HELP NEEDED!! Lucrecia probably has hip dysplasia...
We've started giving her condroitin and glucosamin supplements and we're waiting for a second opinion of a orthopedic specialist (after a thorough x-ray study), but believe me it's an understatement to soy the news broke our hearts since she's our little daughter and companion. Anyway, we would like to know if someone has had this condition and if there is an alternative treatment to surgery and or something we can do to make her better. Bear in mind that veterinary practice here in Mexico is not so advanced regarding dogs and small species as is in the US... I'm not saying mexican veterinarians are bad or ill-prepared, but we would love to have the most help we can in alternative medical procedures or treatments. |
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| We too have a one-year-old sheepie with bilateral hip dysplasia. http://www.pomeroys.com/EmmaDarby/Page30.htm For now, we will only be observing Panda and using medication to keep her relatively pain free. Despite her horrible looking x-rays she only requires a daily adult buffered aspirin in the morning to start her day and Cosequin DS 2x a day. Each dog with this disease reacts differently to it.
As for alternative treatments, I don't believe there are any that prove to eliminate the need for surgical intervention. HD is generally a degenerative disease. If she qualifies for a surgery called a TPO, it gives her the best possible future but there is only a small window of opportunity... they have to still be growing AND bone changes cannot have already taken place. Our sheepie at 9 months was not a candidate for it because bone changes were already present. She will have FHOs should surgery ever be required. It's part of our adoption contract that she have FHO surgery instead of a total hip replacement... they felt there was a higher risk of failure with the total hip replacement and would not adopt her out if we had chosen that procedure. The best advice I think is to make sure she isn't growing too fast. I've heard it said they sometimes put pups with HD on adult dog food earlier to slow their growth but you should check with your vet to see if it's appropriate for Lucrecia. The other thing is to keep her at a healthy but lean weight. A good lean weight takes added stress off her hip joints. Swimming is the very best exercise for dogs with HD... it keeps their muscles toned but takes the weight off the joints while doing it. For us, we let Panda tell us how much exercise is enough. In the US there are teaching hospitals that often perform surgery at a lower rate... we checked with Michigan State University before we adopted Panda (we knew she had HD prior to adoption). Is there one near you? It might be worth checking into to see if this would be a good option for you and your baby. I know that this disease is heartbreaking. One thing to take comfort in is that she in the best place possible. No matter where she had ended up she would have been afflicted with this disease but she has a better chance at a good future by having a family that cares. Good luck to you and Lucrecia! |
| Hi,
Just last week I had a lenghty discussion with a vet whom works at a clinic I've been visiting for 17 years. I really trust her opinion as the vet clinic is also a teaching facility and a lab. They are up to date on many issues and with so many pets I feel they always have my best interest at heart and that it's not the monetary value. One of my rescues, also named Panda, has HP. Unlike your little Lucrecia, he is four years old and has moderate dysplasia. My question to the vets was: should I have him operated on now while he is young and viable or wait for the lameness to get worse. ( Please note this situation is a bit different than yours as like Jaclin mentioned there is surgery available for younger dogs that is not an option for the older ones.) The surgery for older dogs is different. The surgery for the younger dogs which is different has a good success rate. In a nutshell, I spent over an hour with the vet discussing options. She told me that even in the last 5 years there have been huge advancements in HP medicines. She didn't recommend surgery for my boy and in fact told me that in order to have it done it would have to be approved by a specialist in the field as a last resort. She even said the TPO surgery has gone way down in the last couple years. This means one of two things: That people are testing their dogs prior to breeding more often so as not to pass this weak link to the pups or the medicines or ? There are currently no studies being done as to the reason for the sudden drop in TPO surgeries as like those in years past. Like mention previously, there is a small window of opportunity where TPO can be done successfully. After that passes there is the option of the more traditional hip surgery (which is very costly) but is the one I was willing to have done on my boy. After discussing with my vet and the others in the office, they said: For some dogs surgery is a neccesity if they become imobile while for others they seem to be able to cope well in their old age and it's controlled by meds which are highly effective. So while surgery is the only way to correct HP it isn't always the way that vets choose to assist a furball. Each case is taken on an individual basis as to how they are coping and each dog is different. The last resort is yet a third surgery called "Salvage surgery" which is the one done when the pet is experiencing severe lameness in old age. I second what Jaclin said as well regarding Glocosamine, I see huge differences in my dogs whom have been on it. Two of my dogs are currently on the product (which is also a people medicine purchased over the counter for those with arthritis). For Panda, the dog whom I just spoke of and for my 16 year old Blueheeler/Lab who is still very active even at his age. I also suplement their diets with the occasional food items that are recommended to help ease effects of arthritis after researching on the net about Hip Dysplasia. Please note however, as previously mentioned it doesn't cure but only controls the effects of the HD. My vet and all the web sites I've visited in my search also recommend keeping your girl on the lean side so as not to add more stress on the joints. What she (my vet) said most often people stop excercising their dog fearing this does them harm which is the opposite of what you should do. I don't mean excercise where they are running hard, but excercise like daily walks to keep their limbs limber. She said this was extremely important and will have the effect that the limbs and joints remain flexible and the pet healthy. Swimming as an excercise like mentioned above was also recommended by my vet. I'm always of the school of thought that knowledge is power. The more you know about something the more options and knowledge you will have to help Lucrecia. I suggest you search the net and find out as much as possible in order to best help your girl. I wish you best wishes and luck. Will be thinking of you and Lucrecia. Marianne and the boys |
Marianne, your post was like a second opinion that reaffirmed we are doing the right thing.  Thanks so much for posting about your consult with your vet. We had never dealt with HD before Panda arrived but everything that we were advised to do and the results we have seen have made it apparent we are going in the right direction.
