Big Paws Only Dog Forums
BPO Medical Forum => Medical Conditions & Diseases => : The Brindle Pack November 17, 2006, 06:13:13 AM
-
As I type this Tuc is getting ready for surgery. Because Tuc is not a touchy feely pup Dr. Eich was unable check his knee so he will do that first and if it's OK he will be doing the FHO on his right hip. This is so freaking me out but I know once we get thru the recovery he will have little to no pain on the right side. We will most likely have to do the left side in the future.Â
We already have the gorilla crate set up in our room with a nice clean bed and new toys. As long as everything goes well we will be able to pick him up in the morning.
I will be updating in this thread for those that are interested. I will warn you now that pictures posted may not be suitable for the squeamish.
-
Oh, Cindy....I think I'm glad the decision has been made and the process started! My only hesitation is for you!! I know how awful the waiting is! Please know I'm thinking of you and holding good thoughts for Tucker and for you!!!
Please keep us posted through every stage!!!
-
Awww , saying prayers for poor Tucker right now ! :-*
-
Wow, hoping the best for Tucker's surgery. Hang in there big boy!! You too, Cindy!!! :-* :-*
Do you have a sling for him? I borrowed one from a friend and it has been a lifesaver for me since Turkey's orthopedic surgery about 3 weeks ago. I highly recommend one!!! I think it has helped me and her. ;)
-
I hope everything went well with Tucker's surgery. I know how hard it is when you have to leave them at the vet's overnight. Hopefully you'll have him home with you in the morning.
-
How did Tuckers surgery go? Well I hope!
-
OH Cindy I'm sure that Tuc will be fine once he sees your smiling face again.
It's too bad that at times like this we can't explain so that they can understand.
Magic will be having surgery on Monday,and lucky for my I get to take him home that day.
He has another lump this one on his breast bone,but I'm sure he will be fine.
I'll start my real stressing waiting for the lab results.
You are in our prayers
Tricia and the fur kids
-
Tucker had his surgery and everything went well. We will leave in a little while to pick him up.
I thought I would talk a bit about what we had done and why. Tucker was diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia when he was about six months old. Hip dysplasia is an abnormal development and growth of the hip joint. Hip dysplasia is manifested by varying degrees of laxity of the muscles, ligaments, and joint capsule of the hip joint. This abnormal laxity allows the femoral head (ball) to slide in and out of the acetabulum (socket) excessively, resulting in malformation of the joint components. Arthritis is the long-term consequence of undetected or untreated hip dysplasia. Our large and giant breed dogs are at the greatest risk for hip dysplasia.
Because of his size, rate of growth, and damage Tucker was not a candidate for a TPO (Triple Pelvic Osteotomy). A TPO is performed on young dogs to stabilize the hip joint so it will develop more normally.
Shortly after we found out about Tucker’s HD he had his first seizure and we began the long process of trying to get control. The first couple of months were the toughest. Because of the severity, number, and frequency of his seizures we even considered having him PTS. Well we added KBr (Potassium Bromide) to his Phenobarbital and that was the magic combination. For that matter KBr was really the magic as he has now been off the Pheno for over five months…. I’ll have to save that story for another blog.
Anyway, we began researching our options for his HD and found that either a THR (Total Hip Replacement) or FHO (Femoral Head Ostectomy) would be necessary. We consulted with three orthopedic specialists; two suggested an FHO and one suggested the THR. All thought it would be a good idea to wait until we had dealt with Tuc’s epilepsy.
Much of the information about FHO you will find on the internet is out dated. Some call it a “salvage” procedure for failed THR; however, in the last few years many orthopedics are doing the FHO as a first choice. In our case because of Tuc’s epilepsy be were concerned that if his seized that he would dislocate the new hip. Tucker also has severe allergies and we really didn’t know how he would react to the foreign matter that comes with a THR. Although money was not a deciding factor for us it is for many. A THR cost $4000 - $6000 and a FHO is about half that…. per hip.
