BAD NEWS!

[ambulance_Driver]

I took Thor in to get nuetered last week, and while he was there the vet did a thorough exam and called me to report that when she was examining his hips she got a pain response on one side, and had crepitus on the other.  I told her to go ahead and take x-rays so that we can know what we're dealing with.
    When I went to pick him up she was in emergency surgery but we talked on the phone and yes my worst nightmare is real.  Thor has HD.  He's only 9.5 months old!  I asked what our options are and she told me about two different surgeries, niether of which I can afford, and then said that we could treat it with pain meds/anti inflammitories .  I asked about liver and kidney functions on those meds and she said that blood work would have to be drawn every six months to check their funtion levels. 
    I asked about diet and she said that she would research it for me.  I asked if there's anything I shouldn't let him do, like climb, jump, run etc and she said that as long as he doesn't appear to be in pain to let him be a puppy but don't force any exercise etc on him.  She also said that swimming would be excellent for him. 
    I feel like a HORRIBLE mommy!  Thor never appears to be in any pain, and loves to jump up on the bed, and run like a crazy beast.  The vet said that since he doesn't appear to be in any pain to keep him very lean and make sure he gets taken for a walk or two each day, and just monitor him for signs of pain. 
   This was just SO shocking!  I never expected anything like this!  WOW.

Sandra

[doggylover]

I am sooooo sorry.  That is awful news to hear.  Best of luck in handling all this...
 

[chaos270]

I'm so sorry to hear about Thor.  Do you have him on glucosimine/chondroitin supplement?  That'll help keep the joints from wearing and I'd do exercises to help build up his hip muscles so they support the joint.  Do a search of this site for more info cause I know a few dogs have been diagnosed including a few of the Saints.  I hope that helps.  Good luck with him!

[Good Hope]

Hi,

What were the two surgeries that you and the vet discussed?  Was one the triple pelvic osteotomy?  That is the only surgery that I know of that cannot wait past 12 months; others you could do later.  On the other hand, this surgery isn't something you would want to do unless there is moderate to severe hip dysplasia.  If it is just mild, you cannot be 100% certain that the dog isn't in an awkward stage of growth.  I would definitely get a second opinion.

Also, there are at least three different surgeries that can be done for hip dysplasia: the triple pelvic osteotomy, total replacement of the joint (don't know the technical term), and femoral head excision arthroplasty.  There may be others that I don't know about.  Maybe your vet didn't mention one of them because your dog, for whatever reason, is not a good candidate, but it still might be good for you to learn about the different surgeries.  We have a four-year-old American Eskimo rescue with moderate to severe hip dysplasia.  Since she doesn't have any problems other than occasional soreness from cold weather or rough play with the big paws, we aren't doing anything special for her.  We did decide to do the femoral head excision arthroplasty if she ever gets to the point that symptoms indicate that surgery is needed.

There is a wonderful Yahoo group called Orthodogs that deals with all kinds of orthopedic problems, including hip dysplasia.  Many people are on the board to help and have come up with some really creative solutions in regard to different conservative management techniques and physical therapy.  They may also be able to recommend a veterinarian in your area who specializes in orthopedics, if you are interested.  The people in that group can definitely steer you in the right direction in regards to anti-inflammatories, supplements, and nutrition.

Have you considered feeding raw?  There are several members of this board that feed raw (besides ourselves), and some on Orthodogs do too.  I know that there have been threads here about it.

Best wishes to you and Thor.

Please let us know how things are going and what you decide.

Deena

[newflvr]

Deena seems to have covered all the options, but with Otis, our first Newf who didn't have a hip socket at all on one side, and severe HD on the other, the orthopedic surgeon did give us one very useful nugget of information.  Dogs, like people, have very different pain tolerances and some dogs with very mild HD are truly 'Lionel Barrymore' and experience extreme discomfort and others with severe HD exhibit very little, if any, discomfort.  That's why it's so important to watch your dog closely.  If Thor seems to be fine, postpone any discussion of surgery as long as you can.  Do all the preventative measures you can (raw, if that works, glucosomine and condroitin, etc.) and just know that you are dealing with a chronic problem...won't go away, but may be tolerable.  Also, I think it's essential to go only to an orthopedic specialist...a t least for a consultation to get the very latest advice.  University Vet. training centers are a great resource and could be at a reduced rate.

With Otis, we did a total hip replacement at a year since his femur was totally away from his pelvis and, after recovery, was great.  We never did do his other side.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Yaz]

Gosh, I am so sorry to hear your news. I hope that Thor is going to get through everything and I can only imagine the worries you are facing.

[BabsT]

I dont know... sometimes i think vets say this stuff to get surgery which is money in their pocket....i am sorry but i think it is true

I would go to an orthapedic vet and have him look at the hips... also you boy is a still a baby and growing lots and lots... you wont know fully until he is done growing

everything is HD HD HD HD HD... what about the elbows... you very rarely hear about that but it is jsut as much a concern

I  just get annoyed with the amount of my dog has HD and needs surgery from vets

OFA's dont count till a dog is 2 yrs old because the dog is growing until then so how can HD be officially diagnosed?

