Worried about Nikon *video added*

I know nothing about what could be going on with Nikon, but I just wanted to say I hope everything turns out OK for you guys.

Thanks!  I just made his appt. for Sept. 8 (he turns 2 on Sept. 7).  I'll drop him off, then come in later to look at the films and decide whether to submit to OFA.  Not that I mind them having dysplastic hips published, but it cost money to submit and if there are problems I'd rather spend that on treatment!  If it's not his hips, I don't know whether to just not worry about it, or think maybe it is DM or something else terrible...

I don't have any advice, I don't know much/never dealt with that type of thing. But I've got my fingers crossed for you guys that everything turns out OK and that its nothing serious!

 I don't know at what age DM begins in GSD's, though I didn't think it was until later in life, but it shows no signs of pain or anything in the dog.  It just affects their ability to walk. Slowly at first and then more obvious. The fine motor skills go first, so only at slow steady paces would you see it first.  I'm not trying to scare you or say that's what it is, just stating what I read when I thought Kota might have it.

One reason for submitting the OFA's to be published, is so that others in his line of breeding will know about it and be able to select against it.  His breeder did not require them to be published?

Usually dogs from this breeder do a-stamps in Germany which are all published as well as their ZW scores, and don't do OFAs because it's repetitive.  In Germany the hips are rated, but also the dog has a "score" that changes throughout their life, as it takes into account siblings, parents, and progeny.  I am not explicitly required to have OFA's done or submitted.  I don't care if they are published even if they are severe.  The breeder's husband is responsible for much of the knowledge and research behind OFA and PenHIPP, so often we go to him for x-rays and don't bother submitting because he is more qualified than anyone to make judgments.  Normally I'd go to him for all x-rays but I'd like to look at the hips soon and am more concerned with ruling out HD than getting a hip score (which takes months anyway).  It could be hips, could be nothing, or could be something like DM but it seems to make the most sense to look at the hips first.  What you are saying about DM is what I read as well which made me wonder about that, especially dragging the toe nails.  He's done it since he was a year old, maybe even a little earlier, and I thought DM usually comes on at three or older but who knows.  Unfortunately is not rare for GSDs.

 That xray looks pretty good. There's a very minor "off-ness" to the left hip but it looks so minor that it could but the way he was laying there. I'd be interested in seeing his new x-rays to see how that hip has developed. The right hip looks pretty perfect. obviously, I'm no vet though so take this with a grain of salt. I just know what Dakota's hips looked like (and the rest of my dogs) so am a little familiar with "good' and "not good".

 Anyway, my first thought when I was reading your post was what is his muscle tone like in the rear?  When we look at frisbee dogs, we talk about them as loose or tight. Lily, for example, has a pretty loose rear end. You can really see it when she walks. This is not to say that she isn't muscular back there. Her rear (all parts included) are just more fluid than say Neiko's or Abbie's. The fluidity I'm talking about is usually pretty obvious in your larger breeds - like Livestock guardian dogs, for example. I'm not sure how else to explain it.

Obviously Nikon jumps a lot, does the a-frame and all of that, but what have you done as far as stabilization exercises go?

ETA: a foot drag could be nerve related too. As the vet about the possibility of any type of bulging disc.

I, of course, know nothing about what you're going through but just wanted to send you some good vibes.

Deb W.

I taped him walking around normally, just need to upload it....

He's very muscular, his thighs are like 4" thick (width-wise).  I had Kenya at the vet earlier this month and took Nikon along to get weighed, and the vet was commenting on how well-muscled he is.  He weighed 66lbs at that time.  I've been trying to slowly put a little weight on since you can see his ribs.  For some reason in pictures/video he always looks to have less coat and looks finer-boned and less muscled than what he really is.  He has more coat and is fairly solid, though thin at the moment and (correct!) medium size.

We just spent two weeks at the cottage and his main exercise was fetch and swimming.  I tried to do more swimming but he only gets to swim these two weeks each summer so he's not as good as a lab and gets sick of it faster than fetching.

The more I think about this the more I worry so I haven't done much exercise other than what he gets as part of training (schutzhund can be quite a bit of physical work) and playing with the other dogs.  I've been training for the AD but haven't ran him more than a mile at a time because I'd like to see the x-rays before more serious road work.  So far that training has been more about him learning to run with the bike and me figuring out his ideal gaiting pace (which is 8.5-9.5mph).