An FHO is performed by cutting off and removing the femoral head and allowing the joint to heal as a “false joint” (a capsule connecting the two bones but no actual bone to bone contact). With most active dogs a false joint will form quickly. With larger dogs a muscle “sling” (bicep muscle of the thigh) is used for added support and to cushion the femoral shaft.
Well that is all I have time for now, we are off to pick Tucker up. I will post more later about our journey.
-
i don't know how i missed this! i'm so sorry you're having to go through this. i can't imagine, because i know how upset i get if i just have to leave my dogs for half a day. i'm glad all went well, and i hope with all my heart it's an uphill journey forever now. you're an inspiration!
-
Just a brief update before I get back to the patient. Tucker is doing and looking great. He's already doing toe touches and trying to put weight on his right leg... this is a good thing. For the next week or two just walks to the potty area on lead and with the sling for support. After the staples come out we can start doing short walks and he can swim.
Tuc is doing great and true to his character Dr. Eich almost called us last night to come get him. Tucker hates to be away from his people and sometimes it is just better to send them home than to let them stress. Most meds that would knock out a small horse can't keep our guy down. Tuc will be crated most of the time for at least the next 30 days.
Here are a few pictures. The first taken at the hospital the next two in the truck, and the last one resting in his crate at home.
I'll update everyone again later today or tomorrow morning.
Thank you all for your being here for us and for your kind words and thoughts.
-
i'm so glad that he's doing so well! that's too cute that he wants to be with you so badly, he absolutely MUST love you so much!
-
AWWWWw
poor tuck, hope he feels better and better each day!
-
Sounds like great news and he looks marvelous!!
I'm sure with Mom and Dad there and at home he will be well on the road to recovery.
Keep us all posted. I know you will.
Breathe now,and take things a step at a time.
tricia and the fur kids
-
Tucker is such a sweetie laying in his crate!!! I hope he heals up with no trouble. He is so lucky to have a mommy who cares about him so much!!!!
We are all rootin' for ya big boy!!!!! :D :D :D
-
Well we made it through the night without complications and I can tell you now, keeping him crated for the next month is going to be difficult. It's 3:45am and he is not due for his pain med until 4am. We just went out for a potty break and he is putting considerable weight on his leg.
Thank you all for your well wishes. I'll update more in later. Right now I need to go do grub and spend some time with the rest of the pack.
-
I know i didn't go through the hip surgory...but Lady did have the knee ACL surgory. It's tough. it's not easy. it's hard to see them have to experience this...or anything else for that matter.
it's a long hard road.
you will get through it and so will Tucker!!! Hang in there and take care of you and the pup!!!
-
I read this but didn't get a chance to respond to it until now. I'm sorry that you and Tucker are going through this but so glad to hear that the surgery went well and that he is home and doing well. I'm sending lots of healing thoughts and hugs that the recovery period flies by for you and him.
-
Aww, poor Tucker! I hope you recover fast, buddy!
This is scary. Sadie had a funny limp last week, and I took her to the vet. They said it could be her knee and that it could mean it's been sprained, strained, or even an indication of hip dysplasia. Sadie is pretty muscular and wouldn't relax her leg completely, so they put her on rimidyl. If it shows up again, they will put her under to examine her knee (so she won't be tense). Then she might need surgery. We didn't go into the specifics of it, b/c this could go different ways right now, but just the thought of it scares me! I don't want her to have to go through any of that!!
-
I cannot tell you how happy I am that we did the FHO. We are only day 3 of post-op but I can tell this was the answer for Tuc. If it had been Tyra we would have done the hip replacement but because of Tuc's other issues this was what was best for him. I can't wait to start taking walks with him again, something we have done in a long time because of the pain.
There are some things that we will have to think twice about in the future; dog beach for Tuc probably is not a good idea. For that matter Dr. E suggests that we not take any of our guys that are over 70 lbs. Seems that many of their emergency surgeries are from large/giants that have been at Huntington and blew out the ACL. Apparently the sand allows for too much twisting. Tuc will still be able to run and play but it will have to be more controlled. We will also still have to deal with the left hip as it too has severe HD.
Thanks again for all your support.