I mean, it is one thing if a dog has no hip sockets but another if mild HD is diagnosed

Keep your dog lean, let him grow and dont over exercise him and get a second or third opinion especially ones specializing in giant breeds

my last dog had HD and lived to be 16 with no surgery... Keep your head high and hang in there

I am hormonal at 36.5 wks pregnant so dont take me as being too harsh LOL

[Lyn]

I agree with everyone else, definitely get a second opinion. Have you been seeing any signs that his hips are bothering him?

I had some concerns with Bubba and my vet said that unless it's severe HD can't be reliably diagnosed until 2. Some dog diagnosed young are completely HD free when rechecked at 2 years old.

 

[NoDogNow]

Babs, at 36.5 weeks, you're not only allowed to be hormonal, you're allowed to be downright TESTY.   

Put me in the wait and see camp, and look for a low/no impact exercise like swimming if you can.  I know, he's a Saint, not a newfie!  But I know a number of people whose older dogs have benefitted from a pool regimen. Barney (who is a freak, I admit it!) has even been known to put his labs in the hot tub for a nice warm swim/soak when they're sore...

[seaherons]

Thor is a young dog and has not finished growing and I strongly agree with waiting for any surgery, if at all.  Seek additional opinions and investigate what conservative management can offer.  There are options other than surgery.  These vets that recommend surgery for our young dogs who have not finished growing makes me absolutely furious and heart broken for what some of the puppies go through for minor ortho problems. Of course, surgery is the best answer in some situations however no surgery is without risks!!!  We are taking the conservative management approach with 18 month old Cirra for her cruciate injury and she is improving.  The vets recommended the invasive TPLO surgery a few months ago stating that Cirra would have arthritis if we didn't have the surgery right away.  Well, if they cut off her tibia bone and moved it over she would have arthritis also.  Vets recommend surgery because that is what they know however there are alternative approaches that can be very successful.  Swimming - yes swimming is excellent.  We are in the process of setting up a pool for Cirra to swim in. Since Pyrs generally don't like water there may be some photo opportunities coming soon...

[navarre1316]

I'm new to this site and was just browsing when I read your post.  I had a 6yr old German Shepard that I just lost on Mother's Day, so I'm still a bit raw.  However, he was diagnosed with HD and something with his elbow (I forget)before he was a year.  I agree with everyone on the surgery issue, he's not done growing yet!!  The swimming sounds great.  I also had Navarre, my boy, on a glucosamine product called Synovi G3.  I got it from my vet, but I think you can get it elsewhere also.  You do have to pay attention to what kind of glucosamine product you get.  You want one that does have MSM in it.  Anyway, his hips started getting bad this year and I was told about this product, I had been giving him another glucosamine product, within 3 weeks I could see a dramatic difference in the way he was moving and I was able to drop his anti-inflammatory meds without any problem.  Good luck.          Heatherton

[Love My Emmee]

  I'm so sorry!!!  Everyone has covered the surgery aspect of this, but I'm wondering...Ha ve you talked to your vet about making payments on a surgery??  Most vet's offices are very willing to accept a payment arrangement, they would rather see a dog receive treatment then to suffer.  Just a thought...Good Luck!!!
Heather

[ambulance_Driver]

Unfortunately I've tried the raw diet and it just doesn't work for us.  I have him on Wellness's Senior Super5Mix.  It contains highly digestable protien at a reduced level, as well as more fiber and less fat, and is enhanced with Glucosamine and Chondroitin.  The primary protien source is human grade deboned chicken. 
    He shows absolutely no signs of EVER being in pain.  I don't force any exercise on him, and he pretty much just runs like a crazy beast till he's tired and then he crashes on my bed or the kitchen floor lol.  He did go swimming for the first time last week lol.  It was HILARIOUS!  At first he just laid down in the water, then walked around but wouldn't go out and actually swim.  As I was getting ready to leave a black lab came over and went out to swim and of course Thor just had to follow lol.  He followed the lab out till he couldn't touch anymore and all at once Thor was GONE!  ALL OF HIM!  But then he popped back up and was happily swimming for the next 15-20 minutes.  Unfortunately I haven't had enough time off to take him back to the lake but I've got the untire weekend off so we'll be going back up. 
    I have decided to hold off on doing anything drastic because of his age and the fact that he doesn't show any signs of pain.  Right now for the most part he's happy.  The only time he isn't is when I have to go to work and he can't come lol.  Thanks guys for all your input and support.  I totally agree with you Babs, and yes being pregnant you are allowed to get testy lol.


Sandra and Thor

[doggylover]

I'm sorry to hear about this.  I agree with everyone else that you ought to give it some time.   

[krismark]

My dog has HD, and when we got him at about a year old he couldn't walk up the two stairs in my house without assistance. He was in a lot of pain. My vet told me about the surgical options, as well as chiropractic adjustments and accupunture.

I chose the chiro and accupuncture. He had sessions in close proximity at first, then they spread apart. Maybe about ten sessions in all over a period of 6 months. It probably cost me about $500 total.

That was 6 years ago. He is still benefiting from those treatments today. He walks normally and can run and go up stairs without signs of pain. I fully expect him to live a normal life, relatively pain free. Maybe when he is older he will have som problems, but he is already over 6 years old and doing well.

If your dog evver starts showing discomfort in the hips, I would suggest looking fo a holistic vet that does accupuncture and adjustments. Supposedly it has greater benefit and longer lasting results if done early on.

-Tina