In shows I was told he is firm/dry, not loose.  That was as a puppy and compared to American lines so maybe he is a bit loose.  In his more recent shows they didn't really mention it either way, but if he seemed too loose they would have said so.  He doesn't have the same angulation as other show lines so you don't see the amazing reach and flying trot like other dogs. 

In both show, agility, and Schutzhund he does not power through his rear or "collect" in the rear as much as other dogs.  That could be a medical problem, or a training problem, or just how he is, or a combination. 

Specifically for agility I did the jump training where you have the dog go back and forth standing in front of the jump, learning to push over with the rear.  Sometimes he's great (didn't knock a single bar in 4 runs at his trial), other times he might knock a bar but sometimes it's more because I have a toy out and the prey drive makes him hectic and flat.  In Schutzhund he must clear a 1 meter jump with the wooden dumbbell and he's probably the best of all the dogs at our club including the titled ones.

His littermates so far have all had normal/good hip xrays.  Nikon's current ZW is 78 which by itself is fine/good.  His sire had a ZW of 66 and a1 hips (basically means good/normal, like OFA excellent or good).  Now he has a ZW of 71 which means progeny and/or siblings were entered and bumped him up a bit.  Nikon's dam is a2 "fast-normal" which is like OFA fair.  In Germany they allow a1-a3 and a3 is nz or "noch zugelassen" which is basically borderline, allowed for registering breedings but not desireable however with HD being polygenic often they produce better depending on the breeding.

The toe drag has been there for a long time and you can always hear it on certain textures if he is walking slow or sulking around.  However it doesn't grind down the nails or bleed or anything like that, but I know it's there and it's always bothered me.  I'll try and video it later tonight.

really with the toe thing I would be more concerned with a spine or nerve issue than hips. Maybe ligaments even? or nothing...I am hoping nothing, because that'd be best!

Cleo's hips are "only Fair" and she has such a long lazy stride at a walk, that covers so much ground...but she doesn't drag toes. I always watch her stride because Leo's have a nasty PN that pops up and often the first sign is rear weakness that is so slight you often only have the toe drag to go on at first.

 I was worried about some gait abnormalities Z had last year so i can kind of understand where you're coming from - it can be really scary. 

Since I was worried about luxating patellas and I know that treatment can be $$$, I made sure I had Z on pet insurance (Pet Plan covers inherited conditions, unlike many other companies) for the required amount of time before I had her checked out - you might want to consider doing the same thing, just in case...

That's a good idea, how did it work?  If I signed up today would they also cover the cost of the x-rays?  How do they decide whether the condition is pre-existing or not?

Here's a link to a good summary of why I chose PetPlan: http://www.gopetplan.com/Why-Petplan/Petplan-Advantage.html

 Here's what they say about coverage start dates:

There is a fourteen (14) day waiting period after the effective date of the policy during which we will not cover any illness of your pet. The waiting period will not apply to any renewal of this policy if continuous coverage is maintained. Coverage for injury of your pet will begin twenty four (24) hours after the effective date of the policy.

And pre-existing conditions:

A pre-existing condition is a condition which first occurred or showed clinical signs before the pet's coverage started or which occurred during the policy waiting period. This would include conditions that have not yet been clearly diagnosed, are currently in remission, seasonal or being controlled via prescription medications. These conditions are normally excluded from the policy as the coverage is there to insure against future conditions and not to pay for conditions that your pet is already suffering from.

Exclusions: Any situation, event or medical condition not covered by the policy. The most common exclusions are those that relate to pre-existing conditions that your pet suffered from prior to purchasing a policy.

[An exclusion] that has been placed on the policy due to a pre existing condition may be reviewed at the policy holder's request and can be removed subject to review and approval by one of our in-house veterinary consultants. For example, pre-existing conditions such as mite infestation or gastritis can be considered cured and removed from exclusion status on your policy. We would require your pet's medical records from your veterinarian indicating the existing health of your pet, along with a written request to remove the exclusion. One of our in-house veterinary consultants will review the medical records and issue the change in your policy, if applicable.

 I believe Amanda has PetPlan and had claims filled for a variety of problems, so once she's back from her surgery you might want to talk to her about her experiences.

I will pm you with details on insurance tomorrow when I get out of the hospital. I love ours & it's paid for itself 10 times over. Here are some ins & outs that are nice to know ahead of time though.