I feel so sorry for him

[kate.jardine]

Took him to vet again he has took him off the naracarp i told him about his stools being black and he had been a bit sick so i have to put him on half a paracetamol for a couple of days to let his stomach settle and then he has to take two rimadyl daily until we know what is going to happen.The vet said  that it was both his hips that were bad he said they were very loose.He is obviously in pain as we have to help him up when he sits down and is just lying around all day its breaking my heart to see him like this.I want to take him for a walk but im to scared he will collapse Ijust feel so sorry for him.

[sarnewfie]

kathleen
would you like to give me a call?
many vets do not realize that giant breeds go thru loose stages in the hips, growing him out and excersise are crucial, i have many people who can help you out, including myself.
pm me i will give you my fone number.
is your breeder helping you?
giving you tonns of information?

[kate.jardine]

Do you think that my vet is jumping the gun as he said that this is when operating can help when they are young like dakota,he is nearly 9months

[patrick]

A vet who specialized in breeding told me that up to 25% of puppies can be dysplastic even when breeding excellant to excellant.  So many things feed into hip dysplasia - genetics is only a small piece of the puzzle  Nutrition actually is a major pre-disposition that is why so many companies now make large breed foods - it is based on years of research.

The drug you are now giving is the equivalent of Tylenol which is a pain reliever but not an anti-inflammatory.  Most vets will prescribe something to coat the stomach while on anti-inflammatories like Carafate or Tagamet.

Mild excercise is actually good for any kind of arthritis and the pup should be on glucosamine, Vitamin C and MSM.  Adequan injections work wonders (this is like a super glucosamine)

I once sold a pup who the new owners doctor dx as HD at 5 months old and OF COURSE recommended the TPO.  I took the puppy back as she did NOT have HD, put her on glucosamine and at 10 years old she is SOUND and as an adult has a hip rating of fair- absolutely NO HD.  Looseness in the hips is not necessarily a criteria for the dx of HD - not in a rapidly growing giant breed dog.

And don't ask me my opinion of the TPO surgery - what a dreadful thing to put a dog through.

[SA_horses]

I'm sorry to hear about Dakota's problem. 

You might want to join the yahoo group "Orthodogs": http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orthodogs/
They talk about hip dysplasia, among other orthopedic problems, and people there are happy to discuss the pros and cons of the various treatment options.

There's also one that deals with conservative management: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ConservativeManagement/
If hip dysplasia is truly the problem and it is severe, you will probably need surgery at some point, but often a surgery needs to be scheduled some time in advance - conservative management is a good way to help Dakota in the meantime.  The people there have lots of good information as far as supplements and various physical therapies.

However, I couldn't help but wonder, are you sure that the hips are the source of the pain?  Looking back over your posts, it wasn't clear just how thorough the exam was to determine that hip dysplasia was the problem.  Did the vet watch Dakota walk?  Palpate both rear legs?  Flex all the joints?  Do a CBC to check for infection?  There are just soooo many things other than hip dysplasia that could be causing rear-end pain.  Even tick-bourne diseases can be the culprit here in the States, although that may not be an issue in Scotland.

As Sarnewfie said, sometimes hips on a young, growing dog will look bad when they really are not.  One way to rule out problems in a joint or joints is to tap the joint fluid.  If there isn't any inflammation, that joint is not causing pain.  On the other hand, if there is inflammation, a joint tap doesn't reveal the cause.

Another problem is that poorly taken x-rays can show severe dysplasia in a normal dog: http://www.leerburg.com/hipart.htm
Just something to be aware of.

I hope this helps you.    Feel better soon Dakota!

Sofia

[sarnewfie]

i would love it if you would give me a call.
lots of questions for you.
many vets do not see that many giant breeds.
their main clientelle is small med and large.