-
I'm so happy that Tucker is doing so well!! That's fantastic news! I was away for most of the weekend and am so happy to see that the up-date is only for cheers and toasting! YEA!!
That's really interesting about dog beach! Of course it makes sense! I'd never thought of it before, though! Sheeesh!! I guess that's why he's the dr. and I'm not! ::)
So Tucker is already putting his weight on it? Can you start walking him out without the towel-tummy support? Did he have the morphine patch?
I'm so happy that this is such great news! You really needed a break!!!
-
wow - I've been away from BPO for a few days.... and had no idea Tucker was having the surgery! I am sooooo glad it all went well and the big guy is going to make a full recovery! what a relief!
-
So Tucker is already putting his weight on it? Can you start walking him out without the towel-tummy support? Did he have the morphine patch?
lol... Even when Dr. Eich brought him out he was not using the sling. The few times I tried to use it he would just stand there. He has been putting weight on his leg since they let him out of the kennel. As for walks we will get to start short ones next week and then he will get to swim as soon as the staples come out in 10-14 days.
Tucker never did have the patch just some pills. If he keeps going the way he is we will stop using those in a few days.
At this point our biggest hurdle was crossed last night.... he had a BM... lol
-
Wow, I'm glad everything's going well, surgeries can be so stressful! I hope Tucker has a speedy recovery, sounds like he's doing wonderful.
-
At this point our biggest hurdle was crossed last night.... he had a BM... lol
YIPPEEE!!!!
-
Hadn't sent a message, but been keeping track. Glad all is going well with Tuck
-
YAY for Tuc and your and the rest of yours.
We are so happy everything is going so well.
Tricia and the fur kids
-
YAY!!! good boy Tucker. I love that first day after surgory when you just pray for poop!
-
It's going to be a LONG 30 days. I don't know how I'm going to keep him crated or even confined to one room. We've been doing Kongs, new toys, one on one time with the other pups and us and it's just not enough... or maybe that's the problem it's too much. Maybe he has figured out that when he paces someone will come in to be with him and if he uses those sad I'm dying in here puppy dog eyes they'll bring me a Kong with peanut butter or a nice meaty bone.... I am such a sucker.
Any suggestions on keeping my Tuc happy?
I need to share a cute story and then I've got to get some domestics done... Scooter yesterday dragged his blanket from the sunroom to our room and camped out next to Tucker's crate. It was just too cute. Scooter is such a sensitive pup. I got some pics that I'll upload later.
-
OMG, the Scooter story is one of the sweetest things I've heard in a LONG time... talk about warm fuzzies! :)
As for our Sweet Tucker... perhaps he would like to work on a stealized bone for awhile... I stuff them and freeze them.... tne it takes the pups a LONG time to get the frozen peanut butter out.
-
I'm bummed the two pics that I took of Scooter dragging the blanket didn't come out but here is one I took after the fact. The second one is of them having some one on one time, then one of Tuc alone and the last is just too funny not to share, some use their treadmills to hang clothes.... ours apparently is used as a dog bed.
-
Best use I've ever seen for a treadmill!! LOL
The pictures are awesome! Everybody looks so content together!!
-
Awww Scooter what a sweetie :-* I love the treadmill picture......n ow thats dog tired ;)
-
How cute!!!! he's got a bare bottom too!!! Lady thinks that's cool. she didn't like her bare butt at all!
I love the pic of the "workout". that's my kind of workout!
-
Thanks again for all your support. Tucker continues to improve beyond my expectations. I'm just amazed at how well he is doing.
-
Thanks again for all your support. Tucker continues to improve beyond my expectations. I'm just amazed at how well he is doing.
Â
that is great news!!! Good Boy Tuck!!!
-
Tucker got his staples out yesterday. Unfortunately the weather turned cold and he won't be able to swim. Although it is suppose to go back up to the 70's at night it has been in 20's so my friends pool is just a bit too cold, even with the doggie wet suit. As least that is how I feel about it. I’m sure if Tucker was given the opportunity he would take a dip. So I guess for now we will continue to take our walks. Currently we are taking three 15-minute walks per day.
-
i'm glad tucker is doing so well! he sure is a trooper!