am »
We feed Wellness puppy food. 

Miranda, you may want to rethink Boomer's food.  Wellness is a good brand, but the puppy formula is way too high in protein and may actually be exacerbating the HOD.  You want a moderate protein/moderate fat food (around 21-24% protein and 12-14% fat) for a giant breed puppy.  I believe that the Wellness adult formulas are in the appropriate range.

You are absolutely correct.  We just discussed this last night...seeing as I was never told this by anyone!  And just learned this yesterday by reading other HOD posts!  It seems a bit rediculous that nobody has said anything!  Grrr!

We were thinking of changing him to a large breed puppy food...do you thinking changing him to adult food is the right way to go?  Any suggestions are appreciated!!!  Also, what about rice, chicken, veggies etc.?

Offline MirandaS

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Re: Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD)
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2007, 09:39:24 am »
Hi David,

I completely understand what you are going through.  Boomer did not walk for a week and then it was one step at a time. 

As far as the eatting, I have personally found then when my dog has runny stools that rice helps to solidify him.  Maybe try something different for food.  We feed Wellness puppy food.  This might help Bhima go poop.  I also made an efford to carry Boomer outside about every 2 hours and held him to go potty so he could atleast keep some dignity and potty outside instead of in his bed/kennel. 

We did not try to force Boomer to walk at all, he just started walking on his own when he was feeling better. 

I know it is patience testing but they are worth every moment that you have to spend by their side comforting them...carryin g them...and just loving on them. 

Good luck!
Miranda

As was stated above, Wellness puppy may be to high in protein. Currently looking for a better option.  :)
« Last Edit: October 11, 2007, 09:40:25 am by MirandaS »

Offline MirandaS

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Re: Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD)
« Reply #7 on: October 11, 2007, 09:54:53 am »
We feed Wellness puppy food. 

Miranda, you may want to rethink Boomer's food.  Wellness is a good brand, but the puppy formula is way too high in protein and may actually be exacerbating the HOD.  You want a moderate protein/moderate fat food (around 21-24% protein and 12-14% fat) for a giant breed puppy.  I believe that the Wellness adult formulas are in the appropriate range.

You are absolutely correct.  We just discussed this last night...seeing as I was never told this by anyone!  And just learned this yesterday by reading other HOD posts!  It seems a bit rediculous that nobody has said anything!  Grrr!

We were thinking of changing him to a large breed puppy food...do you thinking changing him to adult food is the right way to go?  Any suggestions are appreciated!!!  Also, what about rice, chicken, veggies etc.?

Unfortunately, most vets know little about HOD.  It's not a very common problem, and it is frequently misdiagnosed.  I suggest, if you haven't already, visiting the Great Dane Lady's site.  She has the most comprehensive advice on HOD available, and she knows more than 90% of the vets out there about growth disorders.  My vet consulted with her years ago for a foster we had with HOD, and she was incredibly helpful.  She also visited us recently and, if you haven't found it already, you really should read the "expert" thread she did:  http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,19392.0.html

The only two puppy foods that I know of that are properly formulated for large/giant breed pups are the Eagle Pack and Innova formulas.  We have fed our pups adult formulas for years now (Innova Adult is my current favorite).  The only growth problem we've ever encountered was about 19 years ago, before we knew to do this.

This is absolutely wonderful, thank you again for all your help.  I will go read the posts and check out her site.  Any help will be a huge help!

We tried Innova puppy food when we first got him but he didn't seem to like it.  But I am willing to try Innova adult food and see how we do. ;D


Offline Bhima and dad

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Re: Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD)
« Reply #8 on: October 11, 2007, 11:28:13 am »
Thank you for the advice, Miranda.

I've been feeding Bhima Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy food. It is great for his coat, but I now see that it is 28% protein and 12% fat. Based on what you guys are saying, I think I will switch him to a lower protein adult food. Again, thanks.

Offline Bhima and dad

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Re: Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD)
« Reply #9 on: October 11, 2007, 11:41:07 am »
Some of the advice on the Great Dane Lady's site conflicts with what I understand to be the consensus understanding of research on HOD. For example, she advocates vitamin C supplements, which might actually make the condition worse. It seems that HOD was once thought to be similar to scurvy, but few scientists still believe they are related. Her website also advocates immediately going to steroids (Prednisone, I believe). Much of the information I found suggests that, for most cases, an anti-inflammatory should first be given a chance to work. She is a professor emeritus. But she taught ceramic art at Ball State, not science. I appreciate her experience and advice, but she is not a trained professional in animal health. She acknowledges this on her website: "I am not a veterinarian and the information at this site is simply my opinion based on 34 years of owning a variety of breeds..." Read her valuable opinions, but I caution against acting on its nutritional or medication-related advice without consulting a vet with HOD experience.