Quote: What she (my vet) said most often people stop excercising their dog fearing this does them harm which is the opposite of what you should do.
YES! Panda has built up her muscles and dropped a few pounds since she first arrived in September. She has become more active and coordinated and she compensates better for what is lacking in her hind quarters. She stands up from a lying position easier... it was a struggle at first. She does run and play with the other girls but we do short sessions so she has never ended up lame because of it. Her previous owner indicated to the rescue that she did end up lame after playing previously with another dog... maybe from too intense or too long a play period when she was unconditioned for it. We were all ready to look into surgery for Panda when she arrived. Our vet had a consult with MSU and we were very sad when we learned she was not a candidate for TPO surgery. I'm glad that Grannie Annie with NEOESR said to let Panda settle into the pack first before we looked at FHO surgery. As time went along Panda seemed to improve some and develop better coordination until finally one day we felt that the surgery wasn't needed right now. Our vet confirmed this and surprised us too when he said surgery may actually NEVER be needed for Panda. We hope this will be the case. Our vet repeated some x-rays which showed possibly a bit of improvement in her HD because of the Cosequin DS. mexican_luque- Note too that a vet down a MSU that I wrote to said that they don't base surgical decisions on just the x-rays but rather how the dog is coping with his/her disease. Surgery is usually a last option UNLESS a dog qualifies for a TPO... or a JPS at a very young age. A bit off subject but I just heard that the little sheepie-mix rescue named Paddington that was with Minnesota OES Rescue (he's just been adopted and is now known as Bear) is scheduled for JPS surgery today http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?action ... mpl=&stat= I had never heard of this surgery option before. http://www.vetsurgerycentral.com/jps.htm
Thanks again for posting Marianne. I hope if you hear any news or good advice along your journey with HD that you'll let me know. I'll do the same. |
| since I've wrote the first post, we've found a good vet that's taking her case and having more exams on her done soon to determine the options available.
We cannot be grateful enough to you all for your help and we will manage to get her out of her condition in no time... like all of you said: with proper veterinarian treatment, excercise and lots of love everything is possible. Lucrecia, Gloria and I thank you all and send all of our love to you  |
| Good luck to you!!!!! |
| Good luck to you! I hope you'll keep us posted from time to time about how your little girl is doing. I can tell she's very precious to you. |
| Hi ,
I also want to send my good luck and best wishes to you and Lucrecia. As Jaclin said, please keep in touch! If we all inform the others as to our discoveries we all help each other and our sheepies. Thanks to you as well Jaclin, as hearing the opinions you recieved was like hearing a second opinion for me as well! Here we are on opposite sides of North America and our vets are basically saying the same things! That gives me comfort as the vets now seem to be of the same mindset. I had a look at your site and my Panda boys hips looked like those of your girls. Last year I had him completely sedated so as they could do x-rays and do hip rotations as I was getting concerned about his limp after a hard run. Again, like you with your girl, Panda developed it after hard play. Ironcially, I just took him again for sedation last Tues and the good news is, they haven't got worse but are remaining stable. Since he's had a traumatized past , I get the vet to sedate him and have everything checked at the same time, teeth, ears, hips and a shave while he's under. We were fortunate to live only 3 blocks from an offleash dog park and sadly it took him months for him to join in the fun - only to realize that I can't take him there any longer. (He was a previously caged boy so play/chase was new to him), although he got along well with other dogs he didn't know how to "play" it appeared. Anyhow going off topic, sorry. I found other alternatives, however. I spend one on one time with him taking him for walks or ball throwing but can regulate how much he runs. I even asked my vet's opinion regarding allowing to sign up Panda for musical agility and she gave her okay. For those of you reading this and not familiar with it, it's a series of choreographed steps by the dog and human where they "dance". Not to be misunderstood and think it's lifting a dog up by the front paws and dancing, of course, as this would be harmful for our boys and girls with HD. It can be as lively or as sedate as you choose and Panda will get his excercise and bonding time with me. I do find that my boy does enjoy a light massage on his backside much like a human would enjoy one if they were experiencing sore muscles. A pup like Lucrecia may be a bit wiggly at first and some dogs take a while to get used to it. Once they do --- ahhhhhhh - they look forward to it! Will be keeping Lucrecia and Jaclin's Panda in my thoughts Marianne and the boys |
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