Towards the end of last year our spunky little pup went from bouncing around our house to limping and spending afternoons with little play. At about 8 months old Henry was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. Our vet gave us a run-down of the diagnosis and what Henry’s life may look like from that point on. Heartbroken by this news, we hoped that Henry could still live a long and healthy life.

Fortunately, Henry’s vet felt his case was not severe and since he was healthy and young, he would likely adapt and grow just fine. We were instructed to keep Henry away from dog parks {due to potential rough play}, not allow him to run on concrete, and to start him on joint supplements. His vet said joint supplements may be the only treatment Henry would ever need. She also advised us to ensure he maintained a very healthy weight and an active lifestyle. Good thing Henry is a skinny guy to begin with.

The Back Story

Henry’s symptoms started after he had emergency surgery to remove something he should not have eaten {and would not have passed safely on its own}. Fortunately, the object did not do any internal damage and the surgery was successful. We were actually amazed at how quickly he healed. Within the week of his surgery, we noticed that Henry started limping and eventually stopped walking completely. Seeing Henry suddenly struggle was devastating.

We took him back to his vet to discuss his current state post-surgery. Even though he was limping, he wasn’t showing signs of pain when the vet examined his leg. When dogs undergo surgery, their legs are strapped open in stirrups to help keep them positioned properly. Henry’s vet felt that he was experiencing a little discomfort from the surgery due to the stirrups. His vet prescribed him an anti-inflammatory to take for a few weeks and suggested we keep his activity limited. She gave us instructions to ween him off the medicine and to check back with her in roughly four weeks.

Henry seemed to be back to himself after a few weeks, but after being weened completely from the anti-inflammatories, his limping and discomfort started coming back. Henry was due to have few teeth pulled {read more about there here} and his vet recommended he have a hip x-rays taken at the same time. Both the dental work and x-rays would require him to be under anesthesia. The x-rays ultimately confirmed that Henry was suffering from hip dysplasia.

The Treatment

After his diagnosis, his vet sent us home with a main stream brand of chewable joint supplements. As we neared the end of that bag, I began researching other options. Since I knew that Henry would likely be on joint supplements for the rest of his life, it was important to me that he was taking a high quality product. I started looking for an alternative joint supplement that had simple, easy to read ingredients.

My research led me to Doggie Dailies. Since about February of this year, Henry has been taking Doggie Dailies Advanced Hip and Joint Supplement for Dogs. Within about two weeks, my husband and I noticed a huge change in Henry’s mobility. His limp and any hesitation he had in his hips were gone. After a few months, we could not believe how much strength he gained. Our wood floors had previously been a bit of a challenge for him, but with his new found strength he was finally in total control of his movements. Henry recently had his hips x-rayed again and I can happily report his condition has not progressed at all since his diagnosis!

Doggie Dailies has had a huge impact on Henry’s life. He is happy, healthy and loves a good run around the yard. My husband and I often joke that Doggie Dailies’ supplements have help Henry sprout a new leg {just kidding of course!}. I whole heartedly recommend Doggie Dailies joint supplements to all pet owners I meet. But remember, every dog is different, so your dog’s results to Advanced Hip and Joint Supplement for Dogs may not be the same as Henry’s. Our vet told us that certain products “click” better with certain dogs. For Henry, that product has been Doggie Dailies.

A big thank you to Holly at Doggie Dailies for sending Henry a box of goodies and providing him with a discount code to share with our followers! Shop through this link or use code REDROSE15 for 15% all Doggie Dailies products.