I would suggest a centre that has a NARCH registered therapist to be the gold standard for hydrotherapy.

http://www.narch.org.uk/search-results.cfm


There are no specific legal requirements covering canine hydrotherapy but there are two professional organisations that exist within the business. NARCH and the CHA which have different standards and focus.

NARCH (The National Association of Registered Canine Hydrotherapists) focuses on the individual; there are rigorous training and registration requirements and members are required to complete 20 hours of CPD training. A Code of Ethics exist to which members must abide and both vets and clients can verify the individual therapist’s training record plus the facilities of the centre from which they operate and any areas of specialisation or expertise.

The CHA (Canine Hydrotherapy Association) focuses on the centre rather than the individual. The training requirements are lower than NARCH and, although they are starting to upgrade these, they do not require all hydrotherapists operating in a centre to be trained in all aspects; for example they advise that a trained person is contactable by phone. They do require a person trained in Canine First Aid to be present at all times and many members have completed training exceeding CHA requirements.

Supplements

Well there are loads around especially combination products.

The constitutuents you are looking for (or single products) are:

Glucosamine
Chondroitin
MSM
Cetyl-Myristoleate
Hylauranic Acid
Green Lipped Muscle
Rosehip
Fish Body Oil (plus Vitamin E)
Vitamin C
Ginger
Curcumin
Devils Claw

Acupuncture is an option
Magnets work for some
Physiotherapy
Chiropractic
Osteopathy
Hydrotherapy

None of the above are CURES but they can manage the progression and keep the dog balanced and mobile.

Thanks Layla, your right I think I am destined to have these HD doggies in my life, especially my big fella, as has been mentioned before, it must be fate!
Your right the hip replacement wouldn't be beneficial for him I dont think, hes young, hes as active as he can be & to have him laid up & on a complete & utter go slow would spoil his total love of life. I dont wanna do that, I just want him comfy enough to enjoy it.
Just been laughing to myself thinking he'll be gutted whhen I get him home & tell him no more chasing seagulls even for 2 minutes! Poor fella.
I'm wondering if its even worth asking to see the specialist, as thats going to be a cost too & eat into khals limit for the year when it could be covering extra hydro or physio or something...u get what I mean or am I rambling?lol


Ive also tried emailing his breeder a couple of times to ask about health of parents, even tho mum is dead but no surprise Ive had no reply. Hey ho, onwards & upwards in the comfy stakes for big fella, I never got his new bed so thats on the list for tonight.


At the risk of sounding dumb what are nutricuticles? xx

Afraid I have no suggestions as when I thought this may be the way to go with Ollie it wasn't so didn't get to make any decisions or choices or do any research. Not sure what difference thre is like you say in the joint supplement food to the joint supplements themselves. I would say the supplements would be a better choice as the foods as far as I am aware do not carry near enough supplement especially for a large dog.

Although I can offer no real helpful contribution I am here to offer support to you and to offer (((hugs))) which I feel you are going to need a lot of.

Really sorry you have had this news{{{hugs}} Good that they have faxed x rays to specialist I think one day at a time is the way to go at the moment.

You are totally knocked sideways at the moment take time to come to terms with it and then think about the way ahead

I am so sorry to be hearing this, I really hoped it wouldn't be as bad as they expected. Big hugs to you both.

You say you know the breeder, do you know the lineage of his Northern Inuit half?

I am so, so sorry for Khal and you. We know you will know exactly what to do for him.

I am sure that your vet will have LOADS of suggestions this afternoon when you pick him up.

Sending LOADS of positive vibes your way.

Debs xxxxx

oh no poor khal {hugs} you xx

I think it would be money well spent quite honestly Bev, and should be around £100 or so (ish?) When we see a specialist it's about £150 quid, and boy, do they know their stuff compared to a gp, so it'll be the same with a canine specialist in whatever field. My friend had a serious problem with her dog when it was injured during play, and all the vets at our RCVS animal hospital couldn't even get it right until she saw that specialist, who honed in on it straight away, afterall, that's what they do "specialise"!

I know your head must be in a twirl, no wonder you couldn't read what you'd written down when the vet rang you, but when you're all quiet at home tonight, write down all the questions you want to ask for that specialist, or if you're not taking that route, then ask them to your vet.

Don't forget also, what you vet sees in the x-rays is not necessarily what the specialist will see, he could have seen this a hundred times over, and will have valuable experience and knowledge to pass on to you about how to cope with it from his experience with previous dogs.

Poor boy, so young, you must be heartbroken that he won't be able to chase those seagulls anymore Something will come up Bev, I'm sure there's a way to cope with this, control it, and keep him pain free, and hopefully improve things along the way. All the best mate.xxxx

Oh heck - all I can offer is vast amounts of sympathy and cuddles.

I am sure that when you are able to think rationally you will start to find the right positive routes to take.