A Labrador puppy has been left in agony and struggling to go on walks after his hips grew malformed. Now nine-month-old Rusty's every movement is painful and his family must stump up the money for a £8,000 vet bill. He needs both hips replaced in complicated surgery after being diagnosed with severe bilateral hip dysplasia on March 20. Hip dysplasia is most common in Labradors, Golden retrievers, German shepherds, and Rottweilers, according to the dog charity Blue Cross . While some dogs can get by on painkillers and joint supplements, Rusty needs treatment if he's ever going to be pain-free. READ MORE: Bizarre moment mobility scooter tows metal fence down busy Grimsby road Cleethorpes team's mission to save badger cubs after home destroyed by excavator Rusty's owner Rachel, from Scunthorpe, said: "In a nutshell, Rusty's hip joints didn't form properly which has caused bone-on-bone contact with every step. This is very painful for him and unfortunately, Rusty needs both of his hips replacing." Describing the puppy as a "huge part of our family and lives", Rachel, who is married and has an 11-year-old daughter, added: "He is very loving and he is such a big character. He's seen I'm upset now and has come to cuddle with me. This XRay shows the hips are not properly in the sockets which is incredibly painful (Image: Supplied) "He is always up to mischief. He has got an obsession with the TV remote and if I'm cooking tea he will get it from the living room and put it in front of me like he's saying 'Come and sit down with me and watch TV!'" Despite his cheeky personality, Rachel says Rusty cannot run around and do "zoomies" like other puppies his age. "At under a year old, this is something that we would never have expected to be going through," she said. Rachel said Rusty was part of an unplanned litter but she had seen both his parents and they seemed "wonderfully healthy". Since Rusty's sad diagnosis, the owners of his parents have traced his siblings but they all appear to be fine. "None of the other pups have been showing signs and Rusty was the smallest of the litter," said Rachel. She had not heard of hip dysplasia before Rusty's diagnosis and was devastated - having done everything she could to raise a healthy dog. She said: "As soon as we got Rusty home at just 8 weeks and 1 day old, Rusty was insured with an annual limit of £4,000. For one hip to be replaced it will cost around £8,000 alongside aftercare." Rusty began to show signs of pain in late January this year, refusing to eat his meals and showing signs of discomfort. He began losing weight and vets suspected a problem with his hips and prescribed painkillers. Even with painkillers, Rusty struggles on short walks and Rachel says he will often be "swaying and limping". Despite Labradors being known as big eaters, poor Rusty continues to be selective with food - although he loves duck pate and sweet potato. Rachel says they are now asking for donations via GoFundMe to raise around £4.5K to get Rusty's first hip done. After August, the policy renews and Rusty can have his second surgery. She added: "We fully understand that times are hard right now but if you could donate anything at all we would be eternally grateful. We want to get Rusty's surgery booked ASAP however cannot do this until we have the funds." Join the FREE Grimsby Live
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