Coco
Adoption Status: Accepting Adoption Interest
Gender: Female
Breed: Bulldog Mix
Age: DOB: 09/2022
Weight: 51 lbs
Dog Friendly: Yes
Cat Friendly: Unknown
Kid Friendly: Yes
House Trained: Yes
History: Coco is a beautiful little lady who needed a second chance and transferred to rescue from a shelter. She is so sweet and doing well in rescue and hopes to find her forever home soon!
Coco was found to have a few issues with her rear legs and pelvis when she arrived to rescue. X rays showed an old fracture of her pelvis which has caused her rear legs to be asymmetrical. Both of her patellas were displaced, possibly in part due to the pelvic issue, and she was favoring the right leg notably.
She was referred to a veterinary surgeon to assess her knees and to repair the luxation in the right rear leg. The surgeon felt that the luxation in her left knee would not likely need repair- but- in time, that could change depending on whether she remains lean and well muscled.
Coco is still recovering from the surgery but should become stronger and more agile each day. Keeping her thin and well exercised will help prevent future problems in her joints. She should stay on joint supplements for life as well to protect her joints as she ages.
The first thing to know about Hip dysplasia is
Hip dysplasia is not the scary, crippling disease for which it has come to be known. Hip dysplasia and hip arthritis do NOT always cause hip pain. X-rays can look abnormal yet a dog can feel completely normal.
What is hip dysplasia?
Hip dysplasia is a common developmental problem in large breed dogs. It is hereditary AND affected by nutrition, body weight and activity level. There is abnormal looseness of the hip joints (usually both joints) that allows the ball of the hip joint to bounce around the edges of the socket causing damage. Over time, this results in degenerative joint disease (DJD), otherwise known as arthritis.
Signs of hip pain can include: difficulty getting up when lying down; “bunny hopping” in the rear legs, limping when walking; difficulty navigating stairs; avoiding or having trouble jumping onto furniture or into the car, or never jumping up to greet people.
Surgery done early in life on the hips can prevent continued disease progression. However- in some cases, that age window was missed. From here, the main goal is to address and prevent pain. Here are the main strategies to use:
1) Keeping the animal lean. All orthopedic conditions are made worse by an obese or overweight body condition. Fat tissue is pro-inflammatory; when in excess, it accelerates the degenerative process.
2) Dietary supplements. High dose fish oil has essential fatty acids that are very potent anti-inflammatory chemicals that have been demonstrated to reduce pain in joints. Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM are all "building blocks" of cartilage and joint fluid; use in the adult/older dog with arthritic hips may reduce further damage.
3) Low-moderate impact activity. Long, medium paced walks or swimming are ideal exercises. Avoid high impact activities such as fetch or long distance jogging/running. Encourage movement throughout the day. Close confinement for extended periods results in stiff, aching joints that need to "warm up".
4) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Similar to the use of aspirin and ibuprofen for people, NSAIDs are very reliable at controlling the pain of arthritis in pets. They can be used "as needed" just before a known exacerbating activity (i.e. a trip to the cabin), or after the soreness shows up. Or they can be used steadily when hip pain is obvious every day.
Beyond these measures, some cases may still not be managed and more invasive surgical procedures may be needed. Since our dogs are only with us for a short period of time, it is often not possible to know the full extent of their disability. Close communication with your primary care veterinarian will be very important once you adopt an animal with hip dysplasia.
There are more puppies with loose hips who go on to live normal, active lives than there are who are severely disabled. It is best to maintain a lean body condition and a moderately active lifestyle, using supplements when appropriate.
A note from the foster: This sweet girl, is amazing! No really, she's amazing. So well behaved and loving.
I love getting her morning snuggles!
Coco is house trained, kennel trained. She knows commands such as sit, come, stay, down and kennel up.
Coco loves to go on walks, we are working on, no leash pulling which is going great!
Coco loves children of all ages!
I have 2 resident dogs and another foster, Coco is great with them all. (extra small to extra large in size)
Adoption Fee: $550 + tax
Adoption Status: Is this dog available? Submitting an application is the best first step to learning if a dog is still available. There is a chance this dog could have a pending adoption when your application is submitted, however our team will offer approved applicants to be put on a waiting list for that dog. Additionally, we can make recommendations on other dogs that may be a match. Pending adoptions do not mean the adoption is finalized. Why did we implement this change? We implemented this update because, unfortunately, dogs were pending for applicants for several weeks and then the applicant would change their mind. This happens more often with puppies, as applications are submitted impulsively more often for them. Our process is great because it takes a little time, so impulsive decisions fade. However it was unfortunate for the dogs, and the foster homes, as then the process needed to be re-started. By securing a wait-list we are able to move forward more quickly if a pending adoption falls through. This is a new process for us, so your feedback along the way is helpful! Thank you for supporting rescue and adoption!
