Twiching legs of a 2y Labrador

Question
QUESTION: Hello,
My Labrador Vinter is just turning two. A few months ago I noticed that randomly his front and rear leg muscles twitches from time to time. I also noticed while sleeping he bends his front legs towards his chest, and he had never done this before. He is a bit overweight at the moment 38kg (we're working on that). We went to see our vet yesterday and just by physical examination of his legs he diagnosed him with arthritis and hip dysplasia. And offered us treatment straight away. No x-rays are done so far. By reading more and more info I found this strange, everywhere it says that without the x-ray it is impossible to diagnose it. And more, that only the certified specialist could tell from the x-ray how advanced it is, if it is there at all.
Could you give your opinion about our situation?
Have you ever came across to a similar situation (leg twitching)?
The twitching itself is random, maybe 2-3 times a day, sometimes its one front leg sometimes both, sometimes its rear legs. It twitches for a few seconds and then stops. It is not getting worse over time, but it still there.
Should I be concerned?
Otherwise, the dog is happy, energetic, has no problems getting up, running and jumping up and down.

Thank you for your time.

ANSWER: Is the leg twitching when the dog is awake or asleep?  When asleep is VERY common.  When awake, I don't know of any reason it would be a problem.  I have a girl in perfect health yet her front leg sometimes shakes a bit.  And the bending of the legs towards the chest don't really worry me either.

To really diagnose hip dysplasia, yes, you would need xrays, but sometimes based on manipulation and watching gait, you can see it as well.  But a vet who is qualified should be able to see if it's hip dysplasia or not.  It's not such a complicated problem that only a specialist can diagnose.  

What treatment was recommended?  Hopefully only supplements for joint health and maybe some pain medication.  Definitely do NOT opt for any type of surgery without a specialist, however.  

I would not link the twitching to arthritis or hip dysplasia though.  Once the weight is dropped and if you can add a supplement for joints, that will be helpful.  

Good luck.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: It twitches when he is awake. Sometimes outside when he lifts his rear leg for pee, others shake a bit, or when he is drinking water from his bowl, sometimes I can see his one or both legs twitching.Also when he is outside and stops after a short run.
He suggested CARTROPHEN VET injections. No other supplements were suggested even if I asked him about it.
While examining vet said that his hip joint 'feels stiff', and then the 'diagnosis' followed.
I called his breeders today, they were surprised to hear this, as Vinter's parents have perfect tests results regarding HD.
So how could he developed arthritis and HD at such a young age? What surprises me that he has no symptoms, no visible pain signals, nothing except those twitches.

Thank you again.

Answer
The CARTROPHEN VET seems to be a prescription joint lubricant, similar to one used in the US called Adequan (though a different chemical).

If you are not SEEING the dog stiff (getting up after resting/sleeping, limping after playing) I would not suspect joint issues.  What the twitching is, I do not know.  At this point, I wouldn't seek much vet advice on it but keep an eye on it to see if it gets worse/better/different.  

I just don't think joint issues would cause twitching, though I can't be 100% certain.  Also know, even though a dog comes from parents with Excellent clearances, there is still a slight chance a dog comes down with a hereditary disease including HD, but if it were that, I would think you would have seen problems.  

You may also want to ask around your area to see if there are other vets, ones that folks are very happy with, maybe the breeder's vet is a possibility?